A morning routine can become your strongest and most valuable habit. Building any habit needs four R’s.
- Reason – your why. What motivates you to change through this habit?
- Reminder – the trigger. So you don’t just talk about it, but remember to do it.
- Routine – how you guarantee it is part of what you always do.
- Reward – the benefit you gain from maintaining the habit. Sometimes the habit itself is a pleasure, other times it’s a means to an end?
One of the best habits I’ve learned is my morning routine. Here are eight things you can do before 8am to supercharge each day, and your life!
[1] Quality sleep
Sleep repays you with energy, clarity and focus, increases your productivity and helps you feel happier. It also contributes to better health and a stronger immune system. Here are the top 5 benefits of sleep.
[2] Rise early
Early mornings allow you to work on side projects. You’ll get an enormous amount of stuff done and achieve things you never thought possible. Most of this originates from that single hour of creativity in the morning.
[3] Hydrate
Getting fluids into your body upon waking up helps to flush out toxins first thing. Brain tissue is 75% water. When you’re not properly hydrated, your brain operates on less fuel, and you can feel drained, or experience fatigue or mood fluctuations.
[4] Meditate
A few years back, I started meditating for just 2 minutes a day. It has fundamentally changed my life. Meditating will hell you to focus on what matters to you, not others. You will begin to create more value with less effort and little stress. You’ll enjoy increased productivity, be happier and more able to help others.
[5] Eat healthily
Try a green smoothie of OJ, avocado, spinach, kale, pineapple, spirulina, mint and protein. You will feel strong and vital and will have fewer energy slumps later in the day.
[6] Spend time with family
Have a good laugh with or hug with someone you love. You’ll never regret any moment with family. Loving others is why we are here. Spending time with loved ones doesn’t just happen – you need to prioritise it. Make it part of your morning routine.
[7] Exercise
Walk. Run to see a sunrise. Stretch. Have a dip in the ocean. Cycle to work without any devices. Your mind will be uncluttered, enabling more focus which will increase productivity. You can meditate or go outside at lunchtime to reset.
[8] Create something of value
Grab a coffee and go to a favourite spot. Create something. Write anything. Writing is therapeutic and this ritual of reflection allows you to continually improve. Creating value, or having a purpose, is as important in life as experiencing pleasure. At the very least, just spend 10 minutes planning your day – this will supercharge your productivity. Most of us feel busy or stressed because we are not proactive about designing our day.
Never react to a day.
Feel grateful for an awesome start to the day. All mornings won’t be like this. But most days, this morning routine will help you get lots done before even thinking about ‘work’. You don’t need to create any extra time. Just watch less TV and use this evening ritual to set you up for a great day tomorrow.
P.S. If all the above it too easy, try a cold shower! Take deep breaths as the cold water hits your skin. This is a new habit for me. Here are five surprising benefits of cold showers.