You hear it all the time: When you aren’t working towards your goals, somebody else is.
I tell myself all the time that I’m too tired OR I can just do that later OR I deserve a break. All these things are true, sometimes you need some time to yourself to recoup. But I am here to talk about your morning routine which may help exhaust some of these common excuses.
In this day of age, your morning routine defines your day, your week, your month, your year, your decade. If you have a strong morning routine, you are more likely to find happiness, success, and physical/mental health. But instead of listing all the facts about the benefits of a morning routine, I would like to take you down two separate paths of my life (with a mourning routine & without a morning routine).
With A Morning Routine (Sophomore Year of College)
The Details
- 6 AM wake-up call.
- Meditate for 10 minutes
- Read the New York Times for 10 minutes
- Write in my journal for 5 minutes (what I am grateful for)
- Cook up a health breakfast
- Head to the gym
- Begin my day
- In bed by 9 PM, no phone.
The Results
I felt strong both mentally and physically. Not only was I powering my brain in the morning by injecting knowledge of current events, but I allowed myself to train physically to release dopamine into the brain to conquer my day. It gave me the ability to take 2 hours in the morning just for MYSELF before I began classes, homework, extra-curriculars, etc. This morning routine I had created for myself left me feeling rarely exhausted and sticking to this routine allowed for me to get more done within a day.
Without A Morning Routine (Junior Year of College)
The Details
- 8:30 AM wake-up call.
- Cook Breakfast (usually frozen)
- Drink my coffee and look at emails for the day.
- Begin my day, workout later(if I felt up to it).
The Results
I was exhausted.
The difference between “With and Without a Morning Routine” is the meditation, the New York Times, and writing in a journal. I could honestly say that I felt so tired because I let go of these 3 things. A big part of letting go of these “Self-Help Tactics” had to do with taking on too much on my plate whether it be the two jobs I had or taking on Presidency for my fraternity, I lost that spark I have always had. But I am not here to explain, I am here to help provide value to someone that is struggling to see the value of a morning routine.
I threw this concept of taking care of myself out the door, because I thought I didn’t need it. Sometime when we feel like we need to accomplish “X” amount of things in a day vs accomplishing what you ACTUALLY need to accomplish, it creates a barrier of stress & anxiety. These small little things that I threw out the door really caused a change in my mental health specifically. I was more stressed, tired, angry, etc. Remember to take some time to focus on what you need to stimulate your brain.
It is so important.
The Conclusion
I slept more my Junior Year, but it wasn’t quality sleep. Some may think that the more you sleep, the more rested you feel, but I believe this is far from the truth. I woke up just to get the day finished, instead of waking up to be excited about the day(like I did Sophomore Year).
By spending that 15-20 minutes in the morning to just relax and be able to take in life itself, it allows for you have a more productive day. It gives you that sense of “hey I can do this thing, and there is so much I want to accomplish”. It gives you insights of knowledge that you’ve never witness or heard about in school. Begin a morning routine, it has helped me grow astronomically in my physical and mental health. It’s something that I have put on the back burner lately, but something that I know I need to gain success & happiness.
And I think you need it too 🙂