Building a Powerful Morning Routine

You may have heard how important it is to have a powerful morning routine. Despite this, there are very few people who have ever created their own morning routine to set them up for success. A morning routine is a great way to create powerful habits that will lead to long-lasting results. Sometimes we just need some ideas to get started.

Why Should I Have a Morning Routine?

Morning routines allow us to take control of our day right from the start. You may have noticed that if your day starts out poorly, the rest of the day tends to feel that way too. Starting your day well creates a domino-like effect. You will notice more good things and will be steered in the right direction. A morning routine can also be used to accomplish goals that you’ve been wanting to accomplish.

Habits are created by consistent effort and practice so if there is a habit that you want to acquire, put it into your morning routine. Everyone’s routine can be different, but I have identified some universal ideas that could benefit anyone who implements them on a daily basis. You are welcome to come up with your own ideas based on areas where you may need a little more help but these ideas will certainly help you to have a powerful morning routine.

Cultivate Gratitude

Something we can do when we first wake up is feel grateful. For those who are religious and pray in the morning, you may already do this. Being truly grateful for your new day opens your eyes to more things throughout the day to be grateful for. Too often, we feel the opposite when we wake up. Not many are blessed with a job that they truly enjoy for example. So they may not be too eager to begin their day and just want to stay in bed. Starting your day negatively will only increase the negativity you see throughout your day. Psychologists call this a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you expect the day to go a certain way, you subconsciously behave in a way and focus on things that will confirm what you expected to happen.

Some ways to implement this would be prayer as we’ve already mentioned, making a note in your phone, or a gratitude journal. Just think of a repeatable way to feel and express gratitude in the morning and that alone will make a significant difference in your attitude.

Exercise

Many choose to include exercise in their morning routine. This could range from 10 minute of yoga to a 90 minute weight-training routine. This will vary from person to person, but there are many proven benefits to early-morning exercise.

One obvious benefit is that it wakes you up and energizes you. You will pump blood and oxygen throughout your body which will prepare you to start your workday strong. One study from the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that morning exercise improved mental alertness and cognition throughout the day as well. 

Exercising in the morning also will help you to achieve your fitness goals. You will struggle to find a truly successful person who is not also in good physical condition. There is a correlation there. Exercising first thing in the morning ensures that you actually do it and that it doesn’t get replaced by another task or need. A study published in EBioMedicine also showed that those who exercised in the morning before breakfast burned more fat throughout the day than those who exercised later.

When you exercise in the morning, you feel powerful and create a sense of achievement. It feels good to know that you’ve hit your fitness goal for the day before you have even started work. This will boost your confidence and lead to more triumphs throughout the day.

Eat a Good Breakfast

This ties along nicely with exercising in the morning. Once you exercise, you have to make sure you are fueling your body for the day. And I am not talking about a sugary breakfast cereal that spikes your blood sugar and leaves you without energy an hour later. You want your body to be ready to go at least until lunch. Shoot for high protein, some healthy fats, and fiber from whole grains. These will all help you feel full for longer, replenish you after your workout, and slowly disperse energy throughout the day. To give an example, this could be a few scrambled eggs, half an avocado, whole wheat toast, and a post-workout shake. You will feel a lot better after eating that than a cup of coffee or orange juice and a donut.

Meditate

Though everyone will benefit from meditation, I particularly recommend it to those who feel anxiety in the morning. Many people with anxiety feel the it the most in the morning. This is partially due to the increase in cortisol levels in the morning which is a stress hormone. Meditation will help you feel more grounded and in control of your thoughts at the start of the day. You can even do a gratitude meditation which will combine the benefits of feeling grateful in the morning with meditation. Control your breathing, and visualize and think of things that you are grateful for. Feel what it feels like to be grateful. You can also just use a meditation app or breathe deeply and focus on your senses. You want to feel calm and positive at the start of your day so meditation is a great tool to get your mind under control.

Create Positivity

Try to bring positivity to your morning. Some ways that I do this are through affirmations, visualizations, and music. Affirmations are positive statements that you listen to or repeat to yourself that can help you to think or believe what the statements say. Affirmations commonly begin with “I am”. These can be personal or general. Some examples are: “I am powerful. I am wealthy. I am healthy. I am content. I am blessed.” Notice what negative thoughts you tend to have and challenge them with positive affirmations.

You can also do visualizations. The easiest way to do this is to visualize your day going exactly how you would want it to go. Try to see yourself happy, excelling at work and in your social life. This goes along with the self-fulfilling prophecy that we mentioned earlier. When you see something occur a certain way in your head, you are more likely to make that happen. Athletes use this too. They visualize themselves performing well and winning the game. If you keep telling yourself you are going to miss your shot, you most likely will. 

Music can also be very powerful to get you into a positive state of mind. Play some of your favorite tunes that inspire you and make it feel like today will be great. Music can quickly shift the mood in the room and make the day seem a little brighter. Overall, just do what you can to make the morning happy and positive.

Set Goals

This is where you are setting yourself up not only for a positive day, but a productive one too. What do you want to accomplish today? You don’t get in your car and drive before you know where you plan to go. This can be an actual list or you could even just think about it. Maybe think of five things you want to accomplish today. Every successful person knows that success can’t be achieved randomly. It involves long and short-term goals which eventually lead you to where you want to go. So create a direction in your day with some realistic, yet challenging goals that will push you to do more than just get through the day.

How to Get Started With Your Morning Routine

Now that we have some ideas, how can you implement these into a morning routine? First you will need to write out a plan. This can be seen as a goal. You can try to get as many days in a row as you can. However, be careful that it doesn’t end up creating more stress in the morning. You won’t always perform your routine perfectly. Celebrate what you are able to do versus maybe what you skipped. And give yourself enough time. This is why it is important to plan. You will most likely need to wake up earlier to do this which begins with going to bed earlier too. Make sure you are sleeping and waking up at the same time every day for optimal results. Here is an example of how you can write out your morning routine:

My Powerful Morning Routine:

6:30-6:40 AM: Wake up, drink water, go to the bathroom

6:40-6:45 AM: Write down 5 things I feel grateful for

6:45-7:15 AM: Exercise

7:15-7:30 AM: Breakfast

7:30-7:40 AM: Meditate

7:40-7:50 AM: Listen to positive affirmations (5 min) and visualize my day (5 min)

7:50-7:55 AM: Write down 5 goals for today

7:55-8:40 AM: Shower and get ready for work while listening to positive music

Conclusion

As with most things, you will find what works best for you and your schedule. You will also cater your morning routine towards what your goals are and what areas you need to improve. You may implement all of these suggestions or just some of them and that is ok. The goal of a morning routine is to set you up for a successful day. It involves preparing your body and your mind to handle what will come your way and succeed. If you have never had a morning routine, give this a try. If you sort of have one, see where you can make yours better. The small things you do every day will make a big difference on who you will become years down the road.