In this chaotic world, you need a morning routine to survive
Waking up at 5 am every day for two hours of jogging, yoga, mediation, or visualization?
No, thank you.
That’s how many people react to the words “morning routine”.
Getting up early to focus on yourself is a great way to start a day, but you don’t need an ocean of time and tones of energy for an effective ritual.
It can be as simple as drinking a glass of water and as short as two minutes. It’s not about how much time you spend, but what you do and how you do it.
So, why is it so important to have a morning routine? How can it set you up for a more productive day?
Improve your focus
When you begin your mornings with a physical activity, mindful breathing or meditation, you’re more likely to maintain stronger focus during the day. And that’s usually the key requirement for a productive work.
One research proves that meditating or practicing mindfulness influences our brain activity. When you meditate, your brain stays steady not only during your practice, but also when you move on to other activities. That means it’s easier to keep your focus on the task at hand and to be more in control.
Other morning rituals can boost your concentration as well. The key here is to take some time to connect with your inner self so that your mind and body can slowly prepare for the day ahead, without jumping straight to the “fight or flight mode”. In this way you can remind yourself what really matters to you and generate enough energy for everything that’s going to happen during the day.
And that’s how you can…
Stay sane
No matter what’s going on around, you need something that will help you keep sane. A morning routine can give you safety and calm, regardless of what happened a day before or what is about to happen in the next few hours. With this peace of mind, you’ll be able to go through any stormy events.
Whether it’s meditation, visualization, journaling, physical activity or a few moments to express your gratitude — your routine is always with you, prone to weather condition, viruses, global warming, political turbulences or other unexpected and unpleasant issues. It’s a constant part of your day that will ground you and prepare you for the events ahead.
And that’s how you can…
Reduce your stress
A healthy morning ritual will help you begin your day on the right note. When you start off slowly and mindfully, you become more aware of your emotions. You also learn how to look at everything from another perspective, without the constant rush, without the feeling that you have to react to everything immediately.
This attitude is very helpful if you want to control your stress and keep your mind sharp. There are countless studies explaining that routines such as deep breathing or yoga stimulate the nervous system, dilate the blood vessels, increase the absorption of nutrients, and transport more oxygen to the brain. As a result, your energy level increases and your stress level drops, giving you the tools to stay calm.
So, no. You don’t need to wake up at 5 am to tap into the benefits of a morning routine. All you need is a little bit of willpower to build a ritual that will shape your mind and body, giving you enough energy to start a new chapter, no matter how busy your schedule is.
Over to you
How do you start your mornings? Do you have a steady ritual or does it vary from day to day?
P.S. I share more tips on structuring your time and work in my free e-book “How to make the best use of your time”.
And if you’re looking for advice on how to boost your energy when you have to juggle running a business with motherhood, have a look at my book “You’ve got this: How to continue your freelance career when you become a mother”.
This post first appeared on Dorota’ blog at:
https://www.dorotapawlak.eu/how-a-morning-routine-can-help-you-have-a-productive-day/
