The Power Of A Morning Routine

Alarm’s going off and it’s time to start a brand new day. Are you the type to…
A. Hit the snooze button for five more minutes of sleep, or
B. Kick off the blanket, go in for a good stretch, and get up ready to start your day

No points for knowing which answer will get you off to a good start! And that’s the beauty of a good morning routine where how you start your day can determine how successful and enjoyable the rest of it turns out to be. If your answer is A, you’re most likely to feel draggy and tired the whole day because all you can think about is how much you want the day to end so you can get back to bed. But if your answer is B, you’re most likely the type to have a to-do list ready so you can tick off everything to feel accomplished by the end of the day.

Which perfectly explains the power of a good morning routine. We often hear of the CEO who wakes up at 4:30am to go for a run, eat a good breakfast, catch up on news, and is enroute to work by 6:30am. We’re not asking you to do the same (but go on, try it once and see how you feel!) but what we want to focus on is how establishing a morning routine can help you be more productive.

Here's why it works:

1. It gives you more structure
Mornings are usually chaotic – you snoozed too long, rush to get ready for work, have a quick breakfast, and hurry to head out before traffic starts building up. You’re already stressed before work begins! With a proper morning routine that includes when you should wake up (minus the snooze), you can have more control of your mornings, bringing you a clearer structure to begin the day with.

2. It eliminates unnecessary stress
Life’s stressful enough… Do you really want to deal with the stress of rushing in the morning, forgetting the important things you need to prepare before the day starts, and getting caught up in the whirlwind of activities to head out of the door? A morning routine allows you to set the pace of what your morning should be like, and that will allow you a more stress-free start to your day.

3. It helps you become more productive
Less stress, more structure, better sense of productivity! It all adds up – the calm morning ritual, having more control of how your day starts – all this helps you focus on the task at hand right from the start so you can be more productive for the day.

4. It allows you to plan your day better
So you want to work out in the morning? Make it part of your routine! Want to tackle emails first thing in the morning with a clearer focus? Give yourself enough time to get into the office so you’ll have that extra 10 minutes before the day starts. When you have a routine, you’ll have more control of how you want your day to be. Plus, a great morning routine means you’re more likely to be productive throughout the day which means you don’t have to spend that extra hour at work just catching up from being stressed out in the morning!

5. It’s great for your health and wellbeing!
A great morning routine starts with a perfectly planned nighttime ritual. Which means you get better sleep quality thanks to the sleep pattern you’ve established. This will result in being healthier, especially if you include a morning exercise in your AM routine. You already know that a morning routine helps with stress relief – hence the perfect booster for your mental and physical wellbeing.

What kind of morning rituals should you aim for? Well, everyone’s different so do what works for you. But if you are really after results, experts recommend the following as an ideal set-up for your mornings:

1. Wake up at the same time every day, yes weekends included!
A study found that people with the most consistent wake-up hours performed better compared to those who choose to mix it up, even if the hours of sleep are the same. We believe it has something to do with regulating your body clock, which is great to cultivate focus for the entire day.

Love to snooze? You might want to stop that, according to sleep experts! If you’re dozing off those extra minutes, you’re only preparing your body for another sleep cycle that is then interrupted 10 minutes later. This is why you feel exhausted for the rest of the day because you’re essentially robbed of your sleep!

2. Think of crushing your workout early in the morning
Studies have suggested that early-morning exercise on an empty stomach not only helps you lose weight faster but boosts your energy level for better productivity. If you’re wondering if you should sign up for that early Yoga class, do it and we guarantee you won’t regret it.

3. Morning meditations ✔️
Rather start your mornings on a calmer note? Why not include a five-minute meditation session? Quiet starts, especially for parents, are a great way to self-reflect before the chaos sets in. Take this moment to centre yourself, giving you the clarity you need to begin the day on a right note.

4. Eat breakfast!
You’ve heard it many times – make breakfast a part of your morning ritual! Studies have shown that eating breakfast can reduce the risk of health problems like heart disease and help you maintain a healthy weight. It can also boost your energy for the day ahead. But make it healthy – skip the nasi lemak and go for a banana or oats to do it right. You can read more about the importance of breakfast here.

BONUS TIP! If you really want to get your morning on a great start like many successful people, you may want to try a cold shower. That’s right – skip the heater and jump straight into a cold shower to give you a quick jolt of energy that will take you throughout the day!

What are some of your morning rituals? Share it with us @Graduan.

Photo by Bayarkhuu Battulga on Unsplash.