What do you do in the first minutes of your morning? What about the first hour? It seems that our morning has the power to decide our day. Do you pay attention to it?
Due to my tight schedule, lately I’m not paying so much attention to my morning routine as I used to and I can feel the consequences of it. I had to re-read the post I wrote a few months ago about the importance of my morning routine and I’d like to re-share it with you again just in case you need a reminder (the original post can be found here).
Many influencers talk about the fact that what we do in the morning is setting up our mood for the day. Our morning thoughts, our phones and our plans for the upcoming day are important factors that can create a predisposition towards a good mood or towards a bad mood.
Our morning thoughts can be a great source of energy or a great source of draining that energy. If we tell ourselves 5 times in half an hour how tired we are or how sleepy we are, guess how we will be? Our body is listening to us. If we tell ourselves how much we hate the job we have to go to, do you think we would go to work happy? Of course, we don’t need to like that job so if it’s a problem with it, a change it might be needed in order for us to go to work with joy. Basically, if we start our day in a negative mindset, that will be the filter will use to see the upcoming events in case nothing good arrives (which will have a diminished influence due to the negative mindset).
Simon Sinek, Mel Robbins and others suggest we should keep our phones out of the bedrooms and that we should use an alarm clock to wake up. The idea behind this is that we need some moments for us to be alone with our thoughts before we reconnect with the rest of the world. Don’t panic, they don’t talk about a long time. We can “sacrifice” 10 lousy minutes to just sit and contemplate about anything and everything, can’t we?
It is also recommended for us to spend a few minutes to make a plan for the upcoming day so we can have some clarity in what we need to do. It is easier compared to wondering around doing what is decided for us to do by external factors. Whilst a plan is required, we need to keep ourselves flexible too just in case something appears.
Practicing gratitude is a great way for us to start our day, along with meditation and some exercise. Oh, and also we need to have a great breakfast (which I ignore daily) because it can be a great energy booster. We kinda need food to survive and since it’s one of our basic needs, everything else we do from is based on this.
What do you do in the first hour of each day?
I tidy up my house as my husband is a night owl.
So you start your day by completing a task! How that makes you feel?
Like I’m righting the world again. I like things where they should be.
Interesting!
Thank you for reading and I’m glad you find it interesting 🙂
I could have written this post about a great morning routine, and forgetting it. in fact, I just a few hours back! Odd or God? https://happilytickedoff.com/2019/03/19/hypocrite-in-transition-staple-that-to-my-cardigan/
Maybe both? 😀
My typical morning routine: Wake up and thank God for this day. Just having that first boost of gratitude will change my mood instantly. Then I journal while I wait for my coffee to finish brewing. My schedule is mapped out the night before, so there’s no guess work. Sometimes tweaking is needed, but usually I have my daily schedule written among white boards that stick to my refrigerator. When I don’t follow my routine, I feel off the rest of the day. This morning creation has taken me years to develop, and it is always evolving. Also, I need to allow some wiggle room. Some days, I will meditate verses journaling. Allowing flexibility is crucial for me. This is how I combat my anxiety.
This is awesome! I love your morning routine! Was it always this way?
No, not always. It took a lot of work to discipline myself, but it is worth it!
I always do the most unpleasant thing for the day as first in the morning = eat the biggest frog first and fast. That relaxes the mind a lot. And coffee! Without coffee I am not human. And if I am good I work-out. But that is currently rather in the area “would like to have as a part of my routine”.
Very interesting! What stops you from making that a part of your morning routine?
Whoever is in charge of me. 😉
In a discussion of my unconscious cores: “no unnecessary expenditure of energy” against “I wanna look hot” the first one wins too often so that no development of dynamic stereotype is possible.
I thought I was paying attention to my morning routine and building myself for success in the day, but I think it is the opposite. Your post has made me question it and now I am hoping to work towards an improved routine for my mornings! Thank you!
Thank you for reading and I’m glad if this helps you in some way! Please do share your new morning routine once you sort it out.