The first hour of the morning is a crucial time that can either make or break how the rest of your day unfolds. Having a good morning can set the tone for a positive and productive day. The opposite—a morning where you’ve overslept, spilled coffee all over yourself, or dropped the kids off at school late—may lead to a stressful and unfavorable day. While not everyone can always jump out of bed early with a smile on your face, a few simple changes can put more spring in your step. Here are six habits that will ensure you have a better morning routine that in turn leads to more effective and fulfilled days.
Get Out of Bed
This may seem like a no-brainer, but how many mornings have you wasted 30–45 minutes in bed scrolling through Instagram or Facebook? Unless you plan on answering all of those work emails immediately, avoid checking your email as well. Instead, skip the screen time, get out of bed, and do something good for yourself. Get a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy it outside. Listen to and repeat some positive affirmations. Mediate. Stretch. Take a shower. Or do any of the other action items listed in this story!
Eat a Healthy Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so take the time to eat a delicious and nutritious meal. For busy working parents, this may be one of the only times you get to sit down with your children at the table. Do it as a family! If you’re thinking, “I don’t have time for that!” Take a deep breath. Yes, you do. You don’t have to make Eggs Benedict, but a simple scramble with leftover roasted vegetables comes together in minutes. Or make frittatas in muffin tins over the weekend, then pop one in the oven to heat up while you’re getting dressed. Other quick and easy breakfast ideas? Avocado toast, yogurt with granola with fresh fruit, whole wheat waffles slathered in nut butter, and a smoothie or veggie shake.
Clean or Organize
Want to start the day with a triumphant victory? Make your bed. This is the premise behind Admiral William H. McRaven’s best-selling book, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World. When McRaven was a Navy Seal, he was required to make his bed first thing in the morning. If the bed was made poorly, he would have to run 10 miles. The idea is that if you start the day by completing a task, no matter that it’s as trivial as making the bed, you cross something off your to-do list. You begin the day by performing a well-done job. Take it one step further and spend 10 minutes cleaning, organizing, or tidying up. Load the dishwasher, sort through that stack of mail, or hang up the clothes that are piling up in the closet.
Write
Resist the urge to reach for your smartphone and grab a pen and paper instead. Spend five to 10 minutes writing. Make a list. What are you grateful for? What new ideas are you interested in pursuing? What are the three most important things you need to get done today? What did you achieve yesterday? Write these things down in a journal. Or write a short letter to a loved one. Remind your wife or husband why you love them. Send a friend a quick note (and put it in the mail!) about a recent adventure you experienced. Wish your child a beautiful day at school. Get your creative juices flowing by writing something down.
Try a Different Alarm Clock
If you wake every morning to a loud, unpleasant noise screaming from your iPhone, consider investing in an alternative alarm clock. Thanks to modern technology there are all sorts of ingenious contraptions that emit sounds and smells that are meant to wake the sleeper gently. For example, the Philips Somneo Sunrise Wake Up and Sleep Therapy Light is an alarm clock that simulates a sunrise. It gradually emits light, at a specified time, so you are woken up naturally as if the sun was pouring through an open window.
Workout
Starting your day with a workout energizes the body and mind. The physical activity gets your blood flowing while quieting any stressful thoughts that may be running through your mind. Hit the gym at The Bay Club, meet a friend for a tennis match, or take a group fitness class. Most Bay Clubs offer a variety of morning classes, starting at 6, 6:15, 7, 7:15, 8, and 9:30 a.m. Check the schedule and find the class that coincides with your morning routine.
How do you put a spring in your step each morning? Anything we missed? Let us know in the comments!