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HOW TO BUILD THE PERFECT MORNING ROUTINE:

1. FIGURE OUT WHEN YOU WANT TO WAKE UP

The time you start your day is crucial because it really does make or break your day. You don’t want to wake up too early, which could lead to you feeling tired at 12 pm. Also, you also don’t want to wake up too late. So you need to find the optimum time.

How should you go about finding the perfect time for you?

It is going to take a lot of trials and errors, so be patient. I suggest starting at around 7/8 am so you can see how your day pans out. In your notes app, write down how you feel, energy-wise and also note down how efficient you were. These notes will help you judge if you need to start your day earlier or later.

Also, keep in mind that you will need to try waking up at the same time for around a week or so. This is the perfect amount of time to judge whether the time is right for you. If not, you can adjust the time by 30 mins earlier or later and try again for a week. Repeat until you find the perfect time for you.

2. FIND THE RIGHT SOUND TO WAKE UP TO

I don’t know about you, but the way that I wake up determines how my mood is in the morning. Which is why I take so long deciding what sound I want my alarm to be.

The aim is to be eased out of your sleep gently. I don’t think anyone wants to be woken up by a loud and obnoxious alarm!

4 APPS YOU CAN USE TO GENTLY WAKE YOU UP

1. Sleep Cycle
2. Sleepzy Sleep Cycle Tracker
3. Gentle Wakeup – Sleep & Alarm Clock with Sunrise
4. Alarmy

Also, if you have an “Alexa” (Echo Dot), the alarm also wakes you up gently.

3. PICK SOMETHING THAT STIMULATES YOUR MIND

Brain stimulation doesn’t need to be anything intense but it is a great way to start your day. Something as little as reading, journaling or just listening to a podcast is perfect.

Adding one of these small tasks to the beginning of your day will leave you feeling inspired and motivated. Ultimately, this is the small push you need to get more of your tasks done.

Personally, after I have achieved a small task like journaling, I am more likely to tick offf the majority of my to do list throughout the day.

4. GET MOVING

Getting up and moving your body is one of the best ways to make you feel more energised. I’m sure you’re all rolling your eyes right now, but trust me, I did the same thing a couple of years ago. Once I added some movement into my mornings, I saw a shift in my mindset.

Moving your body can be as little as stretching for 15 mins or doing a short/long workout!

HERE ARE A FEW VIDEOS YOU CAN FOLLOW:

1. MADFIT BEGINNER FLEXIBILITY ROUTINE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qULTwquOuT4
2. HEATHER ROBERTSON HIIT- NO REPEATS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zQ89vkNnNg&t=1471s
3. 10 MIN FULL BODY STRETCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pKly2JojMw
4. 15 MIN GENTLE STRETCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skr0y10iCGw

5. GET READY

After you have stimulated your mind and moved your body, it is time to get ready for the day. Make sure you make this as enjoyable and positive, there is no need to rush. You can blast music, listen to a podcast, whatever you desire. Ultimately, the aim is to get you the best start to your day.

6. NOURISH YOUR BODY

This is the time most of you were waiting for…

Whilst you are eating you could, journal, listen to a podcast, or watch a YouTube video.

7. SET INTENTIONS FOR THE DAY

Finally, before you start your day it is best to get your intentions for the day down on paper. The best way I like to do this is by writing a to do list which ranges from around 3-5 tasks.

You can also fill out your Google Calendar or your Google Keep.

8. START YOUR DAY

Now you are ready to start your day and start ticking your to do list!

MY MORNING ROUTINE (WHEN I HAVE MY LIFE TOGETHER):

At the start of my semester, I decided to plan out a morning routine that would fit my busy schedule. I was quite apprehensive to wake up early because I thought I would be tired by midday. However, I applied the above tips and came up with a short and effective morning routine that started my day off right.

6:00-6:30 Wake up

I aim to wake to between 6 and 6:30 during the weekdays, it doesn’t always happen but that is the aim. I make sure my alarm wakes me up gently. Loud blaring alarms kill the vibe! I use the “Uplift” alarm on the iPhone.

6:30 Listen to a podcast and change into workout clothes

I love listening to podcasts, so during the week I like to listen to either a business or organisation/productivity podcast. I intentionally pick these genres because I want to start my day off with motivation and a lesson (big or small).

6:40 Workout

Starting my day off with a workout really helps my mental health and my mood throughout the day. Due to the new normal, I follow a workout on YouTube or come up with my own circuit.

7:30 Resume podcast and shower

Usually, I would have more of the podcast episode to listen to, so I play it in the background for the duration of my morning routine. Then I jump in the shower…

7:50 Get ready

Whilst still listening to my podcast, I pick an outfit (usually a tracksuit), since I’m not leaving the house.

8:05 Make breakfast

My go-to breakfast is toasted cinnamon and raisin bagel with 2 fried eggs and smoked salmon. I literally have it 5/7 days a week!

8:15 Eat breakfast and journal

Whilst I am eating my breakfast, I like to take this time to journal. My style of journaling depends on how I’m feeling but usually, it is a brain dump/ summary of how I am feeling. As well as brain dumping I also like to do future-self journaling once in a while.

8:35 Write my to-do list

As a follow up from the weekly to-do list that I write every Sunday during my weekly reset, I take a few tasks from my longer weekly to-do list (usually around 4) and add 1 or 2 more tasks that have just come up.

8:45 Start my day

Now, I have done everything I need to do to have a great day

And that’s it!

I hope you were able to learn a few tips which you can use to create the perfect morning routine, for you. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself when creating your routine! It is never written in stone and there is no one way to do it. Take your time and enjoy the process.

Lastly, it is very normal to stray away from your routine once in a while. At the end of the day, listen to your body.

OTHER POSTS YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN:

• BEGINNERS GUIDE TO GOOGLE CALENDAR + HPW IT CHANGED MY LIFE
• THE PERFECT WEEKLY RESET- 16 SUNDAY HABITS FOR A PRODUCTIVE SUNDAY
• 8 WAYS TO STAY ORGANISED AS A NEW BLOGGER| JUGGLING UNI + BLOGGING| FREE CONTENT CALENDAR
• BEGINNERS GUIDE: HOW TO SET UP GOOGLE KEEP AND USE EFFECTIVELY WITH GOOGLE CALENDAR