I love the morning time; the sun is up, the world is awake, and my mind is awake, ready to have a good day.
But despite being a morning person, for some reason my mornings would always be a mess.
Mornings were key; and I understood that, but because of my being a perfectionist there had been a lot of days I wasted not doing the things I wanted to do just because I started off in the wrong mood.
So now, after several trial and errors I’ve figured out eight realistic ways of starting the day off happier and better organised and I want to share them with you.
I’ve read tonnes of blogs and watched gazillions of vlogs about morning routines/ rituals but after failing so many of them, I’ve found these easy morning habits that actually make a difference.
1. Once you have woken up, spend maximum 15 minutes in bed – and that includes with the phone
The first thing you’re most likely going to want to do when you wake up is look at your phone. Ideally, it would be best not to but, I understand it’s a habit that’s hard to shake off.
What I will say though is that make sure you keep these fifteen minutes, fifteen minutes.
Once you get yourself into this 15 minute habit, start trying to decrease the amount of time you spend on your phone in bed to the point that you don’t need to use your phone in bed at all.
Getting into the habit of not using your phone in bed will increase your productivity and will make you feel more fresh and alert for the day.
2. Brush your teeth and your hair, wash your face and do your skin care routine
This is another crucial step to start off your morning with a positive attitude.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re male or female; keeping your skin in good condition will make you feel more organised, happier and in the long run will benefit you in the future.
3. Make your bed straight away
I cannot stress how much of an impact this thirty-second chore does for the rest of your day.
By tidying your bed, you’re less likely to jump back in.
With a clean and tidy space, you’re also more likely to get your chores done, get ready for the day and generally be more productive.
If you struggle to plan your day to prioritise your needs and goals, read ‘How To Plan Your Day to Prioritise YOURSELF,’ a guide on how to use your time wisely to actually get things done.
4. Have a good breakfast and give yourself some ‘me’ time
In loads of the morning routines/ rituals I’ve read about, I’ve noticed that there isn’t much ‘me’ time.
The person usually makes themselves a beautiful breakfast (which, face it, none of us have the time nor patience to make in real life) and then starts getting ready for the day by reading, getting dressed, doing errands etc.
Now while that is absolutely fab, in real life we don’t really do that, do we? Sure, you may have made that delectable acai bowl, but do you do this every morning?
Do you get changed every morning because you always have somewhere to go? Or are you sitting in your pyjamas watching telly in the morning like everyone else does?
While this time should be controlled (as in don’t let watching one episode turn into ten episodes), start your day with something that truly gives you happiness.
This puts you in a calm, relaxed mood for the day and will help you deal with any obstacles that may arise as you are in a better mood.
Related:
The 5-Minute Productivity Hack That Actually Works
5 Simple Steps To Control Anxiety When You’re About To Have A Meltdown
Productive Things to do at Home When Bored (That Make Time Fly!)
Productivity Tips That Will Get A Week’s Worth Of Work Done In 3 Days
No social media today! How to have a SOCIAL MEDIA DETOX
5. Do something that makes your brain concentrate
This can easily be a part of your ‘me’ time, but I tend to keep it after that time – for me, ‘me’ time is literally ‘use your brain as less as possible’ time.
Use this time to read, write, paint, journal, learn a language, pray.
There are also loads of online courses, both free and paid ones that you can learn from.
And of course, you don’t have to do this every day. Even doing this for twenty minutes every couple of days or doing this once every two weeks will help you learn something you are interested in.
For more ideas of things you can do in your mornings, check out the Mind Glow-up series, in which I not only give great activities for self-improvement, but also ways to develop yourself and level up in your personal development journey.
6. Get changed
On those days when you feel especially lazy, get changed and wear something that makes you feel comfortable but put together.
By getting dressed, you set yourself up for the day; you will feel more active and will be less likely to lie around, scrolling on your phone.
7. Tidy Room/s
Doing a quick tidy will help you stay organised and efficient and will prevent you from having to devote an entire Sunday going through your things and tidying up.
The saying ‘a clean space is a clear mind’ is true.
Your environment impacts the way you feel whether it be your living space or the clothes you wear.
8. Go outside and feel that sweet air
See a friend, buy a peach green tea, go to the local shops. You don’t need to do something fancy but just going outside to see the sun, and feel the breeze will uplift your spirits and set you up for the day.
I hope this post helps you today and gives you some ideas of what you can do next to improve your morning.
Even if you can’t do all of these every morning, just implement one that you feel most comfortable with and work your way from there.
You need to remind yourself that each day should be spent doing the things YOU want to do, and not what other people tell you to do in routines/ rituals.
Do what works for you, do what makes you happy. Because at the end you are living your life, no one else is.
