When it comes to Morning Routines, you can definitely call me a sucker. I absolutely adore routine. I’m the type of person who needs a daily morning routine in order to function effectively and productively. If I don’t have a routine or a to do list for that matter, normally I end up with a serious case of procrastination and not getting anything done(total bummer!) So for me, routines are a real necessity. In all honesty, I kind of have a routine for everything. I have my weekday morning and evening routines as well as similar ones for the weekend as well. Now, when I say I have routines for everything, I don't necessarily mean a super strict and rigid. schedule of my daily activities that doesn't allow me to make time for the unexpected happenings of life, if nothing else I have to I give myself a little grace to modify my routine based on how the day goes and still feel comfortable that my plan for the day still gets the green light. Your routines don’t have to be rigid either. When you're creating a routine for your day, remember that this is all you. So, whatever measures you have to put in place that will be the most helpful to you and that make your day easier and more productive is always going to be the best option. Here are some ideas of things you can add to your morning routine to start your days off on the right track. You don’t have to do all of them (remember baby steps lovies!) This list is just a simple way to inspire you guys to cultivate mindful morning practices and to open your mind to the reality of having a truly productive day. RELATED: Morning Routine Tips for a Successful Day! 1. Prepare the Night Before! Take time every evening to prepare a little bit for the next morning to help your day run smoothly. Even if you just set aside 15 minutes before you go to bed each night, always take some time to prep. Some of the things I love doing for my Pre-Morning Prep usually include: Picking out an outfit(probably the most stressful part) Prepping breakfast and lunch options, plan your meditation(or if you prefer a more physically engaging morning activity, prepare for your morning work out. Those fifteen minutes you spend preparing the night before will make it easier to wake up in the morning and get started with your day because you already have a head start on everything you've got to get done. 2. Wake up early. I remember as a kid, there was always something fascinating about staying up late, to this day I can't really say I know what exactly that is but I guess it just made you feel all grown up. Fast forward 15 years and the only thing you find yourself wanting to do is sleep, ironic right? The lack of energy you often experience means that the odd saying you heard from your parents or grandparents, “early to bed, early to rise,” makes alot more sense than you could ever have imagined. For me, having a slow start to the day especially with early mornings just works. It's truly invigorating and instead of giving your body a shock by jumping right into activities so early on, you get to ease into your plans for the day allowing your mind, body and soul to act in unison. Try to wake up at least an 15 minutes before you need to start getting ready for the day, a little earlier depending on what your day's plan consists of. This gives you sometime to yourself before the hustle and bustle of the morning especially if your a mom. It gives you an opportunity to explore your creative side and engage in activities you love that will leave you feeling uplifted and in good spirits all day long. RELATED: The Morning Routine That Will Change Your Life for the Better 3. Read something. This goes without say, reading is one of the best activities anyone can add to their morning routine, so I definitely don't need to list the hundreds of benefits that come with reading to get me to read a few pages each day. However, just to share a little secret with you guys, I usually do most of my reading in the morning or in the evening right before bed. Reading in the morning means you'll have less distractions and be able to really dive into the books literature and overall message. So, whether you read a chapter of a book, are catching up on your email newsletters, or a fascinating article from the morning paper, just read something. RELATED: 5 Life Changing Books for Personal Growth Morning Routine Ideas for a Productive Day | TheLuxePlannerLife 4. Get Moving. You don’t have to have a full on workout in the morning if you don’t want to. Instead, you can try starting your day with something less rigorous like a little stretching or some yoga to wake up your muscles and mind. For me, it's meditation followed by a few yoga stretches. It's literally such a relaxing practice, keeps the mind and body centered and still engages those core muscles to wake you out of that dazed, sleepy trance. However, something useful to remember as you engage in any morning exercises is always take time to breathe especially when you first wake up instead of just barreling head first into your day. Give yourself some time to get in a healthy head space and everything else will follow. Here are two of my favorite meditation apps that I like to use throughout the day: Smiling Mind: Free mindful meditations for home, work, and the classroom. The Calm App: The app is free and there are free meditations you can do, but it is limited. There is a monthly subscription option that has hours of meditations and other resources you can use, too. All in all, the goal is to do something in the morning to add some movement to your day, trust me it makes a huge difference.
RELATED: Morning Routine Tips for a Successful Day! 5. Eat a healthy breakfast. Ah yes, breakfast, the first meal of the day. Although it is the first meal of the day, many of us don't see the importance of having a healthy breakfast in the morning. So, it's one of the meals we end up skipping and replacing it with less than stellar options, like coffee. Now, this is something I can attest to but it is important to remember that breakfast normally sets the tone for how you will eat the rest of the day. If you skip breakfast, you’re more likely to over eat at lunch. If you eat an unhealthy, unbalanced breakfast, you’re more likely to do the same throughout the day. So, we must opt for more of a wholesome, balanced breakfast in the morning for a fresh start to the day. Some of my favorite breakfasts include: Fruit smoothies Yogurt and berries Oatmeal Avocado toast with eggs Breakfast sandwiches Fruit salad and granola Morning Routine Ideas for a Productive Day | TheLuxePlannerLife 6. Appearance is EVERYTHING! Make sure you're allotting time in your morning routine to focus on your appearance. If you wear makeup, create an everyday makeup routine that can make the process alot quicker especially if you're in a rush(trust me it happens).Take a little extra time styling your hair. As for preparing the day before you can now put your planning skills to the test and have your comfortable outfit for the day all ready and maybe spare a few seconds to take a cute mirror selfie. 7. Plan out your day. Even though you may have done most of your planning the day before, there may still be a few things you forgot to add. Planning your day in the morning helps to pinpoint exactly what you need to get done, how you're going to do so and when you will be able to. With a fresh pair of eyes since the last planning session you'll be able to look at things alot differently and make any necessary changes. So, whether you're one to make a to do list on a note in your phone or have a large planner or bullet journal you write in, take time in the morning to write out what you need to do and look over your schedule and appointments for the day so you know what’s coming up. Definitely do not wait until it's the middle of the day to write a to do list as you have already wasted valuable time that you could have been using to taking care of and tick off some of those tasks. 8. Let some sunshine in. Open the blinds or curtains and let in whatever natural light you have available. Sunshine is good for you and brightens up both the day and your mood. Even if the sun isn’t up yet, open the curtains so when the sun does rise, you will be able to let the light slowly leak into your space and set the tone for the day. Morning Routine Ideas for a Productive Day | TheLuxePlannerLife 9. Play some music. Create a playlist of all your favorite music and play some happy tunes every morning. Your morning routine will be so much more enjoyable with some tunes because music just makes everything 100 times better. You can opt to make a special morning playlist, or you can just play some slow music from a favorite artist or maybe something a little more upbeat. Whatever gives you the most inspiration for the day is what you should play to get your day started. 10. Hydrate. It is SO important to hydrate yourself as soon as you wake up. Your body has just gone several hours without hydration. Keep some water on your bedside table and drink it as soon as you wake up. I used to think the idea of drinking water first thing in the morning was a little wacky until I gave it a shot. The difference it has made is amazing and I'm absolutely glad I did. 11. Journal. Get yourself a bullet journal or maybe a lined journal and write about the interesting dreams you've had the night before. Write down all the things you are thinking in a journal to save it for later. Then, at the end of the day, you can make another journal entry while reflecting on the thoughts you had that morning and how everything has progressed throughout the day. Another added benefit to journaling is the fact that writing things down helps you to focus and recall information at a later moment in time. RELATED: Morning Ritual Mastery Morning Routine Ideas for a Productive Day | TheLuxePlannerLife 12. Repeat affirmations. Another mindful practice you can add to your morning routine is repeating affirmations. You can repeat one specific one during your morning that will get you going through the rest of the day. Or you can speak a few different ones, too. Tape a list of affirmations to your mirror, so you are reminded of them while you brush your hair or apply makeup. You can even make a reminder on your phone for your affirmations the night before so you can always have them when your on the go. 13. Be thankful. Write out at least three things you are thankful for on a piece of paper or even in your journal. Then make list of specific things you are grateful for and share it to your IG story. Personalize your list of things you're absolutely grateful for take a pic and save it as your lock screen on your phone. Showing gratitude is a great way to start your day off right. ______ I hope these little ideas for your morning routine helped inspire you to carve out some extra time every morning to add them to your routines or to create one of your own if you don't have one already. If you’re ready to take the step to create your own morning routine, you can download my FREE Morning Routine Planner here.
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