The most important part of the day is the morning and if you start the day well, it’s likely that the rest of the day will go well. There are numerous distractions that can bombard you as soon as you wake up so it’s best to have a morning routine that ensures you start the day with positive wins. Here are some of the habits we suggest you stop doing:
Stop waking up at different times
Your body likes routine and weekends shouldn’t be any different. Have a consistent time that you go to bed and a time that you wake up. After a few weeks, your body will get used to this and start waking up before your alarm goes off.
Stop hitting the snooze button
If you’re hitting the snooze button, you’re automatically starting off with a loss. When you hear your alarm, get up, don’t try and get five minutes more sleep as your body will get confused and won’t know if it’s supposed to be asleep or awake.
Stop looking at your phone first thing
Stop checking your emails and social media first thing in the morning. Don’t look at your phone for as long as you possibly can – everything will still be there later. We also recommend turning your phone off when you go to bed so you aren’t tempted to have a quick peak in the morning. Anxiety starts flying in when you see all these messages demanding your attention. Put yourself as a priority and ensure you have ‘me’ time first.
Stop not making your bed
It might not seem a big deal but if you make your bed, you’ve accomplished your first task of the day which will give you a certain amount of satisfaction. If you don’t look at your phone, wake up on time and make your bed, you’re already setting yourself up with three wins before you’ve even brushed your teeth. That’s a hit of dopamine first thing in the morning.
You may have seen this speech that Admiral William H. McRaven gave in 2014 at the University of Texas Commencement Address. It might be an old video but the words still hold power:
Stop giving to everyone else first thing in the morning
This leads on from not giving attention to your phone first thing in the morning. Ensure you have ‘me time’ first thing in the morning and take uninterrupted time to journal, meditate, read or exercise. If you need to get up earlier to ensure you have quiet time, just do it. Fill your cup first before you help everyone else.
Stop drinking coffee straight away
So many people need their hit of caffeine before they do anything else but research shows you should wait at least an hour before you drink coffee. Your cortisol (the body’s main stress hormone) levels are at their highest when you wake up and coffee will flood you with more stress and anxiety – definitely not what you need first thing in the morning. Allow your body to wake up before flooding it with caffeine. We can lose at least a litre of water overnight so rather start your day with a glass of warm water and a slice of lemon. This gives your body time to rehydrate and to time to drop the cortisol levels.
You’ll find you’re more productive if you wait to have your coffee.