5 things to add to your morning routine, and why you should start one

Having a regular morning routine is not particularly simple, especially with that little voice that whispers: You still have an hour before before you need to be up, so why not lie here a bit longer? Goodness, this bed feels so nice… who needs showers, anyways? You know, that voice.

The thing is: getting up just a bit earlier and beginning a morning routine can be incredibly beneficial. Getting up and doing the same tasks every morning will help you have a clearer head for class or work, and you’ll feel cleaner, healthier, and you may even feel a bit more passionate and creative than usual. Overall, starting your day off right with a morning routine will help the day sail somewhat smoothly and it'll feel more structured.

However, it’s important to have a good, healthy morning routine, which entails good morning habits. Scrolling through your phone and munching on leftover Chinese first thing in the morning may not make you feel any better and in fact, may make you feel even worse.

So, here are 5 things you should start doing every morning to help start your days off right:

Make your bed

I’m sure you’ve heard this one a lot, all throughout childhood at least, but making your bed has actually been proven to make you feel more productive in the mornings. Also, it stops you from curling back into the sheets. I’d suggest making your bed the moment you step onto the floor. If making your bed seems silly, do it anyways--there is nothing like the feeling of accomplishing something upon waking up.

Drink a cold glass of water

First thing in the morning, I like to brew myself coffee and chug it down before all else, without even the slightest thought of water, but it’s important to stay hydrated. Sure, coffee and green tea are great things to drink in the morning, but water is just as efficient at waking you up (for the time being, at least), and not only will it feel refreshing, but it's healthy for your body. Fetch a small glass and sip it down, and simply observe the sensation. Then, of course, drink that delicious coffee.

Do some light exercise

Exercise isn’t particularly fun, but it will do wonders for you in the morning. I suggest tossing on some running shorts and a tank-top and finding a video on youtube that’s no more than 15 or 20 minutes long.

Yoga is great, too, because while it’s a good workout, it’s also calming and meditative and it doesn’t require too much effort.

Anything that gets you up and moving is fantastic for your physical and mental well-being; exercise gets the juices flowing, helps stretch tense muscles, and releases those built-up internal toxins. Overall, exercise makes you feel good, and it’s important to incorporate exercise into your morning, or at least daily routine.

Eat a good breakfast

It’s easy to drink a cup of coffee and call that your morning meal, but a healthy breakfast is so important for a good day. Try to stay away from carbs and eat mostly eggs, fruit, oatmeal, or nuts… anything with protein and healthy sugars, really. Eating carbs like pancakes and unhealthy sugars like syrup can make you feel hungrier and drowsy throughout the day, while protein and healthy sugars will fill you up and give you the drive you need to get your tasks started.

It may be a hassle, but I’d recommend you try getting up a bit earlier to eat a filling, healthy breakfast. You might just like it!

Plan your day

I don’t know about you, but my nose is always buried deep within my bullet journal (my planner). Every morning I scan over what I have to do that specific day, and I make alterations and write down my ambitions and goals and gratitude, and more. While journaling helps me sort my thoughts, writing out my to-do list and planning my day helps get my head in the game. Whether you have a planner, bullet journal, or a gum wrapper, try writing down and prioritizing your tasks first thing in the morning, and look back on the list throughout the day.

Of course, nobody is perfect, and sometimes we do listen to that little voice and fall back asleep, causing our morning to feel rushed and crazy. But, by incorporating these 5 things to your morning routine, you'll already be on your way to a better, more productive morning, hectic or not.

There are plenty of other things you can add to your morning routine, such as meditation, tapping, gratitude, affirmations, stretching, showering, applying makeup, etc., but I just added the tasks that I feel have impacted me personally the most and that I do most often in my mornings.

So, I hope you enjoyed reading these tasks, and I do hope you incorporate them into your morning routine.

Oh, and may I just add--try staying off of your phone throughout the morning. Just do it--this is your time, anyways. Turn it on do-not-disturb and prepare for the day by listening to nature sounds or French cafe music or even silence. Work on being mindful.

Probably writing,

Brittney