5 Morning Rituals For An Amazing Day

I am a huge believer in getting yourself into a routine. Even if you don't typically thrive on a strict schedule, having a routine can be helpful in times of unpredictability, uncertainty, and stress (like integrating yourself into society after a pandemic!) Implementing a routine can also improve your focus, organization, and productivity. Getting necessary tasks out of the way can also help you find more time for healthy behaviors like exercise and leave you more time to enjoy fun activities and hobbies. 

If you aren’t sure where to start, I suggest starting small! Below are my top 5 tips for lightly implementing a routine you can stick to. The key here is gratitude and self-care; the better you’re feeling mentally and physically throughout your day, the more likely you are to complete your tasks and stick to the routine! Pro-tip: I find these are best done before picking up your phone in the AM. 

Gratitude Practice

Think (or write) 3+ things that you are grateful for. Why? Because when we express gratitude and receive the same, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for our emotions, and they make us feel 'good'. They enhance our mood immediately, making us feel happy from the inside.

Positive Affirmations

Listen to positive affirmations or make a voice memo for yourself saying some of your own affirmations. I love this playlist because there is a little bit of everything.

Visualize Your Day

Visualize your day. Consider everything from work to meal preparation to household chores. Once you have an idea of the basic tasks you need to accomplish, you can start creating a general outline for what you might need to accomplish each day to stay on track!

Draft a Plan

Make a plan from those visualizations. I use the Best Self journal and plan my day in 30 minute increments, leaving no blank spaces. I know, it sounds militant, but I'm a class A scatterbrain and need the structure. I include “treats” like scheduling a 20 minute period to chat on the phone after finishing a project or scroll social media for funsies.

This keeps me from getting sidetracked but also gives a little space to have fun and break up the day. Pro-tip: Once you’ve made your list of “targets” for the day find out which one you dread the most and do it FIRST! Get that dark cloud out of the way so you can enjoy the light throughout the rest of your day.

Move Your Body

This may or may not be a workout! If you like to get to your fitness in the evening, then take a couple of moments while the coffee is brewing or while brushing your teeth to do some neck and arm circles.  See how close your hands get to your toes! Anything that gets the energy flowing feels good.

Knowing yourself best, ask yourself the question “When is the optimal time for me to workout?”  I personally know that I thrive when I get my movement done early, my husband is a night owl and I seriously cannot bribe him to do an AM workout if his life depended on it.  Trust yourself and commit to a time that you know you’ll follow through with.

Stay tuned for an upcoming blog where I’ll share my morning routine about what I eat and drink for maximum energy and metabolism.