Mornings can be tough. Some days you’ve got your morning routine down. You jump out of bed at the first alarm, eat a healthy breakfast, and head out the door perfectly put together. Other mornings, not so much.
Having a strong morning routine doesn’t mean you have to wake up at 5 AM every day. Instead, you need to find what works best for you. Establishing a morning routine will help you achieve the goals you have set for that day. Here are some of our favorite ways to wake up.
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Wake Up Early
You were hoping this one wasn’t on the list, weren’t you? It doesn’t need to be 5 AM, but waking up a little earlier will help you be more productive. You may even find it easier to sleep at night.
For those of us who have trouble waking up early, Stepanie Silberman, Ph.D., sleep specialist and author of The Insomnia Workbook, suggests beginning in increments. Start by going to bed and waking up 15 minutes earlier than usual. Once you have adjusted to this pattern, adjust your schedule again by 15 minutes. Continue doing this until you reach the wake-up time you want to achieve.
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Make Your Bed
Making your bed seems like such a simple task, but it’s a small accomplishment that will set you up for the rest of your day. Accomplishing something as soon as you wake up will encourage you to keep tackling your tasks. By keeping your bed clean and organized, it can reflect your entire state of mind. Plus, how great does it feel to come home to a clean room and organized bed when you get home from a long day?
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Find an Activity That Helps You Wake Up
Many experts suggest that you start your morning off with meditation or journaling to reduce stress and anxiety. Stretching or exercising can also be an effective way to jump-start your morning and ensure productivity. Even if your workout is only 10 minutes, it will have benefits that last the entire day. MYX offers a wide variety of workouts, including meditations, at lengths ranging from 5-45 minutes.
Whatever you choose to do first thing in the morning, the most important thing is that it works for you. If you find morning meditation isn’t helping you throughout the day, find something else. While all of these activities are great, they don’t work for everyone, so be sure to try them out and find what works.
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Eat a Healthy Breakfast
More people are beginning to skip breakfast, especially as intermittent fasting becomes a popular trend. However, eating a healthy breakfast is an important part of your morning routine.
Breakfast kick starts your metabolism, which will help you burn calories. It will also give you the energy and focus you need to get through your day. Skipping breakfast can cause you to snack on high-fat, high-sugar foods later in the day.
Even if you are short on time you should always grab breakfast. You don’t need a huge meal to get the benefits. A small breakfast with carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats and fiber will leave you feeling energized and full.
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Blast Music
Sometimes, you just need to dance it out, shake off the grogginess and get moving. Music makes us happy, so why wouldn’t we want to start our days with it? Create a playlist with your favorite songs and press play as soon as you wake up. Your improved mood and flowing creativity will thank you.
We’ve all read the articles that claim you need to wake up at 5 AM, meditate, workout, and cook yourself a gourmet breakfast in order to be successful. We’re here to tell you that this is not true. Setting yourself up for success during the day means finding the morning routine that works for you.
