Up the Anti On Your Morning Routine – Part 2
Continually hitting the snooze button? I hear ya.
It can be harder to get up when it’s dark in the morning, but a good morning routine that nourishes you in mind, body and soul can kick start your day in a great way. So right now is a great opportunity to revise your morning rituals and start your day with a spring in your step.
Here is Part 2 in a 3 part series for you packed with a dozen ideas for you to cherry pick into your morning routine to start your day with purpose.
5. Don’t Hit Snooze On Repeat
Super tempting I know but it tends to mean we start the day with less energy and a lower mood when we fight getting up and press snooze on repeat. Trust the time you set the night before and get up after your first snooze is done. If you are feeling repeatedly tired this can be a symptom of Adrenal Fatigue in which case look into that and get some support (you can start with my book, loads of helpful recovery tips) or it’s just a sign that you are not going to bed early enough – in which case, do the math and sort your bedtime routine.
6. Deliberately make your focus positive
It’s very easy for our mind to quickly get set on a laundry list of all the things we have to do today, what might go wrong, all the potential pitfalls and hurdles, and to feel time poor before we have even really started our day. This is an all too common but very poor mental foundation for the day ahead. A far better start is to deliberately send your mind to think through all the things that could go RIGHT today. What are the BEST-case scenarios you would like to enjoy – and to set emotionally yourself up for a day you are looking forward to rather than dreading.
7. Get some natural light
It can really bring our mood down when we are getting up in the dark, and coming home in the dark. Natural sunlight has an important impact on hormone and vitamin production that keep us healthy and happy. If you are up before the dawn, set a mental note to squeeze in some daylight during the day, particularly if you work with under artificial lights, so you can help your body help you to regulate both mood and sleep which will help you get up the next morning with more ease.
8. Move Your Body
Many people swear by exercise as the best start to their day. This can be harder if you are not a morning person, you have a lot of family responsibilities first thing, or just find it harder in the dark. The key here is to go with your situation and your body clock. If it makes you feel good do it, if it adds a huge additional stress to your morning then that’s an energy drainer rather than booster and you are better finding a way that fits better for you, and dropping the whole “should” around it. Also here its key to be super flexible with the amount of time this needs to take up. 5 minutes gentle stretching before you get into the family wakeup routine might be a great investment for you: release all perfectionism around “it has to be half an hour or it’s not with it”. Small daily actions add up to big long-term impacts so push all “should”’s to the side to incorporate what works best for you to start your day with focus and purpose.
