How to create a morning routine that sets you up for success

Creating the right morning routine can be a great way to start your day off on the right foot and set you up for success.

From taking the time to eat a healthy breakfast to fitting in some exercise, we’re gonna look at some practical tips that will help you establish a consistent routine that will boost your energy levels and enhance your productivity.

If you don’t consider yourself a morning person, don’t worry! Once you create your morning routine and get used to it, you’ll forget you were ever a night owl.

Now let’s see how we can set you up for success.

1) Get your 8 hours of sleep

Before we even get started on your morning routine, I need to make sure you understand the importance of getting enough sleep.

Why?

Because, if you don’t get your 8 hours of sleep, you’ll wake up grumpy and you’ll lack the energy and enthusiasm that are necessary to start your day the right way.

You wanna wake up rested and ready to tackle anything that gets thrown your way.

So, can you do that? Can you make getting 8 hours of sleep each night a priority?

2) Get up when your alarm rings

I know, I know…

It’s so tempting to hit the snooze button and sleep for another 10 minutes.

But, as tempting as it is, you should resist doing it.

Trust me, you won’t gain anything by staying in bed for another 10 minutes, in fact, you’ll be losing valuable time.

What’s more, in my experience, going back to sleep for another few minutes can actually make you feel even more tired!

And we’ve already established that you need to get enough sleep, which means that when your alarm rings – you need to get up.

There’s a bunch of stuff that needs to be done if you want to have a productive and successful day, so don’t waste your time in bed – get up!

3) Have a big glass of water

It’s important to hydrate yourself when you wake up (and also before you go to bed).

So, once you’re out of bed, before you have your coffee (which will actually dehydrate you) and your breakfast, drink a nice BIG glass of water.

Here’s another thing, drinking water in the morning can help stimulate your digestive system (to prevent constipation), flush out any toxins from your body, and help boost your metabolism.

All in all, water is a healthy beverage that will help you start your day the right way.

4) Get some exercise

I know it may seem like an impossible task if you’re not a morning person, but getting your body moving and your heart rate up is sure to set you up for success!

Here are some examples of how you can benefit from exercise in the morning:

• Boost your energy levels: Exercise in the morning can help increase your energy levels and give you a natural energy boost that will last throughout the day.
• Improve your mood: Exercise releases endorphins – feel-good hormones – that help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
• Enhance your mental clarity and focus: Exercise has been shown to improve cognitive function, including memory, attention, and decision-making. It’s the recipe for success if you ask me!
• Speed up your metabolism: Exercise can help your body burn calories at a faster rate – helping you maintain a healthy weight.
• Reduce the risk of chronic diseases: Exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

So, whether you decide to go for a jog around the park, do some laps in the pool, strengthen your core with yoga or pilates, or you decide to go to work on your bicycle, adding exercise to your morning routine is good for both your physical and mental health.

5) Take a short, cool shower

This is not just to get rid of your post-workout sweat.

A cool shower in the morning is also great because it increases your alertness, which is what you need if you find yourself sleepy and yawning.

It also boosts your circulation (cool water) by improving blood flow throughout the body.

Oh and try to avoid hot showers or baths in the morning, leave those for before bed as they tend to relax the body and make you feel sleepy.

6) Make time for a healthy breakfast

Here’s the deal:

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so it’s SUPER important not to miss it.

My grandpa used to say – Eat your breakfast by yourself, share your lunch with a friend, and give your dinner to your enemy! And he lived to be 85!

Having a healthy breakfast will help regulate your blood sugar levels and give you the energy you need to set you up for success!

So what’s a healthy breakfast?

Well, according to my endocrinologist, it’s a mix of protein, carbs, and healthy fats. Here are some examples:

• A piece of whole grain bread with avocado and bacon.
• Greek yogurt with berries, nuts, and oats.
• Grapefruit, eggs, sausage, and toast.

7) Indulge in tea or coffee

The secret to making your routine stick is to enjoy it.

That means using those 10 minutes that you saved by not hitting the snooze button on your phone to enjoy a nice hot cup of coffee or tea, whatever you prefer.

Try not to have coffee on the go. Make it part of your routine so that you can be mindful of what you’re drinking and actually enjoy every single sip.

Be kind to yourself every chance you get.

8) Give yourself time to get ready

You wanna wake up early enough so that you can go through your morning routine and get ready for work without having to rush.

This will ensure that you get enough time to mentally prepare for your day and will avoid any feelings of stress or pressure.

I always like to give myself enough time in the morning to go through my morning routine and get ready for the day. And if I have to rush and skip my routine for some reason, it makes me a lot less productive and even affects my mood for the day (yup, I get grumpy and irritable).

Bottom line: Look at your morning routine as part of your self-care routine and trust me, it will set you up for success.

9) Plan your day

Spend a few minutes each morning going over what you need to get done that day.

Try to determine what your priorities are and what can be left for another day – you don’t want to plan too much and find yourself overwhelmed.

I mean, you might end up doing everything on your long list, but chances are you won’t give each task 100%.

Or, if you ask too much of yourself and you only manage to do half, you’ll end up beating yourself up for not being able to do it all. But look,  you can’t do it all, there are only 24 hours in a day and you’re but one person!

That’s why it’s important to figure out what’s the most urgent thing that needs doing and what can wait.

Does that make sense?

10) Avoid screen time

When it comes to your morning routine, I highly recommend limiting your screen time! That means that you shouldn’t watch TV as you have your breakfast. It also means that you should avoid reading your emails and going on social media.

There will be enough time for all that later.

Right now, you wanna center yourself and get ready to face whatever challenges come your way without getting distracted by flashy technology

11) Practice gratitude

I like to start my day by making a mental note of all the things that I’m grateful for. I find that it gives me the energy and enthusiasm I need to start my day.

On the contrary, if I was to focus on all the horrible things that happened the previous day and the stressful tasks that await me, I don’t think I’d be able to get out of bed, let alone have a productive and successful day!

All in all, I highly recommend taking a few minutes each morning to be thankful for your health, your family, your friends, the roof over your head, the food on the table… don’t take anything for granted.

12) Use your commute time wisely

Whether you drive to work or use public transport, there’s always something you could be doing other than just waiting to get to work.

Now, if you drive to work, you may wanna get a good podcast to listen to or an audiobook.

If you take public transport, you’ll have a few more options. You can read a book or newspaper, do a crossword puzzle or Sudoku, call your parents and catch up, or, you can even take the time to meditate.

Some people spend 2-3 hours each day commuting to work and back, but it doesn’t have to be time wasted.

So, if you spend a considerable amount of time getting to and from work, think of something interesting you could be doing.

Well, there you go, 12 tips to create a morning routine that’s guaranteed to set you up for success.

And remember, if you’re not a morning person it’s going to take some getting used to, but once you do, you’ll ask yourself why you didn’t have a routine before!