Mornings, they can be hectic. Many of us wake up to the blaring noise of an alarm before bolting out of bed. We rush to the shower. We scramble around looking for something to wear. We grab a very quick breakfast (if we can) before we stress about getting the kids to school on time. By the time we get into work we already feel harried and exhausted and this is all before our day “officially” starts. So what are we to do?

The answer is simple. Create a positive morning routine. Yes, it may sound boring, but a morning routine that’s based on the life-affirming practice of self-care offers us a gentle start which can carry us through whatever the day throws at us. It can also help to lower our stress levels, boost our feelings of optimism and help to feel a sense of physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

THE SCIENCE

Part of a great morning routine involves rising from sleep slightly earlier than you normally would so you have enough time to indulge in self-care practices. For years scientists have tracked the powerful benefits of waking early and a strong correlation exists between having a morning routine and elevated levels of success. Why is this? Well according to researchers at the University of Nottingham and the National Institute of Education in Singapore found that our willpower is highest in the morning, so if we use this to our advantage by creating healthy, wellbeing-boosting habits, we’re likely to be happier and more productive throughout the rest of our day.  This has a knock-on effect and encourages feelings of happiness, self-confidence and actively reduces our stress levels which helps to keep us feeling our best.

CREATE YOUR ROUTINE

When planning your routine, it’s important to note that self-care should be the main cornerstone. Your aim is to create a daily routine that leaves you feeling happy, well and ready to take on the day. To start creating your new routine, follow the below steps

1. Plan – Get a pen and paper and sit down in a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. You might like to brew yourself a cup of tea. Give yourself the time to relax. Now, write down 10 things that make you feel really good. These could be things like reading, going for a walk or spending time playing with a pet. When you’ve reached 10 things set the list aside.

2. Plot your course – Write down your current morning routine in detail. Record every second from when you get up to when you leave the house in the morning. When you’ve done this, review it and ask yourself the following questions: Where am I wasting time? What could be organised the night before? How much time am I spending doing things that I don’t enjoy? What can I take out and replace with something nice from my first list of 10 things?

3. Make a ‘dream’ routine – You may need to play with this in order to find out what works best for you. Write down your dream routine. Begin with the time you wake up. What item from your list would make you feel good as soon as you wake up? Would you enjoy five minutes of gentle stretching? What about a cup of tea? The word to focus on here is ‘ease.’ You want this routine to make you feel good, not stressed out.

4. Early to bed – Getting a good night’s rest is absolutely essential to sticking to a positive morning routine. When you decide what you’d like your routine to incorporate (say for example, you wanted to spend 15 minutes reading a book in the morning), factor in the extra time to your schedule. In order to have those 15 extra minutes, do you need to set your alarm for 15 minutes earlier? If so you’ll need to hit the hay 15 minutes earlier at night to make up the sleep deficit. Remember – this is about self-care and the goal is not to lose sleep or stress yourself out. You may need to fine-tune your sleep schedule a little until you find something that works for you.

5. Remain flexible – The easiest way to find out whether your routine is working for you or not is to simply start it. As you progress you’ll figure out what you need to add or remove from it in order to reach the ideal. Don’t feel as though your routine is set in stone. You’re free to add things to it and change it up on a daily basis. The only caveat is that it makes you feel good.

IDEAS FOR YOUR ROUTINE

·      Drink a glass of water to rehydrate your body

·      Do some gentle yoga poses

·      Meditate

·      Pray

·      Read a few pages of an uplifting book

·      Text a friend

·      Do some journaling

·      Try reciting some positive affirmations

·      Write a gratitude list

·      Exercise