Since I work from home, my mornings are a lot different from people who work in an office Monday-Friday. In my opinion, I am fortunate because I don’t have to be seen for weeks at a time since my job rarely requires us to be on camera.
I have the ability to not getting dressed/pick an outfit, find the right shoes to match my outfit, do my hair, get up early, put on makeup, smile at people, talk to people in the early morning or even shower for that matter.
I have found that keeping to a morning routine really helped me with my productivity throughout the day and helped to make me feel like I accomplished something, all before 6am. It’s important to mention that I start work at 6am each day – so I am not choosing this time to awake.
Some people will claim that the key to success is waking up very early in the morning, but I don’t know if that’s true. I think as long as you wake up with a game plan and a state of gratitude and forward thinking, then you’re going to have a good (hopefully great) day. At least starting with a morning routine guarantees you a productive day. I believe this because on the weekends I wake up around 8am and do the same routine and still have productive days.
Since I am having such success with my morning routine, I wanted to share it with others.
Here are some tips to help start your day productively:
1. Make your bed – I spray my bed sheets and pillows with a lavender essential oil every morning so I have something to look forward to at night when I lay down. I love walking into my room and seeing my bed made, it makes me feel like I have my shit together. Also, it makes me less likely to want to take a nap during the day – seeing an unmade bed makes me want to just jump in, but seeing a made bed makes me want to keep it looking nice.
2. Wash your face, and brush your teeth immediately - don’t wait until you drink your morning coffee/tea to brush your teeth. You should brush them (and floss!) again before you leave for work since you’re most likely eating breakfast too before you leave.
3. Say affirmations and a gratitude list while in the shower. I love utilizing my time in the shower. If you have a roommate, you might not be thrilled with the idea of talking to yourself in the shower, but I promise you – it will change your mornings. I used to write affirmations and gratitude lists in the morning, but soon found that I added so many rituals to my morning, that I didn’t have that much time to sit and write. Then, one day I realized I didn’t have to write down the lists, I could just say it out loud – so I started doing that, and haven’t went back to writing it down since.
4. Journal – write about your dreams from the night before or what you’re going to do that day. Write about what happened the day before and anything you’re currently worried about. Write out your goals or future plans. If you can’t think of anything, have a list of questions to journal about ready in your notebook. There are thousands of ideas on Pinterest.
5. Drink water – you need to hydrate yourself after hours of no fluids in your system. Our body is made up of 60% water – nourish yourself!! Start your day hydrated and continue drinking water throughout the day.
6. Practice yoga – even if it’s only for 5 minutes, get your body moving. Like drinking water, your body needs to stretch and get ready for the day ahead. Never practiced yoga before? Go on YouTube and look up something along the lines of “morning yoga routine” or “yoga for beginners”. You can start with a 5-10 minute video and work your way up. I like to practice for at least 15-20 minutes.
7. Practice the Lisa Nichols exercise. When I learned this exercise about 6 months ago, it BLEW MY MIND. I knew immediately it would make an impact on my life if I utilized it. Like my affirmations and gratitude list – I say it in the shower. She says to do it in the mirror, and it is a very powerful exercise done in front of the mirror so I highly recommend doing it - but I find it easier to do in the shower, or right before I go to bed when I first lay down.
Here’s how it goes: you look in the mirror and say the phrases 7x each: I am proud of you for/ I forgive you for/ I am committed to..
She says it’s important to say your name before each sentence. For example, “Annie, I am proud of you for waking up early today. Annie, I am proud of you for going to the gym today. Annie, I am proud of you for finished that school assignment early…” and so on, saying 7 things each that I am proud of myself for. Then, what I forgive myself for: “Annie, I forgive you for waking up late yesterday. Annie, I forgive you for staying up late watching Netflix. Annie, I forgive you for not finishing your assignment on time…”
Have questions about this? Watch this video (specifically 2 minutes, 45 seconds in): https://www.goalcast.com/2017/10/23/lisa-nicols-3-sentences-changed-life-forever/
8. Meditate – just like yoga, even if it’s just for 5 minutes, do ittttt. I started my meditation practice with using the app Headspace. You can use it for free and it’s amazing – allowing people to pick 3, 5 or 10 minute meditations. When I first started practicing, I could barely last 3 minutes, it was excruciating for me to sit there and “not think”. But soon, I was able to build up to 10 minutes and I found myself getting excited and welcoming the 10 minutes of relaxation. Be sure to be patient and forgiving to yourself.
9. Do your hair – even if it means just brushing it. I found that when my hair was done, I was more productive and more energized in the morning. Doing my hair made me feel more put together. No one was seeing me, other than my roommate, so it didn’t matter if my hair was just in a messy bun or braided, it just mattered that it was done. If you are going to work – I suggest styling your hair appropriately.
Another tip would be put on perfume or an essential oil. Sometimes I put one on in the morning and it makes me smile and feel more energized.
Are you having trouble forming a morning routine to lead to a productive day?
Reach out to me at the bottom of this page and we can start your journey to a productive day, today!