How Do I Create The Perfect Morning Routine?
How is your morning routine? Is waking early and getting productive a struggle for you, or does it come naturally? Whatever your natural morning routine looks like, most of us most schedule our day around working hours and finding an invigorating and motivating morning routine to start each day is a necessity in ensuring you stay on top of your workload and get the most out of every day in the office. This can be easier said than done, but our following top tips could be just what you need to define your perfect morning routine for a productive day ahead.
Creating a consistent, manageable morning routine to achieve daily productivity is wholly individual and can take some time to establish the best practices for you. One of the first questions you’ll need to explore in finding your best morning routine is: am I am an early riser, or a night owl?
Early Riser Or Night Owl?
Most of us fall into one of these two camps which help us determine our body clock, natural sleep pattern, and optimum timing for productivity. Early risers might find themselves up at the crack of dawn, jumping out of bed early and finding the morning hours their most productive time of the day. Night owls, however, may struggle to wake up early and feel groggy and listless in the morning, feeling much more productive in the evening hours.
Whilst research is still exploring the mailability of our sleep types, hope is not lost for a productive morning if you’re a natural night owl. These characteristics don’t necessarily limit you to a particular set of routines and practices, they simply mean you will navigate your sleep hygiene and morning routine differently in making the most of the morning hours.
Our tips below can help you make the most of your morning routine, whichever sleep camp you fall into. Let’s take a further look.
Create A Good Night’s Rest
The first step to a great morning is a good night’s sleep. Whether you head to bed early in the evening or into the small hours of the morning, there are some universal top tips that can help improve the quality of your sleep to optimise your chances of a bright and positive morning.
Making your sleeping space as dark as possible, keeping bedsheets fresh and clean, and banning device and electronic use from your bedroom are all simple, trustworthy hacks in improving your sleep. Dark spaces work to trigger the body into a sleep state and can help you drop off more quickly than falling asleep in front of the TV, while device use itself will keep your mind awake and whirring, stealing hours of restorative sleep from you.
Start The Day With Natural Light
When you do wake in the morning – even if you want to hit the alarm to snooze and lie in – try to welcome in natural light as quickly as possible to awaken the mind and body. When the body perceives natural light, it passes a message to the body that speaks to our circadian rhythm, the 24-hour internal body clock that manages our body’s processes, including sleep.
The perception of light in the early morning alters our circadian rhythm, pushes our sleep schedule earlier meaning we feel inclined to go to bed earlier in the evening, and awaken earlier in the morning. Whilst artificial light speaks to our body in a similar way to keep our bodies “on” and awake, regardless of the time of day, natural light acts to synchronise your body with sunrise and sunset, ensuring you stay awake during the day and sleep when its dark.
Hydrate Your Body and Mind
Many of us don’t feel properly awake in the morning before a caffeinated drink like tea or coffee; whilst caffeine is a tried and trusted way to energise the body and fight off tiredness, it can often lead to an energy slump in the afternoon. Hydrating the body with a glass of fresh water might sound incredibly simple, but it could be one of the best ways to get awake and alert when you first wake up.
After a night’s sleep, it’s likely you’ll be feeling particularly dehydrated. Various studies have recorded a lack of focus and decreased mental performance as symptoms of dehydration, meaning a tall glass of water first thing could help rehydrate your body and prime your mind for a day of focus and productivity. Ingesting water also supports optimum blood circulation in the body which will kickstart nutrient absorption early in the day – so sneak in a glass or two before you have your first cup of coffee for a rejuvenating morning routine.
Get Moving
A morning run, walk, or session of gentle stretching is the next best step in shaking off sleep, awakening and energising the body for the day ahead, and ensuring optimum productivity. Any form of exercise will release endorphins in the body, hormones that are released to support physical activity and therefore make us feel energized, awake, and ready to move.
Post workout, endorphins also nurture a bodily environment of mental focus and clarity, whilst individuals who participate in regular physical activity report better quality of sleep at more reliable levels than those who live more sedentary lifestyles. Consistent activity can be a great tool in regulating your sleep health and optimising your morning routine.
