The best 5 tips to have a great morning routine

This post is all about the best 5 tips to have a great morning routine!

I am a morning person. I love to have time for myself in the mornings and start the day the way I want to. This allows me to feel great both in my body and mind. I always feel very accomplished and motivated if I managed to do certain things in the morning.

There is a lot out there on the perfect AM checklist you should go through to be successful. I have read a lot of blog posts and books (like the Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod) and watched a lot of Youtube videos about it. I tried following some of them to the T and I didn’t always feel the way I was supposed to be, doing all the things.

After a phase of no morning routine at all, I finally boiled it down to a few things I like to do, that make me really feel good. The key element though is that: I don’t always have time to do all or any of the things I like to do in the morning because life happens and that is OK. I do what I can and I don’t beat myself up about it.

This list might speak to you on some aspects and less on others. Take what you like and shape it to best fit you and that will be your best morning routine!

This post is about the best 5 tips to have a great morning routine

 

A great morning routine

 

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• The night before

Despite this article being about a morning routine, I will in fact start with things to do the evening before.

In order to have a good night’s rest, I need at least the following to happen: not be in front of a screen since at least 10 pm.

This means no TV, no Ipad, no phone, and preferably no Kindle. Why do you ask? This has everything to do with the infamous blue light that those devices emit just in front of your beautiful eyes. This blue light is sending mixed signals to your body. When the sun is setting and darkness comes, your body is taking notice and telling you that you are getting more tired and at some point of the evening you are ready for bed. This effect is created by the hormone called melatonin, which your body produces naturally.

The blue light from your TV or phone is sending the opposite signal. It’s saying: “Hey I’m blue light, I’m here to boost your energy and attention, so wake up”. It can block the production of melatonin, giving you the feeling that you are not tired and do not need to go to bed, when in fact you should. You’ll wake up the next morning tired because you went to bed later and won’t have had the rest you needed.

So even though it’s no fun to have to put the phone down and turn the TV off, you’ll be thankful for it the next morning.

 

• In the morning: body, mind, and love

There are a few things I like to do in the morning and they fall into 3 categories:

• • Move my body
  • Check in with my mind
  • Do something that I like

the body

When you wake up, your body has been laying down, with very little movement for 7-9 hours straight. I like to move my body first thing in the morning. This helps me wake up and boost my energy and metabolism to start the day right.

The movement in question can be whatever you like: yoga, walking, running, pilates, HIIT, boxing…It’s best if it’s something you like, that way you’ll be more likely to show up every day and move. You can always alternate the type of movement you do, depending on how you feel. Listening to your body is very important…though I only half-listen when I wake up because I could be tempted to skip my morning movement, which I would then regret later on.

 

the mind

After the body, comes the mind. I like to have some time dedicated to checking in with myself, uninterrupted from all the day’s distractions. This can take several forms: meditation, breathing work, praying, journaling, and sitting in silence.

Depending on the day, you might feel more comfortable meditating, or you might have something on your mind you would like to put down on paper. Again listening to yourself and your needs on that day is the best way forward. It can also be a combination of several of those things if you need it and you have the time.

Dedicating time to yourself in the morning is a great luxury. Therefore, I decided to wake up earlier to have that extra time in the morning. It doesn’t have to be 2 hours, even 30 min can do wonders!

 

LOVE

If I have extra time I like to read. I hardly have the time in the day to do it anymore, so when I can I like to take a few minutes and enjoy my book. Reading in the morning gives me great pleasure. Maybe for you, it’s something else that you love and don’t always have the time for.

 

• Breakfast of champions

They say it’s the most important meal of the day. The last step to any great morning routine is a good breakfast! By that, I mean a breakfast full of protein and fruit that will give you the required energy for school or work. Personally, eggs with salmon or salad and an apple have been the best meal for me in the morning. That way I’m not hungry in the middle of the morning and snacking on junk.

Maybe you’re not used to eating in the morning, or you have a tendency to go for sweeter things. Give the salty breakfast a go! In France, we all love our croissants and “pain au chocolat”, but I can count with one hand the number of times in a year where I have had those for breakfast. The same goes for cereal. I’ve had it as a child growing up, but never do I have cereal as an adult, even the “adult” type of cereals because there is very often sugar added. The ones that don’t are just sad to eat I find.

Find your great breakfast of champions!

Feel free to experiment to see what your perfect morning to look like, move things around, and add or take out things. Make it yours!

 

This post is all about the best 5 tips to have a great morning routine.

 

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