Morning Routine

I am a huge advocate of having a morning routine, or at least having some fundamentals that I know set me up for a successful day. I say that because we can't always stick to the exact morning routine, being spot on with timings, being in different places and so on. However if you incorporate certain habits into the start of your day, you'll receive mental clarity, a sense of accomplishment no matter how small the win and you'll be able to have a much more productive day.

My ideal morning routine fundamentals

Wake Up Early

Typically this is around 6am, it's important to note that this starts from the night before, and I want I mean by that is I go to bed early to try and get my 7/8 hours (but that's another blog!). It is of course hard to get out of bed sometimes and it's so easy to hit that snooze button. However I've learnt that as soon as your feet touch the floor, put some clothes on you're instantly more awake than you were a moment ago. Also, I've learnt that if I snooze and I wake up after another 30 minutes of sleep, I actually feel guilty and slightly more tired than when I was wide awake some time ago.

Get Some Movement In

I typically like to get my workout in first thing, as it wakes me up, releases my endorphins, clears my head and it also means that I don't have to worry about getting it in throughout the day. However it's not imperative every morning, I sometimes just make sure I get 5k steps in watching the sunrise, listen to a podcast or some music and just get my body moving.

Cold Water Exposure

If I don't have access to an ice bath/cold plunge, I like to finish my showers with 1 minute of freezing cold water. This increases blood flow all around the body, and as a result to your brain which in turns wakes you up and provides even more mental clarity. The sense of achievement as well is great, as it's of course not enjoyable but you feel great after it.

Self-Care Routine

Mine is very simple, but it's all I personally need. After my shower I simply do 3 things. Put on my deodrant, a few sprays of my after-shave on my neck and wrist, and moisturize my face. I also like to put on a comfy, yet respectable outfit as my comfys are for the end of the day. I then like to finish the look with choosing a watch to wear, yes watches are a huge passion of mine.

Accomplished Morning Coffee

I say accomplished because you have already accomplished some wins, no matter how small. This is a chance for me to understand I've just done some things that I didn't necessarily want to do but I've done them to feel like this. Now I can spend 15 minutes enjoying my coffee, writing in my journal, reading the news, reading a book, however you want to spend that you time is up to you.

Summary

I can't tell you how good you feel after this, not only are you on a high in the morning but you have a much more consistent energy level throughout the day. You've also started the day with some small wins, got some difficult things out of the way, and now you can focus on what you need to do for the day.