The way your start your day defines your mood for the rest of it. Start it right!!!
Alarm is set for 6:00 AM. Snooze. Snooze. Snooze again until I have no choice but to get up or I will be late for work. So I am forced to grab something to eat on the way to work, like a breakfast bar or a piece of fruit, and if I am being honest, sometimes just a cup of coffee. Get to work, drop my bags and hit the gym floor for my first client. The rest of my day seems to follow along, jumping from one task to the next, or putting off that big project again. Not exactly the best way to start my day! And I can’t tell you how difficult it is to reset the tone mid-day. So I have been coming up with a solid morning routine to help with productivity. And, it works!!!
Did you know that when you accomplish things early in the morning, your brain releases dopamine? I don’t mean scrolling through FaceBook or checking your emails. I mean writing or working out or reading. Dopamine is that “feel good” hormone. Low levels of dopamine can have some pretty scary side effects like depression, boredom, loss of enthusiasm or motivation.
Here is my “Perfect Morning Routine”:
5:45 AM: Have been setting my alarm 15 minutes earlier than the time I want to get up, before the kids, house is quiet. I charge my phone across the room so I have to get up to shut it off. My goal is to not utilize the snooze button at all! Set my Keurig up to go. Drink my first glass of water and stretch.
6:00 AM: With a nice steamy cup of coffee, I journal. Set my intentions for the day getting into the right mindset. Set up my To-Do List for the day, things I need to do and projects I need to get started. Yes, I am a big fan of Lists! That feeling you get when you can cross it off…WIN!!
6:15 AM: After spending 30 minutes with myself, the cubs start crawling out of their holes. Breakfast Time! The most important meal of the day, as they say. Get the kids out the door and off to school.
You get the idea!! I have been working on this for a few weeks, getting myself into a routine that can help me create good habits. I read somewhere that the choices we make throughout our day depend on the intentions we set in the morning. My Perfect Morning routine works for me. It’s not a one size fits all.
Reflect on what your morning routine consists of and identify some new habits you can create to help you boost your productivity.
What’s your morning routine?