Our Personal Kaizen posts over the past few weeks have all covered different ways to get your day started right with a morning routine. We have shared tips for effective meditation, two versions of a brief morning stretching routine, a 30-second change that can help you feel better and more awake, and tips for an effective bedtime routine so you wake up on time with the sleep you need.
Some of you may ask: why is a morning routine so important to your day?
Here are three reasons for every member of the Personal Kaizen community to get your day started right with a morning routine.
Feel in Control to Lower Stress
When you have many responsibilities (as a parent, as a worker, as a leader, etc.) it is common to get overwhelmed. Your responsibilities start to control you, rather than the other way around. A morning routine may only represent 30-60 minutes of your day, but it is one area you can fully control.
Many people use the morning as a time of solitude – even waking up earlier than needed just for the extra time alone. Nobody is asking anything of you for those 30-60 minutes. It may be the only time of the day when you can avoid interruptions and requests from others.
This time is perfect for lowering stress. Common triggers for stress include not having enough time to get things done or feeling out of control of your schedule. A good morning routine guarantees you have the time and control necessary to start your day off right.
Accomplishment and Productivity
Executing your simple morning routine will be your first accomplishment of the day. The actions you take (assuming you follow Personal Kaizen input) will set you up for success and productivity the rest of the day. In fact, they will guarantee you accomplish at least some “sharpen the saw” activities.
It may be simple, but making your bed is one way to set the tone for your day. Watch Naval Admiral William McRaven, the commander of U.S. Special Operations, discuss this in his 2014 commencement speech for the University of Texas at Austin.
McRaven notes, “If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another.”
“By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that the little things in life matter.”
Healthy habits
A routine helps you avoid bad habits and develop healthy ones. This may include eating a healthy breakfast, practicing mindfulness, or exercising. Completing these habits at the start of the day will carry over into the rest of your life – helping you become a healthier person, have more energy, and be more present.
Over time, people become who they act like. If you make healthy choices out of habit you will soon become a healthy person!
Choose to become a “morning person” with an energy-boosting morning routine.
Morning Routine
Next week we will finish our series on winning the morning by sharing our tips and hacks for how to make your 30-60-minute morning routine the best part of your day.
Please let us know how a morning routine has benefited you in the comments below.
