Do you know what Tim Cook, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Oprah Winfrey have in common?
Okay, aside from the fact that they’re all rich, successful, and famous, they’re also early risers. Tim Cook wakes up at 3:45 am to check his emails, exercise, and grab a cup of joe. The Rock is at the gym by 4 am and Oprah wakes up at around 6 am to walk her dog, drink tea or coffee, exercise, meditate, and eat breakfast.
If you’ve never been a morning person, it would be easy to say, “Well, that’s them.” But there are morning routine hacks you can do to help you feel more accomplished and in control throughout the day. Best of all, you can start all of these routines as early as tomorrow.
1. Do Some Stretches
Would you say you’re the type who sleeps peacefully? Or are you a fitful sleeper? No matter how you sleep at night, there are mornings when you’ll wake up feeling a little creaky. Instead of just rolling out of bed and heading straight for the shower, why not do some stretches first?
Not only will it loosen you up, it’s a good way to just be in the moment and grab a few minutes just for yourself. If you’re up for a challenge, you can do yoga (10 to 15 minutes, 3 times a week) – great for building physical and mental endurance.
2. Resist the Urge to Check Your Phone
It might seem counterintuitive to not check your phone if the goal is to get more things done in the morning. But this is actually one of the most important morning routine hacks you can do to start your day right.
If you’re using your phone’s alarm to wake up, there’s a chance you’ll also check all your notifications. While this might seem okay, doing so can also increase your stress levels. Imagine waking up to several urgent emails or calendar updates before you’re fully awake.
What you need to do instead is to wait just a few more minutes to collect yourself. When you’re mentally awake, you’ll be better prepared to deal with whatever pressing matters you have on your plate.
3. Hydrate
Some people start with coffee or tea in the morning. But after 7 to 9 hours of sleep, what our body craves the most is water.
Remember, our body is around 60% water. For it to function correctly, it needs a steady supply of water and other fluids. Drinking water in the morning allows for better digestion, regular bowel movement, and increased metabolic function.
4. Don’t Skip Breakfast
If you like something heavy for breakfast, make sure you don’t reach for high carb or sugary stuff. They might make you feel full but they burn fast and soon, you’ll feel hungry again.
A good alternative is a high-protein meal such as a bowl of cereal with milk or butter or jelly on toast. If you don’t have a lot of time in the morning, you can check out these 12 simple cooking hacks or opt for a protein shake mix.
5. Check Your To-Do List
In a previous post, we talked about productivity hacks for procrastinators. First on the list is to create a checklist.
Here, we mentioned that a task should be broken down into smaller chunks. From there you can create a checklist for each chunk.
As you accomplish each chunk, cross it off your list. This will give you the motivation you need to keep going. If you weren’t able to finish all your tasks, that’s okay.
Just keep your list handy so that you can check it in the morning. This will help you keep track of what you’ve done and what you haven’t. It will also set the tone for the day so you can prioritize the most important items.
6. Listen to Some Upbeat Music
If the morning routine hacks we’ve mentioned so far aren’t doing it for you 100%, you could try some upbeat music. As you know, music is a powerful mood changer. It can help boost your physical and emotional state.
Since we all have different music preferences, just choose songs that make you feel happy and lively. Listen to these songs while you’re eating breakfast or taking a shower or when you’re on your way to work.
7. Pack Some Healthy Snacks
Did you have a healthy breakfast? Great!
If you want to eat healthy throughout the day, you’ll need to prep your meals so you won’t seek out sugary snacks like cakes, biscuits, and chocolate. Having bananas, apples, and nuts at hand will make it less tempting for you to buy whatever’s available when you’re feeling peckish. These healthy snacks can also fill you up so you’ll have enough fuel to burn until lunchtime.
8. Meditate
Successful folks like Jerry Seinfeld, Jeffrey Weiner, and Arianna Huffington all swear by daily meditation. Plus, it’s one of the easiest morning routine hacks you can do. Just close your eyes, focus on your breathing, and let your thoughts settle.
The more you do it, the easier it will become for you.
9. Get Inspired
There are many ways to do this. You can read a motivational quote, listen to a motivational podcast, or go for a walk in nature.
Podcasts, in particular, are very unobtrusive. You can listen to them while you’re preparing breakfast or while you’re commuting to work. If you do this every morning, all those inspirational nuggets are bound to sink into your consciousness.
10. Plan to Give More of Yourself
Morning routine hacks don’t always have to center on you and you alone. You can use your mornings too to visualize how you can help other people. For example, if you have a colleague who is also planning to be healthier, you can share some of your healthy snacks with him or her.
It helps to get away from that me, me, me mentality and consider others needs as equal to your own.
What Are Your Favorite Morning Routine Hacks?
Do you have favorite morning routine hacks that didn’t make our list? Feel free to contact us. We could update this list or write a new one with your suggestions.
Also, if you like hacks and tips, don’t forget to keep checking back for updates.