You can start your day by hitting the snooze button, dragging yourself out of bed at the last minute, rushing to get ready, and then running out the door with a doughnut in one hand and your briefcase in the other. Or, you can start your day with good morning habits. The first few minutes of your morning are the most important of your day and can set the tone for positivity and productivity.
Start the night before
The first step to beginning the day the right way is ending the previous night the right way. Without sufficient restful sleep and some night-before planning for the morning ahead, your chances of getting your day off to a great start are much reduced. Do as much of your morning preparation as possible the night before. Lay out your clothes, prepare your breakfast and lunch, or at least set your menu. Pack your bag and keep your coat, keys, etc. in the same place so you don’t need to hunt for them. Save your morning time for preparing your body and mind for the day ahead, instead of hunting for your wallet in the couch cushions
Set your mind-set
What kind of attitude are you taking into the day? It’s your choice. “80 percent of success is due to psychology – mind-set, emotions, and beliefs – and only 20 percent is due to mechanics.” ~Tony Robbins.
Whatever is on your agenda, it’s going to happen regardless of your mind-set. So set your mind-set to “positive” and move into the day from a good place. Your mind-set is everything. It’s very hard to get into a good place mentally & emotionally when you start out with a negative mind-set.
Give yourself at least 15 minutes of no screen time
Besides turning off an alarm that might be on your phone, resist the urge to check your email or social media. It sets you up for a day of being enslaved to technology, and your morning time should be reserved just for you. This might mean disabling notifications on your home screen so you’re not tempted by that Facebook update or mounting emails.
Journal
When’s the last time you journaled? Journaling is one of the most effective ways to know yourself and fill your inner well with self-love and self-knowledge. If you find that journaling makes you feel more flooded with negative feelings, you’re not journaling effectively. An effective journaling technique should leave you feeling clearer and grounded than when you started. It’s a great way to start the day. Even just writing down a few simple sentences of what you appreciate can set a positive tone.
Exercise
Whether it’s a simple yoga routine, a brisk walk with your pet, a quick set of sit-ups and push-ups, or hitting the gym to work off last night’s meal, starting off your day with movement energizes the body and the mind. Determine what kind of exercise is right for you and schedule it. It doesn’t have to be complicated, long, or intense, but having some sort of physical activity in the morning will get your blood flowing and help quiet any mental chatter. You can even switch up what kind of exercise you do every day to keep your routine interesting.
Create Something
Before you start taking in information–reading emails, listening to the news, attending meetings, and so on–create something. This can be anything: write a blog post; draw something; create an info-graphic; record a video; write a chapter of your novel; and so on.
Start you day in creativity-mode.