The Morning Routine for Self-Improvement

A morning routine is crucial for a great day and a better self. Whether you work
from home, at an office or take care of children (the biggest job of all), having a
morning routine will help you tackle the good, the bad and the ugly. The best
routine is composed of, rising early, creating healthy habits, organizing your day,
and meditating. By performing these tasks, we eliminate stress, gain a sense of
purpose, feel happier, become organized, feel calmer and gain self-confidence.

RISING EARLY

Stress can come mentally and physically from all areas of life. We are most
vulnerable in the morning, so everything hits us like a bus, but it doesn’t have to.
Ridding stress starts by waking up early. Early birds get the worm and by waking
up early, you have more time to do your routine and get your day started
therefore, eliminating stress.

ELIMINATE STRESS

When we are stressed, we feel out of control and defeated by our own life.
Feelings like this need to be conquered and taking control of the things we can
manage must be taken seriously. When we have a morning routine, we have
created a way to take control of our actions and make ourselves a priority. Like
they say, you cannot take care of anyone else if you do not take care of yourself
first.

CREATE HEALTHY HABITS

In life, we tend to put ourselves second, or even worse, last. We need a clear mind,
strong teeth, healthy skin, and a nutritious diet. Guess what? This all starts in the
morning. By creating healthy habits that become second nature, we gain a sense
of purpose and self-confidence. Taking care of yourself creates motivation that
pushes you in the direction of a fulfilling future. When the feeling of purpose
overcomes, the mind thrives from this, resulting into self-confidence. We were all
given a great opportunity to live, hence, we all need to start with ourselves and
experience life to the fullest.

Making your Bed

When you first wake up, make your bed. Making the bed closes the chapter of the
night before and it is a beautiful hello when it is time to hit the pillow. When the
bed is made, you will not be tempted to get back into bed and can start the day
off on the right foot.

Dental Hygiene

After making the bed we need to take care of that built up bacteria from the
night before, and that means a good ol’ brush. Our mouth produces the most
bacteria at night. Some people go straight for coffee or tea but that is not the
best way to start. If you go straight for a drink before taking care of your mouth,
then you would be ingesting the bacteria into your system even more and no one
wants that. So, brush those teeth, rinse some water on your face, drink a big glass
of water to hydrate and get those workout clothes on! Oh yeah, we are sweating
in the morning 😉. ´

Exercise

Doing physical activity in the morning gives us a natural rush of endorphins and
puts our mind into focus. Doing at least 30 minutes of cardio or strength training
(check out my Pilates videos on top of the page) will be enough for us to speed
our metabolism and get in a good frame of mind.

Take Care Of Your Skin

Now it is time for a well-deserved shower. The skin is the largest organ in the body, so we better take care of it. When we sleep, we sweat and possibly drool (don’t worry I won’t tell anyone). I know that you have just finished working out as well, so look at it as even more of a reason to show your skin some love. We need to make sure our skin is fresh for the day! Remove those dead skin cells, sweat and drool to prevent any breakouts or dull skin. Wash that face, put some moisturizing sunscreen on and glow!

REVIEW YOUR SCHEDULE

During your evening routine, you should have written your schedule for the next
day. it is important to review our schedule in case something has been forgotten.
We also need a little reminder of what needs to be done, so we can mentally
prepare ourselves and get excited for the day.

GRATITUDE JOURNAL

Once you have tweaked and reviewed. Take a journal and write down 3 things you are grateful for. Practicing gratitude not only puts us in a better frame of mind, but it helps bring more things to be grateful for. Listing our fortunes down puts life into perspective and prevents us to take the little or big things for granted. It can be as simple as “I am grateful for my hair and that it grows”, “I am grateful that I can think my own thoughts”, or “I am grateful that I have toilet paper”. When you write down the simplest pleasures, we realize just how lucky we are.

MEDITATE

The words that I always hear from my friends and sometimes myself (guilty) is, “I
don’t have time to meditate”! Well that is simply not true. We always have time to
meditate, and this is something we need to make time for. Meditation can be from5 minutes to an hour, your choice! If you are a beginner, take 5-10 minutes. There are several different types of meditation but the types that I use are visualization and mindfulness. You can have your meditations guided or performed on your own with music. If you feel as if your head is filled with so many thoughts that are hard to keep track, take at least five minutes and just focus on your breath. You and your mind deserve tranquility before you tackle your day! Lastly, by clearing your mind and taking time to focus on just your breath, you will restore positive energy, making your day even better than planned.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if we take time for ourselves in the morning, we will lead a happier
and healthier life. Yes, I understand that life gets in the way, we are feeling sad
one day or just plain lazy. You are more than allowed to take a day of pure
relaxation and binge watch on Netflix if you like! This routine is meant for the
weekdays and to allow yourself to be in control and handle stress. I hope that this
has helped give you some peace of mind and joy