Life gets busy, especially as we add more summer vacation days and social plans to our calendars. With shifting schedules and unpredictable agendas, it’s easy to fall out of your daily habits. Prevent this from happening with these 5 hacks for creating a realistic morning routine that’ll come naturally to you (and won’t feel like another chore), so you can stick to it whether you’re at home or on the go.
1. Start each morning by doing something you look forward to first
The question “what gets you out of bed in the morning?” can seem intimidating, but the truth is, it doesn’t have to be all that complicated. The very thing you look forward to each morning can be as simple as your favorite tea, a moment to journal in a notebook that inspires you, a meditation that makes you feel good, a spa-like skincare regimen, you name it. No matter what it is, as long as you look forward to it, you’ll never want to skip it.
The Hack: If you haven’t quite figured out what this looks like for you, don’t sweat it. Skip to number 2 to begin your morning on a productive note.
2. Check off easy tasks next
Getting in the habit of completing the simple, sometimes not-so-fun tasks before the day begins is crucial for staying organized and maintaining order all year long. This may include tasks like making your bed, brushing your teeth, showering — the to-dos on your list that are easy to mark “Done” without needing to cause extra stress. Once your list is completed, you’ll feel productive and ready to take on whatever the day throws your way.
The Hack: Less clutter, more organization, and simpler regimens make committing to a routine so much easier. Try these tips for living a minimalist lifestyle to help simplify your mornings.
3. Avoid hitting snooze no matter what
Jet lag and heat exhaustion can make it tempting to hit snooze after eventful summer days, but doing so can actually prolong sleep inertia (AKA that natural, temporary feeling of grogginess when you first wake up). Once you successfully push through that initial snooze temptation, that sleep inertia should wear off after 15 to 30 minutes. If you’re unsuccessful in resisting the snooze button, you prolong that grogginess and it can actually end up lingering for hours.
The Hack: Stick to a bedtime that will allow for you to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night to help shorten that sleep inertia come morning. In addition to resisting the snooze button, getting sufficient rest is essential or the other sleep tips won’t work.
4. Never forget breakfast
There’s a reason breakfast is called the most important meal. It replenishes your body and brain with fuel that boosts energy levels, makes you more alert, and jumpstarts your metabolism to help you burn more calories throughout the day. Regardless of where you are or what your schedule brings, it’s the simplest way to kickstart a day of focus and productivity.
The Hack: Keep it simple with quick yet nourishing noshes like a banana with peanut butter, yogurt with granola, a protein shake, green juice, overnight oats, or the like. It doesn’t have to be a fancy or complicated meal to get the job done. Bonus points if you meal prep it to make it easy to grab in the AM.
5. Set a plan for your day
Not only has having a plan (even if it’s a loose one) been proven to help alleviate some stress and anxiety, it also gives you something to literally get out of bed and accomplish. This holds true whether you’re at home or on-the-go. At home, you’ll want to make note of the errands you need to run, chores you need to finish, work you need to do, and the like. While on vacation, you’ll schedule the activities for the day, restaurants you’ll need to make reservations for, and then some. Scheduling these things beforehand will prevent you from forgetting anything or rushing to squeeze things in and, instead, allow you to have a relaxed, fulfilling day.
The Hack: Use apps to your advantage to help with scheduling and note-keeping. Aside from those digital calendars we can’t live without, Asana and Evernote are two must-haves Team Reflekt swears by each day.
