A grounding morning routine helps us to set the tone for the day and organize our priorities.

Many of the world’s thought leaders and CEO’s are not only early risers, but also have consistent post-rise routines.  

In 2020, as the boundaries between work and life have blurred, it is even more crucial to have a healthy morning routine. 

Here are a few morning routine ideas to incorporate:

1. Exercise.

   This is a tough one to execute if you are not a morning person. But if you can get yourself out of bed and engaging in some movement (even for just 15 minutes), you will likely find yourself more productive throughout the day.

   • Exercise is associated with mental agility, and also releases endorphins. 

2. Meditate or engage in mindfulness.

The mornings are a time associated with quietness and minimal distractions. This is an optimal time to self-reflect, and to set intentions for the day.

• Meditation has been associated with decreased feelings of anxiety and stress, and with improved ability to focus.

• Soothing music, or app’s like Calm or Headspace can be helpful.

This should be me time.

No thinking about work, ruminating about yesterday’s woes, thinking about your to do list for the day, etc. 

3. Prioritize your must-do’s.

Use the morning to prioritize 3 must-do tasks for the day.

• When we lead busy schedules and are pulled in many directions, we often get to the end of the day left with 10 half executed (or poorly executed) tasks. Instead, focusing on the three high priority items forces us to give quality, focus, and attention to these.

Quality over quantity. 

4. Write down these 3 must-do’s.

In one study conducted by Dr. Gail Matthews, a psychology professor at Dominican University in California, those who wrote down their goals were 42% more likely to achieve them.

I find that writing these goals down creates self-accountability for the day. 

5. Work in the early AM.

The morning hours are often when our minds are fresh. If you are a morning person, capitalize on this by waking up early to squeeze a few productive hours of work in. If you are not a morning person, still keep a morning routine, since this establishes tone and intention for the day. 

6. Do something you enjoy in the AM.

This can be helpful in motivating you to get out of bed. For me this is a good cup of coffee and watching Good Morning America.

• For others this might be

  • exercise

  • writing in a gratitude journal,

  • reading the newspaper

  • listening to music or your favorite podcast

  • journaling, bullet journalling

  • walking your dog

See this as part of your ritualized self-care for the day. 

Keep a morning routine, stick to it, and hold yourself accountable for the day!

The key to success is consistency.