If you’ve heard me, or others, bang on about the benefits of a morning routine but keep telling yourself “nah, that’s not for me”…

Let me ask you a couple of questions.

Are you sick of floating through the day on autopilot, snapping at the first person who tests your patience, and never making it through your to-do list?

Are you always running out the door, feeling flustered and feeling like you never have time for yourself?

This used to be me. I would hit snooze, always wake up late and fly by the seat of my pants every morning. I heard people talk about the benefits of a morning routine, but I never really paid attention.

Get up at 5am? Um, no thanks.

Journal my feelings every morning? I’m good.

It got to a point where I realized I was no longer able to “wake up and wing it”. I needed a routine that allowed me to take the time to center myself and start my day intentionally.

And I’m not exaggerating when I say the results have been life-changing.

Grab your turmeric latte or chaga coffee because you’re gonna want to take some notes…

Benefits Of  Establishing A Consistent Morning Routine

Tapping Into Your Body’s Natural Rhythms 

For those who are not morning people. I hear you. I was never a morning person. The fact that I naturally wake up at 4.30/4.45am boggles my mind. I used to just cry when my 6.30am alarm went off!

Our circadian rhythm naturally ebbs and flows with the sun. Our digestion, hormones, cognitive function – everything – prefers to work around the rise and fall of the sun.

I’m not saying you need to get up at 4,30am, but if you can get into the habit of rising within an hour of the sunrise, it would be extremely beneficial.

Time To Warm Up Your Brain

When you wake up earlier, you’re more alert, you have more time for productivity, and you get to tend to yourself before going into the day.

This means you are less likely to react and more likely to respond intentionally. Think of a morning routine as a warm-up for your brain.  You wouldn’t just crank the engine of your car and take off straight away, just like you wouldn’t step into the gym and start living the heaviest weight straight away.

Today’s “busy” and”boss mode” culture glorifies this mentality of ‘get up and go go go’.  In reality, this is not helpful for productivity, stress levels, or building sustainable habits.

You need to let your brain warm-up before you start tackling the heavy tasks of the day.

Checking In With Yourself And Setting Intentions

How many of you ACTUALLY take the time to check if with yourself each day?

A morning routine gives you the opportunity to take your emotional and physical temperature. Think of it as your own personal briefing time.

Through morning journaling, mindfulness or planning practices, you get to set your agenda for the day. This extra morning time allows you to set intentions, and identify your priorities, and identify what you will focus on.

How can you nurture yourself? What do you need to avoid?  How are you feeling? How can I fill my world with gratitude? Let yourself write out what you’re annoyed, worried, or scared about.

As women, we ever-changing creatures. Our hormones and cycles fluctuate every day, which is why it’s SO important to dump and recognize our emotional baggage every morning. You don’t have to carry that stress into the day.

You are the only person who can do this. This is your job. It is not healthy to carry any stress, anger or anxiety through your day and project it into your workplace, on your spouse or to your friends.

Write down your thoughts and what do you need to fill your cup up before heading starting your day.

Routine And Habit Principal

When you have strong habits attached to your morning routine, it keeps you going even when you feel “off”. Your brain KNOWS what you need to do.

It may only be at 99%, in a different order or take a bit longer, but when you have those non-negotiable and foundational principles, the reward system is so high that your brain will keep pushing towards implementing those behaviors.

It takes two weeks to form that phenomenon in your brain.

Yes, you still have to endure the 1-2 weeks of struggle before getting to this point. But what’s more of a struggle? Taking two weeks to implement healthy habits that you know will benefit you, or staying where you are?

Read More: 5 Powerful Morning Prayers To Start Your Day.

 

By implementing the above systems, routines, and self-care activities into your morning, you’re saying to yourself “I matter”.

You are saying that I am still able, I am still capable, I am worthy and I can still do productive things to take care of myself even on hard days.

You’re setting a track record for yourself. When you have difficult days in the future, you’ll know you can pull through because you’ve done it before.

There are so many benefits of a morning routine that I could talk about this topic for HOURS.

Taking the time to craft my own has changed my life and how I show up every day.

Start with rising 30 minutes to an hour earlier and go from there! I promise you it will be 110% worth it.

 

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