How To Create The Most Perfect And Refreshing Morning Routine

We all hate the days when we wake up on the wrong side of the bed... Those days that are sluggish from the moment our toes reach the first step away from our beds, those days in which everything we do seems to just go wrong.

This is where a solid, refreshing and early morning routine will help you set your day off, on the right foot. Many psychologists and studies have reflected that having a consistent, early and attainable morning routine is a way to set yourself up for success. So here are my tips on how you can create the most perfect and refreshing morning routine . . .

Preparation

Firstly, a good and replenishing morning is nothing without preparations from the night before.

The first step, if you want to have a routine that sets you up on the right track, is to have a good evening routine and relax into a deep and long nights sleep. Then you will wake up, feeling refreshed and ready for a new day.

A good morning routine is nothing without the proper sleep and rest that you need after a long and exhausting day, so this is absolutely key for developing new or early morning habits.

There isn't anything worse if you stay scrolling on social media, binge watching Netflix or a movie and forget all about the power of a good nights rest. Click below to read on to: How to create the most perfect and relaxing Evening routine:

Waking up early

As everyone has probably felt before at least once in their lives, when you wake up you just want to curl up, roll over and give it those big Z's all over again.

Yet, this is possibly the worst thing you can do when you first wake up in the morning. A study from Exeter university showed that, early risers have greater levels of happiness, and a decrease in levels of depression and procrastination in comparison to night owls. They concluded, this was due to how our body clocks operate on a daily basis. It is so easy and it's so comforting to lay in bed in the morning, on your phone or with a coffee.

However, this has been proven to be less effective when trying to increase productivity levels.

When you wake up earlier you give yourself the time and freedom to complete the tasks you normally would push aside and constantly tell yourself you don't have time for. Still, waking up early can be counterproductive, study's also show it's more about what you do with this time that truly matters. Therefore we have to question our first steps when first getting ourselves out of bed, in order to shift our routine into becoming more effective.

What's the first thing you do when you wake up?

Without our realisation, what we first do in the morning is what truly sets us up for the rest of our day. Do you roll over and instantly pick up your phone, snooze your alarm or reach straight for the coffee machine?

To create our most perfect and refreshing routine we first need to become aware of our micro habits that lead to potential procrastination.

Perhaps you can replace reaching for your phone with a fresh bottle of water to keep you hydrated or making your bed first thing. Replace snoozing your alarm to stretching / meditating in the morning for 5-10 minutes before rising. Also when reaching for the coffee machine you could pivot to a more healthier choice like hot lemon water, flavoured natural teas or vitamins. Our micro choices ultimately reflect our micro habits in which is important as James clean states in his best selling book; Atomic habits our micro habits help us to reach our ultimate goals.

"In order to improve for good, you need to solve problems at the systems level. Fix the inputs and the outputs will fix themselves." ~ James clear, Atomic Habits

Practicing mindfulness and Gratitude

PC: @The Headplan

As Clear goes on to say; "Fix the inputs and the outputs will fix themselves."

This quote is particularly important as the steps to fix a boring and repetitive morning routine also increases a need to fix your current mindset and mindfulness practices.

A simple practice of gratitude each morning, journaling or meditation reflections, do go a long way. Study's prove that what you speak to your mind through thought patterns whether negative or positive it does in return effect your choices and decisions.

Therefore gratitude and reflection teaches us a positive and can - do attitude which builds our momentum to confidence and perseverance.

Fuelling your body

As they all say, eating breakfast is one of the most important parts of your day. if you're thinking of skipping breakfast due to waking up late or time pressures, grab a quick snack on your way out as skipping breakfast in the morning has been proven to be problematic long term. A study found at PubMedCentral shows that skipping meals continuously may lead to cardiovascular difficulties, and many other health issues in the long run. Even so, it is so difficult to be your most productive and motivated self on an empty stomach, this should be avoided and is key for a perfect and nourishing morning routine.

Building momentum

Many studies also show that, a simple account of exercise in the morning improves focus, alertness, mood levels, appetite control and improves sleep cycles. For those who don't love to travel to the gym, weightlifting or cardio. A simple walk in the park, stretch or yoga also count towards exercise, which has also been proven to increase circulation and reduce stress.

Time blocking / planning out your tasks

When waking up early, many of us jump to complete our tasks, with a long unattainable To -Do list and believe this is what will help us build consistent and constant productivity.

However, the phrase "work smarter, not harder" has recently become my personal memo when building habits and a routine that is perfect to me.

Using planning techniques and platforms such as notion, google calendar, a physical planner / journal.

Using these platforms to create effective timelines and time-blocking techniques along with habit stacking routines has honestly changed the game.

I wave goodbye to long, inconsequential and time wasting tasks as prioritisation is key for a more productive and relaxing morning routine.

Starting to build a consistent and productive morning routine definitely isn't easy, understanding that everyone has different systems that work best for themselves individually is the first step into building yours, if one thing doesn't work for you, don't stress you might just need to find what you enjoy most, find more relaxing and love doing. Clear also shows us in atomic habits that it takes time to develop habits; consistency and discipline are key.

Start small and become the kind of person who shows up every day. - James clear Atomic habits

If you enjoyed this post be sure to check out more over on our instagram @bloomwithflore and subscribe to our newsletter for daily updates!