Establishing a solid morning routine is a critical part of good self-care and maintaining high levels of productivity throughout the day. If you do not start your day with a positive morning routine, it can be all too easy to develop bad habits. There are a few small changes you can make to your morning routine to ensure you make the most of each and every day.
There are some common mistakes that are all too easy to make during the morning hours which can lead to your day going downhill rather rapidly. Here, we will go over the most common mistakes that people make when establishing a morning routine.
NOT CONSIDERING YOUR OVERALL MENTAL WELLNESS
Let’s face it, mornings can be less than ideal. Often, you’re tired, trying to get ready for work catching up on leftover tasks from the night before, getting kids ready, and rushing around. Starting your day out on the wrong foot by beginning in a negative and stressed mental space can be detrimental to the outcome of the rest of your day.
There are some small changes you can implement in the mornings to make them less stressful. For example, take some time to yourself, maybe write in a journal, meditate, do some stretching, and practice some positive affirmations. These changes, however small, can help your mental well-being and get your day off to a positive start.
NOT TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF PROPERLY IN THE MORNING
Small steps, such as washing your face properly or taking a shower, can easily be glossed over on a busy morning. But missing these steps can actually be detrimental to your morning routine. Of course, not everybody follows the same steps in their morning skincare, self-care, and hygiene routines, so stick to something that works for you. However, try not to miss out on these steps completely, as it’s important to take care of yourself first. Whatever you might like to do to make yourself feel clean, cared, for, well dressed, and ready to tackle the day ahead can be more beneficial than you might think.
HITTING THE SNOOZE BUTTON
Are you one of those people that sets dozens of alarms just to wake up? If so, this may be a bad habit that you might want to shake. Don’t worry, you’re not alone, plenty of people hit the snooze button over and over again first thing in the morning. Honestly, it’s difficult not to. Even though you might feel like catching as much sleep as possible is helpful, hitting the snooze button isn’t very beneficial.
Those few measly extra minutes of sleep in the morning aren’t restorative and they aren’t doing anything to help you, even if they feel good. In fact, you’re just eating into time that you could use productively in the mornings, causing you to rush and skip out on steps in your routine that are more important.
LOOKING AT YOUR PHONE FIRST THING
One of the most common morning mistakes these days is to reach for your phone and start scrolling as soon as you open your eyes. Most people are far too addicted to their phones. We look at them constantly throughout the day. Staring at your phone first thing in the morning to check email, social media, or read the day’s news, sets your mind on a path that it will continue to follow throughout the day.
Instead of starting off your day with aspects of your routine that are tailored to you personally, you’re filling your mind with inputs from other people. Looking at your phone before you do anything else can be more detrimental to your mental health than you might realize. Instead of spending 10 minutes lying in bed scrolling through your Facebook or Instagram feed, use that time to make yourself a cup of coffee or do some good morning stretches.
SKIPPING OUT ON A HEALTHY BREAKFAST
You might not be a breakfast person, and that’s okay, but if you are someone who has to eat breakfast, what you eat in the morning is very important. Starting your day off with foods that are high in sugar or very processed can cause an unhealthy shift in hormones and can also lead to a crash and a decline in your mood early on in the day.
What’s more, not enjoying a healthy, balanced breakfast can cause you to become hungry well before lunch, which can lead to unhealthy snacking or moodiness. Instead of starting off your day with sugary cereals or white bread with jam, try a more balanced option that has a good amount of fruit, vegetables, slow-release carbohydrates, and protein.
How you start your day is critically important to how the rest of your day will play out. Establishing a well-rounded morning routine that is tailored to your needs can help boost energy levels and mood throughout the day, as well as set you on the optimum path to productivity. Establishing a beneficial morning routine isn’t difficult to do. It may take a few weeks to get into the habit, but once you’re used to your new morning routine it’ll probably become your favorite part of the day.