A morning routine can do wonders for your productivity, it will not only boost your motivation but also your will to live a better life.
It protects you from a disorientated life of lethargy and it creates anti-fragility reserves that preserve your mental health.
A mindful morning routine is the key to better mental endurance. It can prepare you for the worst that life has to offer.
As a night owl, it’s a struggle to go to bed on time, as I can’t sleep before 1 am no matter how tired I am.
However, recently I joined an early morning yoga session, it was a huge commitment that I now have to fulfill as I have already paid the full fees in advance.
My mother is the sole inspiration behind this drastic measure. She has had a great morning routine for as long as I can remember and she credits it entirely for her unbeatable optimism and mental health.
She spends the first hour of the day nourishing her mental gains with valuable habits that keep her mental strength up during the day.
She doesn’t follow a rigid routine as that can get boring and repetitive fast but she does have three nonnegotiable habits that she follows daily without fail.
Here are the habits that my mother has been following daily for more than a decade.
Consistency Is the Key for a Stellar Morning Routine
A routine is formed by habits that you perform consistently day in and day out. You only need one or two such habits to establish a whole routine.
The habit that my mother sticks to every day to initiate her morning routine is waking up at the same time daily.
It sounds a bit simpleton but this habit has single-handedly set her morning routine in stone. She wakes up daily at the same time to pray.
Religion is a personal preference that can’t be forced, it needs to happen organically, but my mom grew up in a super religious household so she had this habit ingrained in her early on.
She has always started her day with a small prayer, but recently she read about the best time to pray in our holy books which happened to be just after six.
So, she made it her mantra to wake up and pray every day at 6 am. Some days she would catch a small nap after her prayers but with time it became her routine.
Over the years she has extended her morning prayers, so nowadays she wakes up even earlier than six. This small ritual led to a stellar routine that she had been following for more than a decade.
Conviction is a powerful thing that can change your life, so find a reason to wake up early every day.
The “why” matters. It forms a stable base for the habit to thrive on, without it sustaining a habit is almost impossible.
You need to set down the rules to ensure the longevity of a habit. My mother formed this habit on a ritual she has done most of her life.
That’s why the habit stuck. Any new habit is more likely to go the long haul if it's formed on a ritual that you do daily.
Here’s what you can do:-
I am not as religious as my parents so I don’t have a scheduled time block for religious activities.
But I am an advent supporter of health so I took on the challenge to make my health and lifestyle better by recently joining a morning yoga class.
Before starting this class I used to scroll the internet till 2 am daily, dragging myself to complete a task just because I didn’t feel sleepy.
But after this class both my health and productivity have gone up a thousand times.
So, find an activity that makes you want to get out of bed, I wouldn’t have changed my mentally exhaustive nighttime routine if it weren’t for this yoga class.
Begin Your Day With Positivity to Boost Productivity
A new day is a blank canvas full of possibilities, you can create whatever your heart desires.
Content creation is nothing but presenting the same knowledge in a new way that’s unique to you. There’s nothing new under the sun, so millions of people every day live the same day.
But there’s always the possibility of accepting every new day with a better mental model that can help you create something better on the canvas of life every day.
One habit that can prompt you for a better day is positive mental reinforcement which you can achieve through affirmations.
My mum had been practicing positive affirmation before it became mainstream. Journalling is her go-to morning practice.
But she has recently discovered guided meditation that enforces positive affirmation as well. She reserves 15 minutes every morning for this habit, as it helps her get through the day.
This simple habit boosted her mental health and replenished her anti-fragility mentality.
So, the simplest thing you can do for a more optimistic day is to consume positive content first thing in the morning. This activity won’t take you more than 15 minutes, so it’s both doable and easy.
Here’s what you can do:-
Content overload is the norm in this age of information. It takes microseconds to learn something from the internet.
But with this easement of attaining knowledge, you’re prone to come across useless content and there’s no shortage of it on the internet.
So, it has become easy to consume mindless content first thing in teh morning, as we’re addicted to the reel world.
The challenge is to replace the shitty content with something that raises your spirit and makes you more motivated to face the day head-on.
I have made it a rule to stay away from my phone for the first hour of the day, I either complete a draft or read a real book in the morning.
So, you don’t need to say cheesy affirmations in the morning when you can structure your day with better habits.
But it helps if you reinstate positivity in your morning may it be by writing, reading, or saying affirmations.
The Best Habit to Improve Your Mood Every Morning
Thoughts and actions are the philosophical chicken and egg story, as no one knows what came first.
Most people believe that thoughts lead to actions but creatives know that our one action can guide us to a once-in-a-lifetime thought that can change the trajectory of our career.
Your decision-making is at its peak in the morning, as you have zero mental residue. Wise men and women often reserve the morning hours to make important decisions.
But being a morning lark doesn’t guarantee better decision-making; you need to train your brain with actions that build your mental reserves.
One activity that’s proven to boost both decision-making and mental reserves is physical activity and you can gain these benefits with even a low-intensity 10-minute daily walk.
A walk will always lead to better thoughts and ideas, there is a plethora of great men who will back this claim.
My mum started this habit to deal with a stiff lower back but she continued it for the impressive mental health benefits, clarity of thought being the prime gain.
Moreover, morning is believed to be the best time for exercise . So, add a little movement to your life.
Here’s what you can do:-
Exercise has contended its position as the most popular New Year resolution for years.
Every year after the holidays the first task on most people's to-do list is weight loss or a healthier lifestyle.
Yet we fail repeatedly at this herculean task because it takes time and patience. You need to commit to small everyday actions.
And the best way to do so is by starting your day with movement. Pick whichever activity you like, just make sure to stick to it for the long haul.
This small win in the morning will get you through the day in a better mood and motivation.
Conclusion
Morning routine is an underrated weapon that can boost your productivity to new heights.
A stellar morning routine will lead to optimal efficiency and will improve your mental health tremendously.
My mother is a big believer in waking up early and reserving a the first few minutes for herself, she journals, meditates, and visits the park sometime.
You can steal the best habits my mom I have been following for more than two decades, that she swears by every day.