master your mornings

photograph by brooke lark

i am by no means a morning person but i have learned to make the best out of it. for years the morning has felt more like being dragged through cold mud than energized and ready to start my day. thankfully, i figured out that the best way to make mornings a bit more tolerable is to have a good routine. the worst part about the morning for me was that i always felt sluggish and disconnected, so i found a routine that helped me get out of my funk.

1) actually getting out of bed

the first thing i have to do in the morning is wake up. believe it or not, this is the hardest part. i try to only set one alarm for the morning because when i set multiple i usually just keep hitting snooze. there’s something about knowing that i have more alarms that makes my body ask for fifteen more minutes of sleep. a cool feature on my phone is that in order to stop the alarm i have to solve a puzzle first. it’s a little brain workout that requires me to really wake up and it kicks everything off.

2) spiritual warm up

after waking up i listen to the daily reading from my bible app. my faith has always kept me grounded. no matter your religion or spiritual background, it's good to start your day with a morning prayer, meditation or spiritual reading to get in touch with a higher being or your higher self. my spiritual warm ups always add a positive start to my day.

3) mini-spa

while the recording is playing i brush my teeth and take care of my hair and face. personal care helps me feel better about myself; it makes me feel refreshed, rejuvenated and gives me a little boost of confidence. (the boost comes more from imagining i have money for a spa trip every morning).

4) get physical

when i’m done grooming myself, i do a full body stretch to really get the blood flowing. the blood rushing through loosens up my muscles allowing for more comfortable movement. it helps throughout the entire day; getting a good stretch in early can alleviate a lot of pain and discomfort my body might feel during the rest of the day.

5) morning chef

once i'm done with my refreshing stretch, i make my food for the day and put them into containers. it’s important for me to cook the food in the morning because it helps put me at my best as early as possible. it also gives me a sense of accomplishment having prepared a nice meal. small victories lead to big boosts in self-esteem and help me to put a positive spin on the rest of the day. with the food finished and packed away i get cleaned up and dressed, ready to head out the door for work and whatever the world has in store for me that day.

this five-step morning routine really gets me going and allows for my days to be the most productive. try incorporating these steps into your mornings and see if it creates a change in productivity and mood for the rest of your day. also know that having a well rested night is the pre-step to getting the morning started off right.