My morning routine is vital in keeping me motivated throughout the day. The way you feel in the morning will carry into the rest of the day. Have you noticed that when you wake up feeling like you didn't sleep well or you overslept and had to rush, your day felt unorganised and "bad"?
When you have a clear routine for your morning, not only can you ensure that you set yourself up with the best mindset for taking on that day, but you will feel less stressed because you know what you're about to do!
Most people think the time they have in the evening is when they will learn Russia, declutter your room, or even train for a marathon. The problem wit this mindset it that by the time you get home from work or school, prepare and eat dinner, and complete other requirements, such as finishing homework or the washing, we are too tired to carry out the activities we planned to do.
This is why the morning is your uninterrupted time to do what you want to do. When you have the rest of the day ahead of you. The time when you can spend 30 mins brushing up on your language skills, freshening your room, or taking that early morning run you always say you will but never do, we've all been there.
So how to create your own routine?
Stuck in lockdown makes this easier for me surprisingly. I know quite a lot of people that have messed up their sleeping schedule and end up going to sleep past 12 and waking up at 11am or even past noon (probably not the best idea).
I recommend waking up earlier than you usually do, at least an hour, depending on what you want to do. Set reminders, change your alarm, make yourself excited to get up and get stuff done. Imagine you're getting up early to go to the airport on your way so a dream destination... except your staying at home. Make staying at home fun.
Here's a few examples of what I do (I like to mix it up to keep me motivated):
- Journaling = start by writing out how you want your day to unfold, how you want to feel and what you want to happen. Plan it all out. Or start off with some gratitude journaling; write down 5 things that you were grateful for the day before. This will make you appreciate things more and hopefully make you feel more positive.
- Be creative = add a creative page to your journal perhaps, or just draw, or create something completely random just for fun.
- Learn something new = perhaps Russian? or something easier to start with. Something you've always wanted to learn, such as getting your sailing license or learning to play a new instrument.
- Moving your body = working out, going for a run, heading to the gym (after quarantine of course), practicing yoga. Or meditate, calm your mind before starting the day.
Finally, you may find it easier if you have a reason for doing it. A purpose. Why do you want to learn a new language? Why do you want to wake up and workout? (I'm not sure many people want to do this but I'm sure they do it for a reason). Is it because you want to add it to your CV or you've just always been interested in that language? Is it because of the feeling of accomplishment after completing a full body set?
Whatever the reasoning behind it, notice it and write it down. Set a goal. This is to remind you. When things get hard remember why you're doing it. Be determined. Be motivated.
At times like this it's hard to stay motivated and positive. Remember that there are always people there to support you, no matter what :)
And that's it, that's how to set up a morning routine. All you need is a goal and a bit of motivation. A morning routine helps keep my mind focused and helps me de-stress from school work, hopefully it will do the same for you <3
Stay home and stay safe,
we're here for you x
MC
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