How you start your day can often determine how the rest of your day will go. The period in the morning before you start your daily tasks is such a sacred time, because what you choose to do can often set the tone/ mood for the rest of the day. There are so many benefits to starting your day with a morning routine.

You do not need a long 2 hour routine in the morning to make it effective. For me, I have a set of quick habits that I do each morning to help me focus on my space, body, and mind.

After I wake up, I would go to the washroom to cleanse my face, and brush my teeth and tongue. I like waking up early in the morning (usually 6 am on work days), because I find myself more productive in the morning.

>Related: Actionable Tips to Help You Wake Up Earlier

SPACE

After cleansing myself in the washroom, I will make my bed. It may sound like a small  task, but there are actually many benefits to making your bed. It is the first task you have accomplished for the day.  It also prevents you from jumping back into bed during the rest of your day. De-cluttering your space first thing in the morning makes you feel great and give you a small sense of pride that can lead to making other positive decisions for the rest of the day.

In fact, making your bed is even considered as one of the keystone habits by Charles Duhigg is his book, The Power of Habits. Related: The Power of Keystone Habits.

If you still don’t believe me, listen to what Navy SEAL Commander, Adm. William McRaven has to say about making your bed.

BODY

After I make my bed, I would step into the kitchen and pour myself a big glass of water. After one night’s sleep, your body is dehydrated. It’s important to nourish it first thing in the morning and wash away any toxic chemicals in your body from the night before. Water makes up up 60% of our body, and more than 80% in the brain. It’s important to nourish it well in the morning so we can function at our best for the day.

MIND

After cleansing my body, I would roll out my yoga mat and do a 15-20 minute meditation. It’s my time to really focus my mind and clear out any cluttered thoughts from the night before. After meditating, I will journal and write my morning pages. I like write at least one page every day to pour out what’s on my mind at the moment, and also set the tone and mood for the day.

After these morning habits to cleanse my space, body and mind, my day begins.

To recap here is my morning routine:
Cleanse my space – make the bed
Cleanse my body – drink water
Cleanse my mind – meditation and journal

It only takes about 40 minutes to complete these tasks. After adopting these habits into my mornings I do feel a gradual shift in how I make decisions and how I feel for the rest of my day.

What about you? Have you tried to set up a morning routine for yourself? Are there any habits that you also like to do in the morning? Let me know!

Cheers,

Shir 🙂

Shirley Huang is a Certified Life Coach, Podcast Host, and online educator. She provides weekly resources to help people become leaders in their life, while loving themselves and having fun a long the way. Check out her Life Coaching Programs here.