How to Identify and Set Intentions for Your Morning Routine

A morning routine can have positive benefits for your day and your overall life. A post about the benefits of a morning routine can be found here. You should read the post because it goes into detail about the benefits of a structured morning routine to include one huge benefit of a reduction in stress. Everyone could use a reduction in their stress level. A structured morning routine can assist in decreasing your stress level.

Create a Morning Routine

In order to reap the benefits of a structured morning routine, you have to create a morning routine that has supportive components and perform that routine consistently. The first challenge is creating your morning routine.

What are your own personal goals for improving your current morning routine? Identify why you want to improve your routine.

You can get creative with this and even creative a vision board, use a collage, use a word map, or any other creative outlet to represent what your ideal morning routine looks like. The more specific you can be the better results you will have.

Here are a few ideas to get you started or support what you already have in mind. Having goals for your morning routine can affect your daily productivity in turn affecting your ability to accomplish your long term goals. A structured morning routine is usually implemented by individuals who are already driven to achieve something great. So formulate your routine now!

Here are some goals that will allow you to determine what activities to focus on with your morning routine.

Goal ideas for your morning routine

1. Wake Up at a Consistent Time

• Goal: Set a consistent wake-up time, even on weekends.
• Why: Regular sleep patterns improve energy levels and affect your mental clarity throughout the day.

2. Avoid Technology First Thing

• Goal: Avoid checking your phone or other devices for the first 30 minutes upon waking.
• Why: Starting the day without distractions helps you focus on your own priorities and reduces stress. This also decreases your reliance on your phone and decreases screen time; including all the negative effects that creates.

3. Hydrate Immediately

• Goal: Drink a glass of water right after waking up.
• Why: This helps kickstart your metabolism and rehydrates your body after hours of sleep. Sometimes you are more thirsty than hungry so hydration can be key to establishing a healthy weight.

4. Incorporate Physical Activity

• Goal: Do 10-30 minutes of a movement activity
• Why: Exercise boosts your energy, improves mood, and sets a positive tone for the day. It does not have to be anything strenuous. Choose an activity you enjoy and can remain consistent with.

5. Perform a spiritual activity like praying or studying the Bible

• Goal: Spend 5-10 minutes addressing your spirit.
• Why: This helps reduce stress and allows you to develop another area of yourself.

6. Plan Your Day

• Goal: Take 5-10 minutes to review and plan your priorities for the day.
• Why: It helps you stay organized and ensures you focus on what is most important for that day. I advise using a priority list and make 3 top tasks that have to be completed before the end of the day. Focus on 3 things that move you closer to your goals and start with the most challenging one. Eat the frog. LINK

7. Eat a Healthy Breakfast

• Goal: Include a balanced, nutritious breakfast in your routine.
• Why: A healthy breakfast provides the energy and nourishment you need to start the day with the proper nutritional support.

8. Read or Learn Something New

• Goal: Spend 10-15 minutes reading or learning something that inspires or educates you.
• Why: Stimulating your brain with new knowledge first thing in the morning boosts creativity and learning. Plus taking small amounts of time to focus on something new allows it to not seem so overwhelming.

9. Get Some Fresh Air or Natural Light

• Goal: Step outside or sit by a window to get exposure to natural light.
• Why: Sunlight helps regulate your circadian rhythm, improves mood, and boosts vitamin D levels. This will have an overflow into your nighttime routine because you will establish a regular sleep-wake cycle as well.

10. Set a Positive Intention or Affirmation

• Goal: Set a positive intention or repeat an affirmation that encourages you.
• Why: It helps cultivate a positive mindset and prepares you to handle challenges with confidence. We all know that there are going to be challenges as long as we are living. But our response to these challenges is what sets apart for others who give up.

When you look at these goal ideas, share in the comments which one resonates with you the most. Which one would be a challenge for you?

For me, it is the waking up at a consistent time even on the weekends. I seek more hours of sleep at this point in my life and would prefer at least 2 days where I can sleep in and not have to wake up before the sun. My schedule is packed full and sometimes I just want some respite. But when I do sleep in, even on weekends, most of the time I feel like I should have started my day sooner and regret it. This is because my morning routine has become a lifestyle for me. I don’t even have to think about it any more. My children even know most of the components of my morning routine.

Continue along this journey of creating a productive morning routine to help you accomplish your personal goals and increase your productivity. Increasing your productivity allows you to get to activities that you enjoy.

Be you, be focused, be well! Find Your Flourish!

|Shanna|