Morning Routines can Make or Break your Day

Morning Power Hours are the key to becoming a morning person and taking control of the day before it takes control of you.

How you start your morning sets the tone for the whole rest of your day. A late starting, stressful morning can put a domino effect on the next 16 hours. A focused, calm, self-care kind of morning will set you up with a feeling of accomplishment and purpose.

Get Up

Popular podcaster and author, Mel Robbins, says the best technique for getting going in the morning is to put your phone way out of reach at night so you can't hit snooze and then hop out of bed after a 5 second call to arms. You open your eyes and 5-4-3-2-1 up and at 'em! Her reel, however, demonstrates a more realistic version of her sliding out of the covers and onto the floor. This counts of course. You don't have to march with high knees to the bathroom, you just have to get vertical or non-bed horizontal and start to move.

Morning People

Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz, rises at 4:30, walks his dogs and does a workout before his first cup of coffee (which he makes using a French Press if you were curious.)

At 78, my mom packed her house for her move between 3 and 6 am. "I do my best work before the sun comes up," she says.

Morning people epitomize that classic army commercial about getting more done before night owls wake up than aforementioned birds do all day. Pfffffft.

I used to finish worrying about everything I couldn't control at 12am and hit my first REM sleep cycle at 1am so at 5 o'clock in the morning I didn’t know where I lived or what my name was.

This was not leading me to a restful slumber or a productive morning routine.

But I am here to tell you that you can change anything if you want it badly enough.

I desperately wanted to become a morning person. I possessed genuine envy for those who rose before the sun so they could do things for themselves before they started doing them for others.

Anyone can become a Morning Person 

While I may never be a sunrise problem solver or a morning conversationalist, I have managed to shift my 3am anxiety wake ups and a finally-out-of-bed time of 9am to a 6:30 alarm that I often beat when the sun peeks through the curtains to say, "Heyyy, girl! I see that eye cracked open. Get up! Let's do this!"

I certainly didn't get to a 6:30 wake up overnight. It took practice, determination and a morning that I look forward to to make that happen.

The secrets to a successful calm morning are actually pretty simple. It starts with small action steps that include having a good evening routine, snoozing the boozing, incorporating more movement into your day, and creating your own Morning Power Hour.

Remember, small action steps create big change.

Make today YOURS before it becomes THEIRS: Create Your own Morning Power Hour

I am here to admit that the absolute best part of the day is the early morning. The night owl in me would have once vehemently disagreed, but having been on both sides of the fence, I can attest that taking the first part of the day to set yourself up for the rest of it is truly a game changer.

The more you can take control of the beginning, the better your odds of having a successful middle and end.

Having a routine in place, or even a basic outline of one, will get you to start checking off the self-care boxes before you start checking your email and to do lists. I call this early me-time the Morning Power Hour. Don't panic about the hour part. This is the goal, but you can start off with 20 or 30. You make all the rules here.

I first learned of this concept years ago while listening to self-help guru and motivational speaker, Tony Robbins' CD collection. (This is a window into how long I've been a self-helping work in progress) Robbins sheds light on how the most successful people start their day by setting up an “Hour of Power” or if you don't quite have the time for that yet, “30 Minutes to Thrive,” or “Fifteen Minutes to Fulfillment.”

This is the time in the morning that you will take fully for yourself to engage in first-hour rituals before hopping on the powerful little wireless computer that goes everywhere with us. I recommend doing the non-phone things first and then separating the apps you use during this time onto their own page or folder so you aren’t distracted by other ones like social media, email and banking.

I do actually write "AM Power" in my planner each day to acknowledge its importance and make sure it happens. My AM Power Time consists of five to ten things that set my course for the day depending on how much time i have.

But most importantly, this is my time to fully give to myself before I have to give myself to work, social media, and other people's demands and expectations of me.

At the very minimum, you want to incorporate these things into your Power Time: Hydration, light movement or stretching, sunshine, meditation / prayer and listing what's going right.

Here is an example of my Morning Power Thirty to Forty-Five:

1) First Things

When my eyes open, I do three things: water, gratitude, and stretching. DO NOT check email or social media. Start your day with calm positivity. Stay quiet and start thanking your

body for all it does for you. Thank God for another day. Focus and list 5 things that are going right in your life.

Now you can get your phone if you must and listen to something uplifting. Examples: 7 Good Minutes podcast, a chapter of an audio book on the Audible app, Soulspace 5 minute morning devotion, Glorify App for Passage, Devotion and Reflection. Spending time with God sets me up for positivity and serenity right out the gate. 

Then it’s time the bathroom, a tongue scrape, a "hey gorgeous, it's going to be a great day!" in the mirror, and it's off to the kitchen for some warm lemon and salt water (to get things moving if you catch my drift) and / or a big glass of cold water with electrolytes. This primes your digestive track and aids in detoxification. Do this before coffee. You are dehydrated, you need water.

2) Sun before Screens

It's so valuable to your health to get sunlight on your skin and in your peripheral vision within the first hour of the day. A morning walk is the best, but if you don't have time for that you do have 5 minutes to go outside and look towards the sun without glasses on. Take some deep breaths, feel the warmth of the sun and be in gratitude for these quiet minutes you have for yourself. You don't have to get dressed, just throw on a coat and go do it.

Here's why:

1. Regulates Circadian Rhythm: Sunlight exposure helps regulate your body's internal clock, which can improve sleep patterns and overall energy levels.

2. Boosts Vitamin D Production: Sunlight is a natural source of Vitamin D, which is essential for bone health, immune function, and mood regulation.

3. Improves Mood: Sunlight exposure triggers the release of serotonin in the brain, which can help improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression.

4. Enhances Alertness: Natural light exposure in the morning can help you feel more awake and alert throughout the day.

Bonuses:

I do a 5 minute Lymph clearing routine outside in the morning. On a day off from work and morning pickle playing I get in a walk.

Grounding: Put your feet on the earth or your hand on a tree for 3 to 5 minutes.

3) You time.

For me, this means writing. This could be your time to read, journal, meet with God, do yoga, insert yours here. Remember: you have to give to yourself before you gove to the world.

4) Make the bed.

It takes two minutes and you can check another success off your list. It gives the semblance of a tidy room, too.

5) Eat:

Try not to make coffee your breakfast. This will heighten your cortisol (stress hormone) without food being a buffer.

Easy Breakfast Ideas:

Proffee (Grass-fed protein powder plus organic coffee) or a protein shake. Find a clean powder and mix it with water.

Plant yogurt or Greek yogurt bowl mixed with protein powder, chia seeds, and berries, or PB Fit and monk fruit sweetened jelly like Choc Zero

Eggs, Bacon and Fruit-you can make an easy strata on Sunday morning and save it for the next several days. See the recipe here but ditch the spinach.

Egg Life Wrap Roll Ups with turkey and cheese (if you can tolerate dairy)

Base Culture Bread OR Cinnamon Egg Life Wraps with nut butter and low/no sugar jam.

Hard Boiled eggs with mashed avocado and everything but the bagel seasoning.

Clean and Simple Protein Drinks

6) Move if You Can: 

You have to adjust your routines for what works for you. I still have a goal of working out first thing in the morning, but as of year 54 that has not happened unless I can get on a pickleball court at 7am.

REMEMBER, this is NOT a half hour of cardio and a body pump class. This is walking-outside, at the mall, on a treadmill, practicing yoga on youtube, swimming laps, playing pickleball, doing tai chi, taking a pilates or stretch and flex class. Movement is for you and from you. It's a celebration of all your body has done and can do for you, and whatever you do for movement should be a reminder of that.

Remember: You Do What Works for You-You are the CEO of your Life

I don’t put pressure on myself to ‘perform’ a stringent-check-every-box-or-you-blew-it morning routine and on days when I need sleep, I sleep in. But having a morning practice makes me feel like I have set myself up for success right out the gate!

Some days, I don't get all of this in, but I don't beat myself up for it. Always do what you can and if 30 percent is all you can give and you gave all 30 percent, you gave your all.

The hustle and bustle of daily life is coming. There is no stopping it. So starting your day with peace and time for you will prepare you to conquer whatever challenges come your way.