A good day begins early in the AM and a healthy morning routine can set the tone for how the rest of the day is going to unfold. Spending at least one hour on giving the day a proper start will make you more productive, more active, and definitely happier. To optimize that hour, you have to set up a schedule that works for you, but that includes some essential elements. We’re going to take you through every step of a healthy routine that will give your morning a huge energy boost and we hope it inspires you.
Give Yourself Time to Wake Up
Before we get started with the actual steps, we’d like to emphasize the importance of the hour-long morning ritual. You may have a superpower that makes it possible for you to wake up and leave for work in the next 15 minutes, but there is more to mornings than that. It takes a bit for your body to snap out of the last phases of sleeping and jumpstart the energy reserves you need for the entire day. The more you help your body and your mind through this process, the better equipped you will be to take on the day!
Wake Up Early for Your Morning Ritual
The trick to waking up early is setting up a habit, which will eventually become a reflex. The hardcore approach is setting your alarm one hour earlier and just sticking to the plan, but there is a much better way to do this. Instead of going for the full hour at once, you might get better results if you wake up 15 minutes earlier on the first day. To keep everything in balance, go to bed 15 minutes earlier as well. After a few days, extend it to 30 minutes, adjust your sleeping schedule and keep at it. You’ll be at one hour in no time without stressing yourself too much.
Now that you’ve got the timing all right, here’s what the hour-long morning ritual plays out:
The Golden Rule – Do Not Snooze!
Going back to dreamland for an extra 5 or 10 minutes is morning’s biggest temptation. But if you’ve ever pressed the snooze button, you know that it’s ultimately not worth it. Snoozing once is likely going to make you snooze twice and you are going to wake up late feeling more tired than you were back when you started procrastinating. So keep this in mind when you feel the sweet promise of those 5 more minutes.
1 Minute after Waking up – Stretch for 2 Minutes
You’ve woken up on time and that is great, but you have to ease into starting up your body. Give yourself a couple of minutes to stretch. You’ve been in bed for a few hours now, so loosen up your arms, your legs, your back, and your neck. Yawn as much as you want to and acknowledge that you are setting the wheels in motion. Then get out of bed.
4 Minutes after Waking up – Drink a Glass of Water
After a good night’s sleep, your body is a bit dehydrated, which is why it is extremely important that you drink some water. Before you start brewing your coffee, making your tea, or pouring that orange juice, have a glass of water and give your body the resource it needs.
10 Minutes after Waking up – Meditate for 5 Minutes
Now that your body is awake, it’s time to wake up your mind as well. Again, easing into this process will do wonders. Take 5 minutes to meditate. Close your eyes, relax, and feel every bit of your body waking up. You can use a meditation app to make things easier or you can simply put on some relaxation music and dive in.
20 Minutes after Waking up – Exercise for 15-20 Minutes
At this point, you should be feeling properly awake. Now it’s time for a challenge! A 15-20 minute workout will pump in all the energy you need to take the morning by force. You need a powerful workout that includes a wide range of muscle groups, but also something that you can do at home with minimal preparation. You can use a Pulley sling trainer right in your living room and in 15 minutes, you’ll have plenty of time to work arms, legs, abdomen, and back. Set up your own routine or use an exercise app that tells you what to do.
40 Minutes after Waking up – Take a Relaxing Shower
If you’re not sweating, it means you’re not working out properly, but if you are, then you need a shower at this point. So, hop in and enjoy! A morning shower will give you even more energy and it will have you ready to start the day.
50 Minutes after Waking up – It’s finally time for coffee and breakfast!
This is it, the moment you’ve all been waiting for – fresh morning coffee! And the best thing about having it now is that you get to enjoy it instead of drinking it because you need it. We recommend the full Alley McBeal ritual to get the most out of it. To keep things healthy, make sure you have some breakfast with your coffee. A little bit of toast and butter, some fruit, and bit of yogurt will set you on your way to a wonderful day.