According to psychologists
3 morning habits that will make you happier and more productive
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A morning routine is very easy to integrate into everyday life – if we take into account the following three practices that psychologists recommend.
What does a healthy morning routine look like?
We often hear the word “morning routine” and then want to hit the snooze button on our alarm clock ten times. A morning routine, as is often presented to us on social media, often looks less like a healthy start to the day and more like work, stress and little sleep. How is this supposed to increase our energy levels, reduce stress and increase productivity? This much is certain: Hour-long workouts and green smoothies are by no means the ultimate in a fulfilling morning routine.
Tailor your morning routine to your personal life situation
It probably makes sense that a single person who doesn’t have to worry about school lunches, childcare and tantrums early in the morning can claim more time for themselves. But even for single people, it’s not always easy to juggle a 40-hour week, the household and all other to-dos with enough me-time in the morning. Therefore, it helps everyone to establish a morning routine that fits perfectly into their own everyday life. These don’t have to be particularly time-consuming rituals, as is often assumed. It’s often the tiny little changes that can make a big difference.
Morning routine: Psychologists recommend these 3 practices
1. Set a goal for the day
Take a few minutes to sit in silence (even from bed!), take a few deep breaths, and choose a single word or phrase to be your goal for the day. For example, this could be a sentence like: “I want to feel confident today” when an important presentation or a date is coming up. But it can also be a simple phrase like “Let go” if you are currently finding it difficult to distance yourself. Listen to yourself and find out what you need right now. Setting an intention every morning can help you better align your actions with your valuesto focus on your priorities and look forward to the day ahead.
2. Choose an offline ritual
What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning? Most of the time it is certainly reaching for the smartphone. When negative news awaits us there early in the morning, the mood has completely changed. It’s better to find a small offline activity that will help you settle into the new day. Maybe write a few sentences in your journal to track your mood. Maybe it’s ten short but effective minutes of yoga or a quick walk in the garden, on the balcony or around the block. Maybe you just decide to enjoy your cup of coffee or tea consciously and without rushing. Whatever you choose – it will be yours sustainable energy gift that will help you get through the day and deal with negativity and stress in a grounded way.
3. Make it fun
Fun in the morning? It sounds rather impossible when the alarm clock rings us out of a deep sleep at six o’clock. However, it works wonders and is not as absurd as it sounds. Laughing in the morning increases endorphins and creates a positive mood for the day. For example, you can listen to your favorite song and dance around your apartment for three minutes, or you can recall a funny experience with your friends that still puts a smile on your face. Self-care in the form of fun is often forgotten, but it is just as important as anything else we do to treat ourselves well.
Sources used: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, cnbc.com