Optimizing your morning routine allows you to get the most out of your day. You will gain on all levels: productivity, concentration, stress management, personal satisfaction, self-esteem and more. Adopt new habits and give yourself the means to anchor them for good in your daily life: your days will never be the same again!

How can having an effective morning routine change your day?

Having a good routine means saying goodbye to rushed mornings, the ones where you wake up on the wrong foot and everything becomes chaotic. We all have a few morning routines, such as brushing our teeth, getting dressed or having a coffee. Doing them in the same order every morning gives a reassuring sense of familiarity.

A good morning routine:

• Gives you immediate satisfaction: from the start of the day, you know where each step is taking you, and during these moments you are in control
• Makes you productive and efficient
• Reduces stress: motivated or not, wanted or not, with a routine, this question is no longer relevant because a well-established routine requires no effort
• Ensures that you have taken time for yourself first and put your well-being first in the day

Once you have completed your morning routine, everything seems easier afterwards.

What is a good morning routine and how do you set it up?

There is no such thing as an ideal morning routine, you will build up your own as you go along; the one that suits you. As it is about creating new positive habits to take care of yourself, be patient and progressive. Depending on the time you want to get up, your need for sleep, how easy it is to get up in the morning, and your family and professional background, your routine can take very different forms. You can take inspiration from the routines of those you admire, but you are unique, and so is your routine. Get started:

• List the things you already do every morning and put them in a logical order. For a few days, focus on just that: no room for randomness, do the same things as usual, but like a piece of choreography, always in the same order. Your mornings will soon become more organised and you will begin to see the benefits of relying on a routine.
• Write down one thing (just one) that is important to you and that you would like to add to your existing morning routine: meditate before you get up, have a good breakfast, read for 10 minutes, go for a walk, do a quick workout before showering, devote 30 minutes each morning to your passion, write a few words…
• Fit your new habit into the script of your current routine and strive to do it every day. If it helps, keep a log of your morning routines and check off the times when it went well, or note what derailed your ritual. Reward yourself for your victories, you’ve earned it!

How can you ensure your routine is unavoidable and make it last in the long term?

To ensure that your routine evolves and you never deviate from it, take a few precautions:

• Plan everything you can the night before so that you have everything you need at hand in the morning.
• If necessary and desired, adjust your sleeping hours (gradually) and make sure you always get up at the same time in the morning, leaving yourself enough time to get everything done before you start your working day.
• Regularly review your goals to see whether your routine is helping you move in the right direction and to decide how to incorporate the next good practice into your morning rituals.
• If possible, keep the same routine at the weekend: regularity and consistency are the keys to your success.
• Put some safeguards in place to ensure that you adopt your new reflexes more quickly. For example, decide that you can only drink your green tea in the morning if you have first drunk a glass of water with lemon juice.
• If you deviate from your rituals from time to time, be indulgent with yourself and stay motivated. In a few days, everything will be back in order: you are on the right path, that’s the main thing!

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