A good morning is not just something you shout out to greet you. It is something you have in your own hands. But what actually makes a good morning and why do we always wish it to each other?
Your start into the day can be decisive for its further course. You know the feeling: Immediately after getting up you are in a bad mood, feel stressed and would like to crawl into bed. If the morning goes like this, the day often doesn't get any better. This way of looking at it gives the greeting a whole different meaning, doesn't it? But it still won't make your day better, but a morning routine will.
And no, this does not only consist of brushing your teeth, getting dressed and drinking coffee. With an optimally aligned morning routine, you can have a relaxed, stress-free and focused start to the day. How does this work best? You can find out here!
We've already touched on it: a morning routine helps you start the day feeling rested and relaxed. The time after getting up means stress and hectic for most people. You're up way too late again, and now you have to shower and jet off to work and breakfast in record time? There is no time for that. Not only the mood is then in the basement, but also the energy level.
Habits are important. They give structure to your everyday life and also provide an inner security to a certain extent, because you always know what's next. In a Survey of the Apotheken-Umschau, as many as 73.7 % of those surveyed said that habits were very important to them. Take advantage of this and create routines that help you get a better start to the day. Because that's what a morning routine is all about: you've put it together yourself and tailored it exactly to your Needs adjusted.
The routine not only helps you to start the day motivated and in a good mood, it also makes you more productive. Your performance increases and you can use your time effectively. You're less inclined to put off unpleasant tasks and more likely to tackle them with drive and get them done. According to the social psychologist Ron Friedmann we only have about 3 hours in the day where we can really focus. With the help of your morning routine, you can take full advantage of this high-energy time.
Your morning routine is just as individual as you are. After all, everyone has different preferences and needs, and that's exactly what your personal routine is based on. So there is no one-size-fits-all recipe here.
It is important that your morning routine consists of points that immerse you in a sense of well-being, motivate you and structure your start to the day. Of course, we have prepared an example for you anyway. A very simple basic routine could look like this:
- 6 a.m.: get up and write down everything that occupies your mind immediately after waking up in a journal
- 6:15 a.m.: get some fresh air at the window and listen to the chirping of the birds
- 6:30 a.m.: shower, brush teeth, get dressed
- 7 o'clock: breakfast in peace
- 7.30 a.m.: drive to work with enough scheduled buffer without time pressure
Of course, the basic routine presented here is not yet customized to you - that's why it's called "basic". Now it's your turn to refine it. What's the best way to do that? We've put together 10 tips for you.
"The early bird catches the worm" - Has this sentence already gone in one ear and out the other a hundred times? Then it should finally stick in your head the hundredth time, because there is definitely some truth to it.
If you get up earlier, you have more time in the morning, logically. What matters is what you do with this time. You have the choice: Either you continue to lie around in bed until the last minute and then have time pressure, or you start the day completely relaxed and stress-free.
If you belong to the "owl" chronotype, it is unfortunately not as easy for you to get up early as it is for the "larks". Then you don't have to force yourself to get up at 5 a.m. sharp or even earlier. The main thing is that you get up early enough to have enough time for your morning routine.
If you do it once, you'll do it twice, three times or ten times: press the snooze button. But it's also too tempting to lie there for a few more minutes, isn't it? Except, unfortunately, that gets you absolutely no points. The short time between each alarm doesn't give you any extra rest, but stresses your body out. Your brain is confused: Is it time to get up or not?
Don't worry, you don't have to jump out of bed full of energy after the first alarm rings. Stretch extensively, breathe deeply in and out, and signal your body that it's time to wake up.
Your body is smarter than you might think. It knows from the light exactly when it's time to sleep and when it should slowly wake up. In the dark, it releases the hormone melatonin, which makes it tired. As soon as it gets light, it stops producing it and you slowly wake up.
If there are no distracting lanterns in front of your window, it's best to sleep with the curtains not fully drawn. This way the light can shine into your bedroom in the morning and wake you up. When you get up, the first thing you should do is go to the window and open the curtains fully. If it is still dark outside, a daylight lamp or alarm clock can be helpful.
Your environment has a direct impact on your well-being. How do you feel when you wake up to a messy bedroom? One of your first thoughts is bound to be, "I really need to clean this place up!"
And there it is, the first point of the day that triggers stress in you, albeit on a small scale. If, on the other hand, you wake up in a tidy room, where nothing is lying around and which is furnished exactly as you like it, you exchange the stress for a small moment of happiness.
Does your hand go to your smartphone as soon as you wake up, and not just to turn off the alarm? Then it's time to break this habit. The time after waking up is just for you. If the first thing you do is scroll through social media, you will be confronted with a myriad of stimuli and perhaps news that will trigger stress in you.
The mental merry-go-round picks up speed immediately, making it hard to focus on your quiet morning routine. So it's best to set a time when you first pick up your smartphone, or incorporate checking emails, messages and social media at a later point in your routine.
Detox while brushing your teeth? Yes, you read that right. In Ayurvedic teachings, it is believed that the body carries out all the toxins it has rid itself of during the night through the mouth. So brushing your teeth is very important here.
Even if you don't believe it, you can make something symbolic out of it. Imagine how you brush your teeth and get rid of all the ballast that still weighs on you from the day before. Also, let your mind wander and just focus on you and what you're doing. You will have to strain your grey cells enough during the course of the day.
Once you've gotten rid of all the ballast, it's time to fill up the body with something "good". And what is the elixir of life par excellence? That's right, water. So treat yourself to a big glass of fresh, preferably warm water. Not only will it wake you up, but it will also get your metabolism going without putting a strain on your body.
In the morning you need the water in many ways, because overnight you have lost some of it due to the regeneration processes that take place. Don't drink it all at once, but take small sips. This calms your mind.
Don't worry, you don't have to run a marathon in the morning to get your day off to a good start. But if you like to jog, a little run through the park can't hurt. A few stretching exercises or yoga will do the trick, too.
It's important that you stimulate your circulation and blood flow. You want to start the day with an extra portion of good spirits start? Then just dance for a few minutes to your favorite songs.
Not only for your body, but also for your mind you should take time in the morning. Calm down and organize your thoughts so that you can focus on your tasks later. Short meditations, journal writing or breathing exercises are good ways to do this.
When time is short in the morning, breakfast is usually the first thing to be cut. This is not a good idea. After all, you need energy to start the day successfully. Gobbling down something at random is better than nothing, but it's not the best idea either.
Your breakfast should be healthy, fill you up without weighing you down and of course taste good. For example, grab some fresh wholemeal bread, spread it with cream cheese and garnish it with your favourite vegetables. Or prepare a warm porridge with fruit of your choice. Still can't get much down in the morning? Then just drink a healthy smoothie.
There are countless ways you can go about your morning routine, but at least as many mistakes that can creep in. We've rounded up the 3 most common ones for you.
"Today, but today only, I will allow myself an extra half hour of sleep." Once you do that, you cross a threshold. Once you make an exception, you're happy to make it again. So don't even let it get that far.
Resist temptation until your new routine is established as a habit. Once you've reached that point, it's easier to stick with it. Consistency is paramount
Your morning routine should give you a relaxed start to the day. But that only works if you take enough time for it.
Think ahead about how long each point of your routine will take, and plan a few minutes too many rather than too few. If you rush and try to do everything at once, you'll ruin the positive aspects of your morning routine.
Organize your thoughts and find your focus - that's what the morning routine is supposed to help you with. So don't make it unnecessarily difficult for yourself by bringing potential distractions into play. The smartphone is out of reach, the TV is turned off and the radio plays quiet music at most, which gently accompanies your routine.
You won't set up the perfect morning routine from the start. Only in practice will it become clear which points work for you and where adjustments are needed. But leave it at these small adjustments and don't throw the whole routine over every day.
It should become a habit that you don't have to think about for long. If you keep changing it, you're going to bring more and more turmoil into it. You're not doing yourself any favors.
All beginnings are difficult. changes cost a lot of effort - some more, others less. But how do you avoid falling back into the same rut after just a few days? One thing above all is important: enough sleep! Even the best morning routine won't get you anywhere if you haven't slept enough.
Lack of sleep clearly has a negative impact on your concentration, memory and reaction time, just to name a few. Under these conditions, even the morning routine can't give you a productive day. So make sure you go to bed early enough to get at least 7 hours of sleep. Then it will be much easier for you to stick to your morning routine.
Even if at the beginning the motivation is just bubbling up inside you to change your morning - don't overdo it right away. Your morning routine must remain feasible in the long run, once the initial euphoria has subsided. Stick to a few points at first and add more step by step if you like. It's not how extensive your morning routine is, it's how good it is.
You've now learned an incredible amount about the benefits of the morning routine and gained some insight into how you can create it. But what exactly does the perfect routine look like in your case?
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