The past two years have been challenging for me in some unexpected ways and I think a big part of that was my lack of an updated morning routine. As an introvert, I did not mind working from home, as someone with social anxiety, going to fewer get-togethers wasn’t the worst thing that could happen.
But I found myself with what I felt was less agency in my life. I was stuck in one place where I ate, worked out, slept, and worked. Here are the habits that made up my morning routine that I still stick to, 14+ months later.
Hydrate Immediately
If you’re a bit of a self-improvement fanatic like myself, you’ve seen this tip everywhere. There’s a reason why. The body loses a significant amount of water through the skin and from respiration (also known as insensible water loss) during sleep, the amount varying if you breathe primarily through your nose or mouth.
The first thing I do when I wake up is drink as much water as I need until I am satiated. That’s it, no fancy lemon, it’s not hot water (I prefer room temperature). Doing this restores my body with the moisture it lost during the night and gives me an instant refresh. I did this every day for 30 days when it was a new habit, then 60, and then it just became natural to me.
Meditate My Way
I have a mind that both wanders and races which has made creating a meditation practice a challenge. So I started small: five-minute meditations on my Peloton app and my 5 Minute Journal in the morning and at night.
These gave me manageable moments to quiet my mind, find gratitude at the beginning and end of my day, and ultimately have more energy, creativity, and success in my life.
Move Intuitively
I tend to go overboard when it comes to new habits and routines — if I’m “being healthy” I cut out all unhealthy bits and end up feeling deprived. So I knew if I was going to be consistent in moving my body, I needed to make it easy and enjoyable.
So I paired it with something I enjoyed at the time, Real Housewives. I purchased a TFD Tray bike desk so I can ride my bike while watching television. I told myself if I’m going to watch a television show (~45 minutes), I would do so while moving my body. And it worked, all year round. I didn’t feel like I was overdoing it, and I ended up working out more than I had in years!
I’ve since altered this practice slightly as I no longer find joy in those shows, but I still use that time wisely and enjoy it consistently.
Carve Out Creative Me Time
Many of the books I read from industry titans emphasize the power in the early hours of the day. In fact, I am currently reading The 5 am Club! The way I positioned rising early, was to carve out time to pour into me before I poured into my job and coworkers.
How can I work a little each morning to take care of myself, further my personal success, and pursue my interests so that when I logged into work, I was fulfilled and not resentful that I was there versus doing something else?
I chose a goal wake-up time and was consistent for a month, programming my coffee to already be brewing when my alarm went off. After a month of consistency, I would wake up five minutes earlier for the next thirty days. Then another five and so on. It worked!
I got more done than I could have ever imagined. All of my personal projects received time and care. I suddenly had extra time to plot out my daily tasks, weekly goals, and annual plan.
I Found a Way Out of My Comfort Zone
Each year I create a goal to take me outside of what is comfortable and familiar and it always involves doing something that scares me. Last year it was joining Toastmasters to work on my public speaking in preparation for a television segment. Each week I improvised a miniature speech in front of others who encouraged me, provided feedback, and helped me grow immensely as a speaker.
It was scary but it seemed to come at the exact right time as I suddenly had speaking opportunities for conferences, taught a module for an online academy, and even spoke to students at Tisch and NYU on influencer marketing.
If we aren’t pushing ourselves are we truly growing?
I’m still shocked that I was able to maintain this morning routine for so long. In the beginning, I created a habit tracker in Notion in order to remember each step (there were about ten other more banal habits I did not share here) but I found now in 2022, they all just come naturally without the need of a list.
I am so excited for all that is to come in 2022, it already looks a great deal different from last year, and I cannot wait to share what I have planned, my personal and professional goals, and how I’ve planned to take myself out of my comfort zone yet again.
What have been some of the most helpful habits in your morning routine? How did you remain consistent?
