{"id":1835,"date":"2019-11-27T23:15:05","date_gmt":"2019-11-28T03:15:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beingbobblog.com\/?p=1835"},"modified":"2020-01-18T11:22:56","modified_gmt":"2020-01-18T15:22:56","slug":"the-six-morning-routines-that-will-make-you-happier-healthier-and-more-productive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beingbobblog.com\/happy-holidays\/the-six-morning-routines-that-will-make-you-happier-healthier-and-more-productive\/","title":{"rendered":"Morning Routines Will Make You Happier, Healthier and More Productive"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Start your morning off right with these simple but effective routines.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\n \n Of all the different things you can try to improve your productivity, a morning routine is one of the most effective.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n There are a few reasons why morning routines are so useful. The \nfirst is obvious to anyone who has ever procrastinated, just getting \nstarted is often the hardest part. If you can start out with the right \nmomentum towards your goals, you\u2019ll avoid wrestling with yourself in the\n morning to get started.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n The second is that the morning, particularly before the workday \nofficially begins, is a quiet time with fewer social obligations. For \nmany of us, the rest of the day can present a chaotic, ever-changing \nblast of responsibilities, urgent errands and unexpected interruptions. \nThe morning, in contrast, is often the most consistent part of your day.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n Morning routines also set the tone for your upcoming day. Do you\n want your workday to begin quiet and contemplative? With vigorous \nexercise? Silent meditation? Creative and productive? Your morning habit\n can push you along a current which will carry throughout the morning \nand allow you to maximize whatever aspect of your personality you want \nto be most important.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n In this article, I\u2019d like to explore a few different morning \nroutines you can try. But first, let\u2019s talk about what comes before the \nmorning ritual: sleep.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Should You Wake Up? How Much Sleep Should You Get?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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When you talk about productivity, there seems to be two camps. Some argue in favor of waking up extremely early to maximize those early-morning hours. Others say getting enough sleep needs to be the priority<\/a>. If you can\u2019t go to bed by 8pm, you should wake up only after you\u2019ve gotten 7-8 hours of sleep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n I believe the scientific case is fairly clear: when it comes to productivity, getting enough sleep is essential.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lack of sleep causes enormous cognitive declines, it impacts your a<\/a>bility to form memories, and may even increase the risk of certain diseases<\/a> (including cancer). Research indicates that 7-8 hours per day is a nearly universal requirement, so those who claim to get by on four or six hours per night might be kidding themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Worse, the cognitive impairment of a lack of sleep can accumulate, even if you think it has leveled off. Any morning routine you develop needs to accommodate your sleeping rhythms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Lesson<\/strong>: Your morning routine should allow you enough sleep. Pick a time you can wake up consistently and also get 7-8 hours of sleep on a normal night. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Creating the Perfect Morning Routine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\n \n I\u2019ve experimented with a ton of different morning routines. \nWaking up super early, waking up without an alarm, exercise, learning, \nwork and many others.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n In all these different experiments, I\u2019ve found that there isn\u2019t one<\/em>\n perfect routine that will make you rich, ripped and happy overnight. \nInstead, there\u2019s different routines for different purposes, and so I \ntend to think about my routines as trying to match my most important \ngoals of that moment.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n If I\u2019m really focusing on health and fitness, starting with \nexercise or putting in the time to eat a healthy breakfast might go \nfirst. If I\u2019m working like crazy, getting straight to work on my most \nimportant tasks may be better than cluttering up my morning with \ndifferent tasks. Different goals, different routines.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n Therefore, instead of suggesting one routine, I want to suggest \nsix. These different routines have all served me during different parts \nof my life, and so you can see which feels like the best fit for you.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Six Key Morning Routines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Exercise and Energy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\n \n This routine is simple: right when you wake up you go and \nexercise. Before eating breakfast, checking your phone and emails or \nwatching some television\u00e2\u20ac\u201dgo out and move.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n I\u2019ve done this before with running, swimming and even just push-ups.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8The first benefit of this is that it puts fitness in that all-important\n first slot of the day. If you\u2019ve struggled with staying on a regular \nexercise schedule in the past, this can be a good way to make sure it is\n a priority.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n Second, this habit can wake you up. Exercise can keep you alert \nand mentally functioning at your prime, when a coffee may only be able \nto slightly prolong your later-day crash.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommended for:<\/strong> If you struggle with grogginess, you\u2019ve had a hard time fitting exercise into your schedule and if you want to make fitness your top priority. <\/p>

<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

2. Meditation and Stillness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\n \n Contrary to the first one, this starts with daily meditation. I\u2019ve done this before with 30-minute meditation periods.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n It\u2019s important to do seated meditation and not do so lying down \nin your bed, or you\u2019ll be likely to fall back asleep. I sit on the \nfloor, not a chair, which is not terribly uncomfortable, but also a \nposition that requires enough muscle tension that I\u2019m unlikely to fall \nasleep.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n I\u2019ve found this helpful because it tends to leave me calm and \nfocused. Useful if you expect to have stressful days ahead to start \nyourself off with a quiet mind.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n I also find that one of the challenges of grogginess is keeping \nyour eyes open. Meditation allows your mind to wake up without strain so\n by the time you hear the final gong you\u2019re fully awake.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommended for<\/strong>: If you want to be calm and less anxious in your day, if you\u2019ve wanted to make meditation a priority but haven\u2019t had time, as an alternative if you don\u2019t like exercise first thing in the morning. <\/p>

<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

3. Get to Work!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n \n The key to productivity is just doing the work. This routine \nunderscores this by making getting some work done your first priority, \nso that your first break is the chance to eat breakfast, shower, shave \nand do the normal routine you\u2019d do in the morning.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n I did this during the MIT Challenge. I even have old schedules I\n wrote on paper which had \u00e2\u20ac\u01536:55 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Wake Up,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u01537:00 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Start studying,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \nwritten on them. I\u2019d wake up, and in five minutes I\u2019d be doing practice \nquestions, listening to the next lecture or working on a programming \nassignment. Only after I did 30-60 minutes of this would I take a break \nto \u00e2\u20ac\u0153get ready\u00e2\u20ac\u009d to start my day.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n This works because it not only maximizes your time, it shifts \nyour productivity much earlier. You finish much earlier in the day and \ncan enjoy a less cluttered evening without guilt that you\u2019re slacking.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n The second benefit is that you get to take a break when you need it. Too many people take their break before<\/em> starting, so that when they have to work they can\u2019t take a pause for fear of not having enough time to finish.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommended for<\/strong>: If you have important goals and projects that take a lot of time. If you expect to be working a lot and you\u2019re worried you won\u2019t have time to do everything. <\/p>

<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

4. Learning First<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\n \n When I was planning my year-long trip to learn four different \nlanguages, the early morning was the only time my roommate (who went \nwith me on the trip) and I had to do some pre-travel practice. \n\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8Therefore, we woke up at 6am each day and did a half-hour of Pimsleur \nlessons before he got ready to go to work and I got up to start my day.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n In other times I\u2019ve done learning goals where I\u2019ve read books, \nwatched lectures, practiced skills or studied first thing. This is often\n useful for the same reason it\u2019s useful for meditation and exercise: it \nputs something you struggle to schedule first thing in your day, so you \nwon\u2019t forget it.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommended for<\/strong>: When you want to work on an important learning goal but never find time. <\/p>

<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

5. Plan Your Day<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\n \n Mental rehearsal is a key strategy elite athletes use to ensure \nperformance. By imagining each movement vividly, they can perform better\n under pressure when the big event comes.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n You can exploit a similar impact by planning out your day in the\n morning. Don\u2019t just jot down some to-do items, but actually imagine \nworking on them. What will be the complications? Where will you have \ngaps in your schedule that need filling? What will you need to focus on?\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n Doing this planning first thing in the morning can be a good way to prime your day for success.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommended for:<\/strong> If you have a hectic, busy schedule. If you want to focus your mind on work and productivity, but can\u2019t start working right away. <\/p>

<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

6. Make Your Bed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"tools-011.png\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\n \n Making your bed, brushing your teeth, showering, shaving, doing \nmakeup, pressing your clothes and more are all little tasks that can put\n you in good form for the rest of your day. Such morning routines were \npretty much expected a generation or two ago, but nowadays many people \nskip out on some of these steps as the culture has become looser.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An advantage of this more traditional routine is that in putting your house and appearance in order, you put your mind in order as well. As one admiral William H. McRaven put it, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made \u00e2\u20ac\u201d that you made \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n This approach can be taken on its own, or it can be synced up \nwith one of the other two\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsay fifteen minutes for some key preparation \nactivities followed by exercise, work or study.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommended for<\/strong>: Creating a sense of order and dignity in your day. Giving you a foundation of meticulousness and conscientiousness to approach your later tasks. <\/p>

<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Add an Evening Routine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\n \n Morning routines are great for managing the first part of your \nday, but they also depend crucially on an evening routine to complement \nthem. If you do decide to aim for an early rising schedule, you need an \nearly-to-sleep routine to match it. Similarly, if you plan to work or \nlearn first thing in the morning, you should plan out your day the night\n before so you know what to work on.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\/<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\n \n A good evening routine should minimize blue light (a good rule \nis to have no screens after 9pm), so that the melatonin circuit that \ncontrols your circadian rhythm can start to adjust for better sleep.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n I often like to plan out my day ahead of time and either read a \nbook or listen to an audiobook with the lights out for 20-30 minutes \nbefore sleeping to make it easier to doze off.\n \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matched to your goals a good routine is the foundation for success. It can help you become more productive, healthier and happier by tweaking at one of the most consistent and important points in the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article was originally published on March 12, 2019, by Scott Young, and is republished here with permission. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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