Are you someone that loves the early morning? You ease out of bed and enjoy the early morning stillness and quiet time it provides. You enjoy that first cup of coffee or tea and happily sip it as start your meditation practice. Does this sound like you? If so - that is fantastic.
Perhaps not though. Do you instead find getting out of bed in the morning really tough? You hit snooze a few times and wait until the last minute to get out of bed, dressed and out the door. You check your phone first thing and then you roll into your day. Sound familiar?
We can honestly say we’ve been on both ends of the spectrum. At Bloom, we constantly strive to be morning people and prioritize “ME” time before starting our day. It’s made a huge difference on our productivity, happiness and energy levels throughout the day. This topic comes up a lot so we thought it would be fun to share our morning routine tips with you! Plus if you’re actively interviewing - being mindful of your energy levels can really help you land a job based on your ability to function well in interviews.
Studies have shown that the way you start your morning can largely dictate how the rest of your day will go. If you ask successful leaders what they credit their success to, many attribute their success to healthy habits which often include a morning routine.
Below are some tips we at Bloom Talent use to start our mornings off right - we encourage you to try!
Start with finding a sleep app. Before creating your morning routine it is important to understand who you are as a sleeper. How many hours a night do you need to feel fresh and awake each day? Each person is different. Some need 6 hours, while most need 7-9 hours. A sleep app can help you better understand your sleep cycle, best wake-up times and sleep patterns.
Pick a bed time & wake time. Make sure you are keeping in mind the number of hours you need to sleep in order to feel good the next day. Set a reminder when it’s time to go to bed. Stick to it. The goal is to build in one FULL HOUR in the morning before you go into work.
Be intentional about your alarm clock sound. This may sound silly but it can help ease you out of bed if you have a pleasant alarm sound vs. a jarring traditional alarm noise. It’s about getting off on the right foot.
Don’t look at your phone first thing. It’s super important to remember that the first thing you look at, read or acknowledge sets the tone for your thought process throughout the day. Reading emails, social media or the news immediately takes you out of “you time”. Why start the day with an anxious or angry thought if you don’t have to? Be super mindful of this. Instead try getting a glass of lemon water, breathing or simply looking out the window.
Meditate. Sitting quietly with yourself for even just 5 minutes can have a huge impact on your day. There is no right way to meditate. It simply means sitting quietly with your breath and allowing yourself a few minutes to just be without the noise of the world. It allows you to start your day on your own terms so that once you dive into work your day isn’t dictated by your reaction to external things.
Write. Write things down as they come to you. This could be your to-do list, what you’re grateful for or your goals but this is your time. This helps generate proactive thoughts. Think through what you’d like to achieve or how you would like to feel before thinking about what everyone else needs from you on this day.
Exercise. Get your blood flow moving in the morning. Even a 10 minute walk around the block is considered exercise. Exercise helps produce endorphins which make you feel happy to help produce creative thoughts. This is so beneficial to thinking through solutions throughout the day and generating new ideas. Exercising in the morning might not be realistic for everyone but creating some time to stretch can also create similar endorphins. Build in the time.
Eat breakfast. Eating a healthy breakfast starts your day off right. Starting your day with low blood sugar often leads to that “hangry” feeling which ultimately leads to anxious thoughts. No need for that! If you’re crunched on time, grab something easy and quick but don’t forget to eat. Perhaps preparing something the night before can help make eating more realistic. Avocado, fruit, yogurt & hard boiled eggs are all great quick options. We love our coffee + tea too!
Jump on email. Bang out a few high priority emails so that you feel ahead of the game before jumping full speed ahead into work. Start the day feeling ahead of responses.
Start your day!
It may seem obvious but if you try to build a routine like this into your day you will find you are starting your day on your own terms which ultimately leaves you feeling more productive, consistent, happy and energized! If you’re on the job market and interviewing - your energy is everything so make sure you’re setting yourself up for success.
We’d love to hear what your morning routine looks like or from you non-morning people if trying these tips were helpful and had a positive affect on your day after trying them. Please share with us!