Have you ever heard of the saying, “What you do in the morning sets your tone for the day?” Well, this is in fact true. What you do in the mornings determines how productive, happy and joyful you will be throughout the day. It is important to establish a solid morning routine because having the ability to control what you do in your mornings makes you feel empowered.  

Perhaps you are trying to revamp your morning routine but don’t know where to start. Well, fear not, here are 5 tips on how to create a productive and effective morning routine to ensure that you feel your best as the day progresses.  

To create a productive morning routine, you need to prepare the night before. Starting your morning routine the night before will help make your mornings feel less chaotic. For example, if you are the type of person that spends 30 minutes trying to produce an outfit to wear, try setting out clothes the night before. In this way, not only are you saving time, but you are now giving yourself more time to do other tasks at hand. The trivial things that take up a lot of time in the morning such as: making lunch, packing your bag, writing out a to-do list, etc.; you can prepare these tasks the night before, so you are not frantic in the morning trying to find your notebook or your laptop charger because you didn’t pack your bag so you’re late to class. Make sure to prepare the night before for an effective morning routine. 

Now it is time to officially begin your day. You have awoken and you look to your side, and you see your phone lying there, and as tempting as it might be to grab your phone and scroll, don’t do it. Starting your day by mindlessly scrolling will prevent you from performing more productive tasks. Instead of grabbing your phone, make your way out of your bed and do five minutes of stretches. By stretching first thing in the morning, it allows your body to relieve any tension or aches in your joints and muscles.  

You stretched and now your body is relaxed – now is the perfect time to get a tall glass of lemon water. During the night, our body gets very dehydrated and drinking lemon water will wake you up immediately. There are so many benefits to lemons – they are filled with antioxidants and vitamin C, so it is good to start your first drink of the day by staying hydrated.  

The best way to continue this productive morning routine is by setting your intentions for the day. Grab a journal notebook and start by writing down the things you want to accomplish for the day. You can also just word vomit on a page since writing down your thoughts, stresses and ideas is a way of resetting your brain and noticing the things that bother you and you want to change.  

The last, but most major, step of your morning routine is finishing it off with a nutritious breakfast. It is true that you are what you eat, so you want to make sure that you are eating things that are going to benefit you and give you the energy that you need for the day. There is nothing wrong with just grabbing a breakfast bar or a cup of coffee before heading out the door because it is convenient. However, what you need to realize is that those things are not going to keep you energized throughout the day, you might end up feeling slumped. Therefore, make sure that you are eating a good breakfast that has protein and fiber such as toast and eggs, oatmeal, a smoothie, avocado toast, etc.  

It might seem like morning routines are your biggest enemy, but after you implement the things that work for you, you will start to see them differently and you might even begin to enjoy mornings.