mdolla: Can't Keep Up With Your Morning Routine? 6 Ways to Make It Stick Again

You just sometimes wish you are more organized in the morning and more productive so that you could start your day relaxed, instead of running around and trying to squeeze everything into one hour before you hit the road and go to work. We do want to change our habits, and we do make plans, but oftentimes, it is so difficult to stick to the routine, especially in the morning, and after a week or two, you go back to your old habits.

So, why does it feel like a torture to have a routine and stick to it?

Why It’s Hard to Stick to Your Morning Routine

You get tired of doing the same things every morning: When you make plans what to do every morning, you get excited. But, after a while, you get really bored, and it starts to feel tiring and you no longer find pleasure in doing those things, you begin to see it as just another obligation.
You need to leave for work really early: Your work starts too early, and you get up at the crack of dawn, so it’s feels rather impossible to do everything you plan in the morning. You want to do so many things, but there is so little time.
You are not the morning type: You don’t like mornings, and you are not enthusiastic about doing any kind of activity that is not necessary before heading out to work. You just want to brush your teeth, have a shower, maybe have breakfast, if necessary, get it over with, and leave the house.
You are not organized: You really have good intentions, but are just all over the place, and don’t know where to start. Eventually, you end up not doing anything you planned.

Negative Emotions May Stay With You for a Whole Day When You Can’t Follow Your Morning Routine

But, why is it important to have a morning routine in the first place? If you start your day in chaos, running around, rushing to get everything done, you will feel nervous. And if you feel nervous in the morning, that negative feeling will stay with you throughout the day. It’s better to start your mornings with positive energy, well rested and productive. If you want to feel great in the morning, you need to have a pre-planned routine you will stick to. Luckily, we have a few tips for you how to overcome the obstacles when trying to stick to your routine.

6 Ways to Make Your Morning Routine Stick Again

Pick the right activities to do before bed: If you wish to get a good night sleep, no phones, tablets, computers, or TV before bedtime. You may want to try some relaxing activities, such as reading, meditating or listening to some relaxing music. Once you start going to bed earlier, it will be easier to get up earlier as well.
Take small steps to wake up earlier: If you still have the urge to smash your alarm clock in the morning, try to gradually change the time when you wake up, so don’t go from 7 am to 6 am in one day. Fist, set your alarm 5 or 10 minutes earlier than usual, than work your way to the desired time day by day. This way, it won’t be such a big change and you will have time to get use to it.
Less is more: You may want to cram all your favorite activities in the morning. But, ask yourself, will you feel overwhelmed by doing this? You need to choose the one that put you in the good mood and give you energy for the day ahead. If you love to exercise, find a short 15-minute exercise program to do in the morning. And that’s all. Nothing more.
Speed up rituals like fixing your hair or doing make-up: Find tutorials with quick styling tips and start saving time. Prepare everything you are going to wear and everything you need to bring to work the night before, as it will save you a lot of time and make it possible to do things in the morning you really enjoy.
Get prepared at night so you won’t panic in the morning: Prepare a list in the evening and write down everything you need to do, in the order you will do it, and try to predict how much time you will need for every activity. After a while, you will know exactly how long does it take for you to do your make-up or to get dressed, and you won’t need the list anymore.
Alternate your morning routines so you won’t feel bored: If you get tired of doing the same activity in the morning, try to add new ones from time to time and you will feel excited again. If you like to read in the morning, and, for example, you always sit at the table while doing that, try changing your location form time to time. Sit outside in the sunlight, or go to another room and your brain will be more stimulated when you change your environment.

Yet, there are some people who just don’t feel like doing anything in the morning. If you are one of those people, find an activity you really enjoy doing, and do it every morning. You will feel much happier and eager to get up, as you know you will be doing something you really love.

Featured photo credit: https://pixabay.com/ via pixabay.com

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