Having a productive and generally a good day starts since the first time you open your eyes and how you treat yourself in the morning. For most people, they have difficulties in having a quality sleep which leads to waking up late and feeling exhausted. It is a never-ending circle, but believe it or not, we can cut the cycle and re-established a new and healthier sleep cycle. And that’s why it is essential to have a healthy morning routine.
What my morning used to be
When I was working 10 – 12 hours a day, I came home around 9 PM. After dinner and shower (generally around 11 PM) I was in my bed. Not to sleep, but to “catch up” with life. Time for checking on social media, web surfing, and sometimes to read a book. I was tired, but I would sacrifice my sleeping time to have what I would call it a “Me time.”
I usually would fall asleep around 1 AM, and I put three alarm clocks starting at 5.30 AM and ends at 6.30 AM. I woke up after snoozing the last alarm three times, so I ended up late for everything. I did my shower in a hurry, I skipped breakfast, I went into a taxi with wet hair and no makeup, and just felt so stressed and was not ready for the day ahead. That was my morning routine, and Boy, how I regretted it.
I woke up around 6.30 – 7.00 AM every morning, even when I am no longer work. As a homemaker, it is easy to go back to sleep and wake up whenever I want. But I don’t want to lose a good habit, so I force myself to go out of bed just like I did when I still have a job. That was the only positive thing I did in the morning.
The Book that Changed my life
One day, I came across a book that made a huge impact on my life. “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” by Robin Sharma. The book is not about a morning routine but one of the chapters talks about setting a goal to yourself and how to achieve it. Whether it is a big goal or small goals like starting the morning earlier than you would normally have.
Ps: This post contains an affiliate link in which I receive a small fee should you decided to buy the products from the link above. However, don’t let it stop you from getting lots of inspirations and motivations that this book brings. If you choose to buy from another channel, feel free to do so.
I was so impressed by this book, and I started to practice all of the exercises that the book suggests, one of them is waking up 1 hour earlier every morning.
What happened when you wake up at Five am?
The next morning, I started to wake up at 5 AM (2 hours earlier than I normally do). I created a list of activities that I want to get done in the morning, and I did it for 21 days. Because according to the book and also backed by scientific studies, that it takes 21 days to create a new habit.
I felt excited and thrilled during the first week of the routine. The second week was the hardest week since I moved to Singapore. Every morning I had to jump out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off. I almost lose my will to continue; I was so close to giving up. But I told myself, “just for today” every day of the second week. After that, I had no problem to wake up in the morning and continue the routine. The scientific study is accurate when it said that it takes around three weeks to create a new habit.
My Morning Routine
Wake up at 5 AM
I wake up at 5 AM because I would like to get everything done at 7 AM. Which is around the time when my husband wakes up in the morning.
Jogging, Grounding, and Visualization
Walk / Jog + Grounding + Visualization which I do around the park behind my apartment for about 60 minutes
We fell in love with our apartment because it was surrounded by parks and it was situated along a river with park connections that makes it a nice place to Jog and Run (for F) and a good place to walk a dog (for me).
As for grounding + visualization technique, I will address it in my meditation routine post.
Meditation
Meditate at least 15 minutes in the morning (but normally it takes at least 20 minutes for me) because I include praying after my meditation
If you want to read more about my meditation routine click here. I believe it is one of the keys to a happy and balanced life.
One Hour Yoga Practice
I think Yoga is the only sport-related activities that I like. I am not a sports girl, I dislike exercise, and I do it only because it is essential for physical and mental health. But in Yoga, I found not only sweat and sour muscles, but I also found challenges, a purpose, and peace as well.
Prepare breakfast and lunch pack for my husband
I do it as a small act of service to someone closest to me. When we were not married and were facing a difficult time, this small act made a significant impact on our relationship.
Have breakfast with my husband
A quality time, even though sometimes we just ate in silence. Enjoying the presence of each other although maybe for my husband it was because he was still waking up his brain 😊
Turmeric Water and Kombucha Tea
Before we eat or drink anything else, we take a glass of turmeric water with a lot of benefits including anti-inflammatory, prevents cancer, prevent heart disease, and relieve arthritis. Read more about the benefits of Turmeric Roots here.
F has to has his Coffee in the morning. I don’t have any habit related to food or beverages. However, I do develop a taste for Kombucha tea lately. Both Turmeric Water and Kombucha tea are best to consume on an empty stomach, so those are the two things I drink in the morning. Learn more about Kombucha Tea and its recipe here.
Journaling, include 5-minutes Journal.
I am trying to create a habit of journaling which has a lot of benefits according to science. Since I am just starting, I want to start simple. Luckily I found an article about the 5-minutes journal. It is a straightforward tool yet it can bring significant impact throughout your life. It puts your life in the right perspective. It reminds you to be grateful, to set your state of mind on the things that will make your day fabulous, and to prioritize the essentials on your to-do list. You can find out more about 5-minute journal here.
One of the things that you put in the journal is what I am grateful for? I normally put “I am grateful to wake up beside my husband” or “I am grateful that I, my husband and my family are safe, healthy, and happy.” It is a humbling task.
People will say that it is easy for me to sleep earlier to wake up earlier because I have no job nor kids to take care. It might be true, but it doesn’t mean people with a steady job and children can’t do it.
What you need to do is to ask yourself whether you want to have a better and healthier life? Are you willing to make an effort and sacrifice to achieve it or not? And YES, you can get a better life by merely waking up early.
I do have to sacrifice my evening hours to sleep earlier. I do sacrifice the warm, soft, and comfort of my bed to get up. To go for a jog when the world is still in slumber. I do it every day because I gain more than what I sacrifice.
The benefits of Waking up early
Speaking about the advantage of having a good morning routine for me:
- I have finished most of my to-do list at 7 AM. Imagine how much time I have to do the things I like or to work on my projects? A whole day!
- It is easier for me to fall asleep, and I get a good quality of sleep throughout the night.
- My body feels healthier, stronger, and energized all day.
- I have a stronger and structured mentality.
- I have fewer mood swings, stress, and anxiety (probably because of the meditation routine as well)
- In general, I am healthier and happier than I was before.
Here are some articles about the importance of a morning routine that I like :
- A post by Aaron Dowd
- How to make a good morning routine
Thank you for reading this post. As usual, I encourage you to tell me about your morning routine and why you love it. Or you can also tell me why you are not able to have a morning routine. Or if you have a question about my morning routine, please feel free to leave a comment.