My morning routine for maximum health, happiness and productivity
Everyone has a morning ritual or routine, but not every routine serves you and your goals.
I have had various routines over the years and have just recently started to pay more attention to it and to design it to serve me, even more, to help me make progress to better health happiness and productivity.
A routine is just a sequence of actions regularly followed. It’s a system for you to follow every day to help you reach your goals. It’s activities and habits that you structure for maximum benefit to your health, happiness and your productivity.
My routine is structured to help me make less decision when I’m just getting up, still tired and when my brain is just not quite functioning yet. The structure doesn’t mean I don’t modify it. I’m always changing it up to ensure that my routine is relevant to where I’m at with my life and what I’m trying to accomplish.
Before developing my morning routine, I did some research to learn what other successful people’s morning routines looked like to help learn from those already doing this well.
Here is my morning routine
5:30 AM – I am usually up at 5:30 and just can’t sleep anymore. Sometimes I sleep in but very rare that I sleep past 7 am. The first thing I do is I splash my face with cold water, look in the mirror, smile at myself and say “Good morning, today is going to be a great day!”.
5:35 AM – I do my business and read my daily commitments and reminders of who I am and want to become. Below is my working list that I add and modify as I get a better understanding of myself and my future self. These help me set the tone for the day and remind me of my identity of who I strive to be every day.
- I am mindful
- I am authentic with myself and others
- I am consistent in my life dealings
- I am fit, strong, and a great example of health
- I eat healthy every day
- I maintain healthy thoughts
- I am a water addict
- I am a runner
- I am a great dad
- I am a great friend
- I am a great co-parent
- I am a great listener
- I am humble
- I am a fast learner
- I am a fast reader
- I am open to any constructive criticism
- I am able to admit when I’m wrong fast
- I stand up for myself and my loved ones
- I love to help people whenever I can
- I take care of my hands, feet, and nails
- I take pride in my appearance
- I have a great memory
- I welcome the unknown
- I write Thank You notes
- I maximize each and every day
- I think easy is boring
- I believe experience is more important than consuming
- I surrender and eliminate time wasters
- I share in and celebrate others successes
- I think and execute on the long game, not the short term
- I don’t take shortcuts
- I find ways to grow when I’m at my weakest
- I have a calm demeanor
- I find the positive in any situation
- I am full of unlimited potential
5:40 AM – We all wake up dehydrated so I drink a tall glass of filtered mineralized alkaline water. Hydration is critical first thing in the morning. I then workout for 30 minutes either doing a workout video like T25 or going for a run. Something to get a good sweat on to wake up the body.
6:10 AM – Post-workout cooldown and another big glass of water. Once I cool down a bit, I jump into the shower for 5-10 minutes.
6:20 AM – Start getting ready for the day, shave, brush teeth, do hair and get dressed for the day.
6:30 AM – I make myself a Vega shake with some vitamins and supplements like Glutamine and B12. Recently I’ve been doing intermittent fasting(usually a 14-16 hour fast from my last meal), so I will save the Vega shake for lunchtime as I won’t typically eat until around 11 or 12. Intermittent fasting has fat loss benefits and other health benefits that I detail in my first intermittent fasting experience in this post here.
6:45 AM – I listen to something inspirational or educational on my smartphone.
7:30 AM – In order to set my mind in a positive place before I get to work, I ask myself these questions;
- What am I happy about today?
- What am I grateful for in my life?
- What am I most looking forward to today?
7:35 AM – I start working on projects. This varies depending on the work priority of the day. I could be at home or at a client site. I use Kanban boards to manage my work so I log in and review what is in progress, plan my day and get to work.
This is my current morning routine. It’s not always exactly the same but this is the guide I use to build healthy, happy and productive habits.
Creating a morning routine that serves you
So what’s your morning routine? Is it working for you? Does it make your day better?
Your morning routine has to suit your lifestyle and your goals. It can be 5 minutes or 40 minutes depending on what you choose.
At the end of it all, your morning routine needs to be serving you and your goals. It should empower you and set your day in a positive direction.
If you’re not starting the day happy and ready to take on the world, then it’s time for you to make some changes.