We all know the importance of having a healthy morning routine. It sets the tone for the rest of the day and prepares you to take on whatever challenges may come your way.
Similarly, having a poor morning routine can negatively impact how you navigate challenges. It could potentially sabotage your chances of success since it gets tougher to break out of bad habits that have been in place for a long time.
If you want to embark on a healthier, more successful you – read on to find out what habits you should kick every morning.
1) Skipping breakfast
Starting off with the most common one – skipping breakfast. This can be due to many reasons, such as lacking time to prepare or wanting to lose weight. But whoever said breakfast is the most important meal of the day was correct.
Having a nutritious breakfast energizes your body. It helps you get the necessary vitamins and minerals and provides your brain with fuel to take on the challenges ahead of you.
On the other hand, regularly skipping breakfast can lead to other issues which include:
- Reduced metabolism, which can cause weight gain
- Affected cognitive function
- Migraines
- Reduced energy levels and alertness
If you want to embark on a morning routine that can change your life, it starts with having a nutritious breakfast.
But this doesn’t mean…
2) Drinking coffee immediately
Say it with me – coffee is not breakfast.
I’m super guilty of this. I have this negative habit of substituting coffee for breakfast. I end up drinking it on an empty stomach as well, which isn’t the smartest thing to do as I get stomach issues now and then.
This isn’t to say you should stop coffee entirely. But if you like beginning your day with caffeine, try to pair it with something nutritious and substantial.
In addition, try to avoid having too much sugar and creamer in your coffee as this could cause health problems in the long run. Being over-reliant on coffee can also increase your stress levels, give you ‘the shakes’, and even lead to anxiety.
Therefore, it’s important to take everything in moderation. This includes your daily cup of coffee.
3) Starting the day with negative self-talk
Every day is an opportunity for a fresh start. So why start it with negative self-talk or self-criticism?
Instead, try to be intentional in building up your self-confidence. Set your goals and intentions for the day and pen them down.
The first few times may be tough, but once you’ve eased into his habit, it becomes a lot more natural.
Don’t forget to start the day with gratitude as well. Listing down the things you’re thankful for can help put you in a more positive mindset.
4) Immediately checking your phone
I’m also guilty of doing this!
It’s instinctive – I wake up and the first thing I do is reach for my phone, scroll through social media, and spend a few more minutes in bed. During particularly busy periods at work, I tend to scroll through my emails as well.
However, this can actually increase your stress levels and reduce your mental energy. Immediately loading your mental capacity – especially when you begin the day right away with work – can cause burnout.
If your muscles need to warm up before you start a workout, so does your brain, before embarking on any task.
Instead, begin the day with a clear mind. Go about your morning routine while disconnected from social media or work, to allow yourself to ease into the day.
5) Rushing through mornings
There’s nothing worse than rushing through your morning when you’re late.
Once you’re out the door, you end up having a million things running through your mind. You may start wondering if you’d forgotten something but your mind is just too frazzled to process anything else.
Sure, there may be days when we miss our alarms and oversleep.
But it’s important to have some time for a healthy morning routine. This can include goal-setting, having a nutritious breakfast, and planning your day.
You’ll then be in the best frame of mind when you step out of your door.
6) Not setting goals or intentions
Ensuring that you’re prepared to seize the day involves setting goals and intentions. This can include items you want to tick off on your to-do list, tasks at work that you want to tackle first, and maybe plans with friends and family that you want to see through.
Then, it’s equally important to set out what you want to do for yourself. These can be really simple, but over time, they’ll result in personal growth. Some examples include:
- Today, I want to be more grateful.
- Today, I want to be present.
- Today, I will choose myself.
Whatever the intention you set, do it from a place of positivity and remove any limiting beliefs!
Then, throughout the day, be mindful of the choices that you make. Ensure as much as possible that these align with the intentions that you’ve set for yourself.
7) Pressing the ‘snooze’ button
As tempting as it seems – and I’m sure all of us have done this at some point –try to avoid this as much as possible.
Yes, I know this is a way for you to sneak in just a few more minutes of sleep, but did you know that doing this may make you a lot groggier?
Moreover, sometimes we enjoy the extra sleep so much that we end up sleeping in a lot longer than we planned to.
Instead, try waking up the moment your alarm goes off. If it helps, drink a glass of water. This helps refresh your senses and wakes your entire body up.
To get out of this really bad habit, I tried putting my phone at the furthest end of my room. So, when the alarm rings the next morning, I’m forced to get out of my bed and walk over to shut it off. Once I’m off my bed, I don’t want to get back again.
Conclusion
So there you have it, habits that you should avoid if you want to increase your chances of living a successful life.
While this doesn’t guarantee success, it’s certainly a start.
Create a morning routine that suits your lifestyle, encourages growth, and puts you in the best position to take on any challenges you may face throughout the day.
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