Are you more of a "Team Snooze" or are you sitting upright in bed as soon as your alarm goes off, ready to start the day full of energy? If you identify with the first scenario, you probably don't get the early bird catch... But that can change! A well-thought-out morning routine (and evening routine before going to bed) can work wonders! A morning routine helps you start the day the right way, so that you wake up well-rested and motivated to face the tasks and challenges of everyday life and feel fit.
The benefits of a morning routine:
You're not quite convinced yet and are almost ready to pull your cuddly soft muslin blanket over your head again? Stop! The benefits of a healthy morning routine might draw you to the side of the early risers:
- Better physical and mental health : When you focus your morning routine on physical and mental health, you will feel energized and mentally balanced throughout the day.
- Increased productivity: A morning routine can help you make your day more productive by focusing on the most important tasks and using your time effectively. Getting the most important tasks of the day done in the morning gives you a productivity boost and a clear conscience for the rest of the day!
- Less stress: If you get into the habit of having a regular morning routine, you can reduce stress because you follow set habits and routines that don't require you to think so much about your next steps.
- Stronger relationships : A morning routine can help you find more time for your family and friends and, especially if you have children, having a regular morning routine will help you avoid getting stressed.
- Time for positive habits: Be honest, when you come home from work in the evening, you rarely have the head to implement all the healthy self-care rituals that are recommended to us everywhere, right? So, in the morning, start a habit that you have wanted to establish for a long time (aka meditating, reading, writing a journal, etc.)
Building Your Perfect Morning Routine
Have we convinced you? Yes? Great! Then the question is, what is the best way to establish a morning routine? Here are our five tips on how to find your own individually designed morning routine:
A morning routine should be tailored to your individual needs and goals. Here are some tips on how to build a good morning routine:
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Define your goals: Before you plan your morning routine, you should think about what you want to achieve with your time in the morning. What is important to you - more exercise? Or do you want to take better care of your mental health and increase your productivity?
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Plan your morning routine: As soon as you have defined your goals, you should plan a fixed morning routine. Determine which activities you want to do, when and for how long. A little tip: You can also create 2-3 different versions of your morning routine, for example, write down an extensive routine and add a shorter routine to it. This is especially useful for days when you have less time or maybe don't feel quite so fit. This way you can fall back on your "alternative routine" on these days without completely falling back into old patterns (*mrm* snooze button...😴)
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Set a start time: When do you want to wake up and start your morning routine? A set start time can help you regulate your internal clock so that you wake up at the same time every day without any problems.
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Small Steps : When you start a new morning routine, take small steps and don't overwhelm yourself. Always start at your starting time, but add new activities to your routine little by little so that you have enough time to get used to the changes and don't overwhelm yourself.
Examples of activities during your routine:
Are you already sitting there motivated with pen and paper and still need a little inspiration for the right activities for your morning routine? Here are our favorites:
- Meditate: A short meditation or breathing exercise helps calm the mind and start the day relaxed.
- Sport: Get out of your warm muslin pajamas and into your sports clothes! How about a gentle yoga session or a short walk around the block?
- Create a to-do list: Helps you structure your day, keep track of things and complete the most important tasks first.
- Reading: Stimulate your brain and find new inspiration. Psst! This is actually a better option than checking social media first thing in the morning...😉
- Write a diary: If you still want to take it easy in the morning: snuggle up on the couch with one of our sofa blankets and write down everything that is going through your head, so you can sort out your thoughts and experience the upcoming events more presently.
- Listen to music: Listening to music for a few minutes in the morning can lift your mood and ensure a positive start to the day.
- Breakfast! A balanced breakfast helps to provide your body with important nutrients and boost your metabolism. Below you will find Daniela's, our Head of Marketing's, favorite recipe. Super delicious (who doesn't love it when breakfast tastes like dessert? 😛) and healthy.
Recipe: Tropical Smoothie Bowl
A healthy and nutrient-rich breakfast will give you strength for the day ahead. That's why we have the perfect recipe for a delicious and healthy smoothie bowl for you. If you close your eyes while eating, you can even mentally transport yourself to a tropical vacation spot, but be careful: don't fall asleep again and forget the rest of your morning routine because of the turquoise sea!
Ingredients (for two servings):
- a frozen banana
- a fresh banana
- 100 g mango, frozen
- 150 g pineapple, frozen
- a fresh mango
- 50 g oat flakes
- 200 g soy yogurt vanilla
- juice of one orange
- 1-2 dates
- Toppings: Granola, chia seeds, pomegranate seeds, fresh berries, coconut flakes, agave syrup
Preparation:
1. First, place the bananas, frozen mango, frozen pineapple, soy yogurt, dates and orange juice in a blender and blend.
2. Place about 25 g of oatmeal on the bottom of two bowls and spread the smoothie on top.
3. Decorate with fresh fruit and any toppings you like (e.g. granola, chia seeds and coconut flakes). Complete!
Have fun putting together your new morning routine! And don't lose your nerve if it's a bit difficult to keep track of so many new things in the morning. A habit usually takes about 21 days to establish. After that, you'll have completely forgotten that your alarm clock even has a snooze function! 😁
Author: Annika Seibel
