The Keys to Refreshing your Morning Routine  

During this unprecedented moment, our routines have been disrupted like never before. The morning rush to get up and out the door to work has been replaced, for most of us, by a leisurely walk to the kitchen. There, we brew coffee or tea, or maybe pour a glass of juice, and contemplate the day ahead. Good thing you’re already in your work clothes. 

But the extra time at home provided by this not-so-normal moment presents us with an opportunity to invite new rituals into our lives. We can paint that room in the house that needs some freshening. Catch up on those books sitting on the bedside table. And help ourselves greatly by tailoring some simple, personal routines that can have a tremendous effect on our physical and mental wellbeing. 

One of those routines is how you begin each day. 

The morning can be a time when we’re at our most sluggish. Often, we’re jolted awake by the unwelcome sound of the alarm and yank ourselves out of bed begrudgingly. At that moment, we’d do anything for a few extra minutes — or hours — of sleep. We’ll stumble into the bathroom, relying on a warm shower to invigorate us just long enough to reach that precious first dose of caffeine.  

Without the morning pressure of sprinting out of the house to work, we have the chance to truly enjoy our mornings. To move at a relaxed, yet purposeful pace. And to use the initial few hours of the day to set the stage for many productive, successful hours to come. 

Routines are what settle us during unfamiliar, stressful and unconventional moments. And none is more fundamental than the start of your day.  

Feeling refreshed and energized each morning can change everything — from how efficiently we do our work, to how well we communicate and interact with others, to how engaged we are in accomplishing daily tasks. 

Waking up works in tandem with a solid bedtime ritual. If that routine is soundly in place, you’ll get a better night’s sleep. Here are some ways to create the right conditions for signaling your body that it’s time for a new day: 

1. The key to doing that is to flood your space with as much light as possible. Doing so will send a signal to your body’s circadian rhythms that the day has begun. Think of light as nature’s alarm clock — and it works much better than a jarring alarm sound. 
   
2. If you have to set an alarm, it might be better to experiment with using a natural sound, like birds chirping, to help ease out of sleep rather than be jolted by a buzzing alarm. 
3. You can use your sense of smell to help you awaken. Rosemary, peppermint and lemon are scents that invigorate the body. These scents can be introduced in the form of hot water with lemon or by using essential oils in a diffuser or during a morning shower. 
4. We may gravitate toward a caffeinated beverage to start the day, but it’s best to consume caffeine only after we have begun to rehydrate. It’s important to stay hydrated throughout the day, but never more so than in the morning.  So start the day with water, then caffeine — especially if you exercise soon after rising, which is an excellent way to get moving in the morning.  
5. Lastly, don’t be afraid to make mornings fun. Teach yourself how to make outstanding scrambled eggs for breakfast as a treat. Craft a morning playlist with some favorite songs and have a little dance party in your room when you get out of bed. 

However you do it, use the little extra time you have right now to make your mornings something special to look forward to each day.