The key to a successful day begins with a successful morning routine. How should you set up your morning routine though? What should you include in your morning routine? Here at Manzanilla Sophia, we understand the importance of a productive routine to start the day off on the right foot, so we put together 15 easy steps to implement into your daily morning routine to conquer each day.
Maintain a fixed bedtime and waking time
Keeping a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends, maintains the timing of the body’s internal clock and can help you fall asleep and wake up easier. Even if real life stands in the way of achieving the perfect sleep routine, making just a few small changes can improve your sleep dramatically. Not only will this set you up for a better day ahead, but it can also provide more restful sleep at night.
Avoid the snooze button
When your alarm goes off in the morning, you’re usually nearing the end of your last REM cycle. Wake up and get yourself out of bed, and the REM cycle ends. Hit the snooze button and go back to sleep, though, and you throw yourself right back into the REM cycle. When your alarm goes off a second time, it wakes you up in the middle of REM instead of at the end of REM. As a result, you end up feeling foggy and disoriented. Not exactly the best way to start your day.
Make your bed
A task as simple as making your bed seems minute, but it is a proven tried and true tactic to increase your productivity. Here are a couple of other benefits you can reap by making your bed. It starts your day off right, encourages you to keep the rest of your room tidy, lowers your stress, and improves your mood, and overall it just looks and feels better.
Avoid your phone
Listen, we know it’s hard, but this is one of the most crucial parts of your morning routine. By checking your phone immediately after waking up, you increase your stress and anxiety, your time and attention get hijacked, and you prime your brain for distraction for the rest of the day. When you start your day by mindlessly scrolling through email or social media, your brain will stimulate you to repeat this behavior throughout the day, as it knows it will quickly and easily feel good.
Drink a full glass of water
Did you know that by drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning you can actually tremendously boost your health? By doing so you can increase skin radiance for a flawless complexion, lose weight, improve your metabolism, increase shine and hair texture, relieve heartburn and ingestion, inhibit kidney stones and bladder infections, and strengthen your immune system. All just by drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning.
Brush your teeth and wash your face
It seems obvious, but brushing first thing in the morning fights those bacteria and coats your enamel with a protective barrier that will help protect against acids in your morning meal. Another benefit of brushing before breakfast is that it can give your saliva production a boost. Don’t forget to wash your face as well! Believe it or not, your skin can accumulate environmental debris in your sleep, so it’s necessary to wash them off in the morning. Dead skin cells and allergens may collect on your pillowcase and be transferred to the facial skin throughout the night. Cleanse your face and start the day off right. You can also wake your eyes up with Manzanilla Sophia eye drops! Our Chamomile-infused eye drops have relaxing properties to soothe your eyes to start your day relaxed.
Take a cold shower
Cold showers sound crazy but hear us out. A cold shower in the morning does more than wake you up and improve circulation. The cold and warm stimuli constrict and dilate your blood vessels, strengthening your immune system. Studies have also shown that cold water reduces sore muscles and supports recovery after sports. All you have to do is turn that shower knob in the morning.
Give yourself enough time to get to work
Why would you start your day off in a frantic rush? Set the mood for the day by giving yourself plenty of time to commute to work and time to prepare for the day at work. It allows you to mitigate stress and anxiety, starting your day relaxed and confident.
With these steps, you’ll be able to tackle the day rested, prepared, mentally healthy, and productively. Now that you have your morning routine planned. Check out our blog on setting up a successful nighttime routine!
