It is morning, you open your eyes and what is the first thing you do?  Run to the bathroom? Get caught up on social media?  Grab a cup of coffee?  Do you do the same thing every morning?  Are you consistent with your routine?  There are benefits of the morning routine.

Reasons for Morning Routine

• Get control of the day- mornings set the stage.  Take control by developing a positive, healthy routine.
• Develop consistency-life can be unpredictable and take left turns at any juncture.  Having a consistent morning helps to provide the steadiness for the day.
• Select positive actions-there are so many choices to make when thinking of what to do first thing in the morning. Select productive ones to start the day off on the right foot.

5 Morning Activities

Some activities to consider adding to a morning routine:

• Hydration-drink water first thing in the morning to rehydrate the body.  Continue to consume water throughout the day.
• Positive affirmations-be prepared to counteract any negative self-talk with positive sayings and personal growth sayings.  Be proactive and write down positive thoughts and stick them where you will see them first thing in the morning. (On your mirror or next to your morning water glass)
• Gratitude-look for the gifts and opportunities in the day.  Instead of focusing on challenges, concentrate on the lessons or gifts wrapped inside the detours. Focus on small wins, one negative event does not have to ruin the entire day.
• Plan the day- think about what you want to accomplish.  One option is to plan 2-3 goals or activities to achieve.  Or, for more details, plan the day out by hour blocks of time.
• Move-get body systems functioning.  Engage in some amount of physical activity. Enjoy sunshine and daylight at the same time.

Whether you are a morning person or night owl, what you do when you first wake up sets the tone for the rest of the day.  Remember, there are many benefits of the morning routine.