My Daily Morning Routine for a Productive Day
There's two times during the day when I do my best to take a moment and pause from the crazy shuffle of work life and parenthood. I put time aside in the morning to set myself up for success by creating a game plan, and secondly at night to unwind and shake off any stress from the day. For myself the mark of a good day is a productive one, where I feel like I accomplished everything I had planned.
My Morning Routine
Walk the Dog
I strongly believe in the power of fresh air and moving your body to wake up your mind and body. My Black Labrador Holly is always ready for her morning walk, and it gives me a great opportunity to wake up naturally. I don't drink caffeine in the morning (but I do enjoy a cup of matcha during my 3pm slump), so the morning brisk cold air does the trick.
Nourishing My Body
The first thing I do when I return from my walk is drink a full glass of water to make sure I'm beginning my day hydrated. Secondly, I begin to prepare a whole foods healthy breakfast. I usually wake up hungry so I like to eat within an hour of waking up. I believe that a nutritious breakfast sets the tone for the day and makes me more inclined to eat better throughout the day. An everyday breakfast meal could be avocado toast, eggs with vegetables sautΓ©ed in olive oil or even nut butter wrapped in a sprouted seeds tortilla.
While eating my breakfast meal, I sip and savor a glass of R.W. Knudsen Organic Beet Juice which is made of 100% natural ingredients, has no sugar added and is certified USDA organic. At my local Sprouts market, they have an entire section dedicated to R.W. Knudsen juices and I've loved every flavor I've tried (especially the R.W. Knudsen Just Tart Cherry Juice!). These juices can also be added to your daily smoothie, the earthy flavors of the beet juice pairs well with fresh ginger and carrot.
Brain Dump
My full-time job is blogging and creating content, which is obviously my dream profession and I'm so lucky to be able to do it everyday. One of the side effects of loving what you do is I wake up full of ideas and things I want to get done. I have a tendency to overwhelm myself with thoughts and ambitions for the day, which can leave my head spinning.
In order to get these ideas out of my head, I put pen to paper and write down everything I'm thinking (which I refer to as a brain dump). Then I look at the list and organize it by importance and priorities. I try to put together a realistic "to-do" list for the day, and I make goals for what I want to achieve. Of course you need to remain flexible because things often pop-up unexpectedly that need to be addressed. But having this game plan written on paper is a great starting point.
As the day goes on, sometimes I get caught up in distractions or I get stuck on a task. In order to re-set my motivation and keep me moving forward towards my goals, I will refer back to my original morning list.
End of Week Recap
It's easy to get caught up in everyday routines, but it's important to take some time to reflect on the week. Look back on the past seven days and figure out what habits and actions are working well for you. Make a plan to remove obstacles that are hindering your growth.
Day of Rest
Make sure you have built-in time to rest and decompress in your week. In order for me to meet my daily goals, I need to have an uncluttered mind and a rested body. The time you spend away from the computer is just as important as the hours you put in working. Getting distance from your work will give you a perspective you don't have when you're too close to a project.
