10 steps to creating a productive morning routine that will increase your happiness and productivity

To promote restful sleep, it's crucial to attempt to wake up and fall asleep at the same times every day.

Psychologists advise staying off your phone and avoiding pressing the snooze button as soon as you wake up.

You may have seen YouTube videos like "My very productive 5 a.m. morning routine" or "Why I get up at 4 a.m. every day and love it!" While some of them may sound extreme, creating a morning routine that you can stick to has advantages.

According to Erin Engle, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, establishing a daily routine that includes a regular wake-up time, a nutritious meal, and some exercise is a terrific place to start. According to Engle, starting the day with greater purpose may boost confidence and make the remainder of the day more productive.

Ready to enjoy those advantages? The following 10 actions will help you create the ideal morning routine:

1. Keep a regular bedtime and wake-up time

According to Engle, consistency is the foundation of every regimen. She advises establishing a regular sleep and wake-up schedule and following it as often as you can. This will not only help you have a better day, but it may also result in more sound sleep at night.

This is due to the fact that getting up and going to bed at the same time establishes your circadian rhythm, which results in higher-quality sleep.

2. Estimate the time you'll require.

Engle advises allowing yourself adequate time in the morning to do all of your tasks. She advises making plans based on your first engagement, such as your first meeting or the start time of your children's school, and getting up early enough to fit everything in. Depending on the number of chores involved in your morning routine, you may require anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes.

According to Engle, carefully doing each step of the routine may help decrease haste and reactivity and boost feelings of calm and satisfaction after finishing it.

3. Avoid hitting snooze.

"Snoozes are a day's false start. In the short term, using the snooze button could seem like a victory, but its long-term usefulness in getting rest is limited "infers Engle.

Engle advises reevaluating your expectations of what may be done by rising early if you often press the snooze button. You may need to modify your schedule if your body requires extra rest. The normal amount of sleep that adults need each night is seven to nine hours.

On the other side, Engle advises getting up and engaging in one or two activities that make you feel peaceful and content if you're pressing the snooze button because you're feeling stressed out about all the things you have to accomplish in the morning or attempting to escape the day ahead. You may get up and practice some meditation, go for a stroll in your neighborhood, or make yourself a tasty nutritious breakfast.

4. Leave your bed.

Although you may be tempted to spend some time scrolling through your phone in bed before getting out of bed, Engle advises doing the opposite.

"The first thing to do is get out of bed. Then, choose a task to which you can devote all of your concentration, whether it is prayer, affirmation, a physical stretch, or tooth brushing "infers Engle.

She claims that with regular practice, sticking to a set pattern may help you handle outside stress, improve your ability to handle difficulties, and be more present for the day ahead.

5. Put away your phone

Scrolling through social media or the news is a passive pastime that could reduce your morning's productivity.

"This sort of information may make it appealing to mindlessly read stuff, which may seem meaningful but is really a passive activity, if one engages with it before one is completely up or out of bed," warns Engle.

6. Make use of self-affirmation

Speaking or writing positive affirmations may boost self-esteem, combat negativity, and perhaps even improve your relationships in the long term.

Affirmations may be customized, or you can try some of these:

• I am intelligent, powerful, competent, and compassionate.
• I am privileged, deserving, and thankful.
• Today is going to be fantastic.

7. Sip on water.

A nutritionist with her own business, Eleana Kaidanian, RD, CPT, suggests beginning your day with water rather than tea or coffee. She advises having water close to your bed and drinking eight ounces of it as soon as you awaken. Water is necessary because it aids in the digestion of food, assimilation of nutrients, and elimination of waste materials.

8. Stretching or exercise

If weight reduction is a goal, exercising in the morning might help you control your sleep-wake cycle. Try doing a few stretches to warm up your muscles and joints for the day ahead if you don't have time for a full exercise.

9. Consume something shortly after waking up.

To speed up your metabolism, Kaidanian advises breaking your overnight fast and eating within an hour of waking up.

She claims that prolonging the condition of similar fasting might decrease your metabolism and damage the rest of your day.

A greater metabolic rate, in contrast, results in your body burning more calories during the course of the day and may also help you feel more energised.

Fitness expert Kaidanian advises eating something before exercising to assist fuel your body if you're going to be working out. She advises consuming a small apple or a half-banana along with some natural nut butter or a handful of almonds.

10. Select nutritious breakfast alternatives

"Whole meals, or foods that are in their original condition and have not been processed, with protein and fiber to fulfill and provide your body fuel for the day ahead, are the ideal alternatives when it comes to breaking your fast," adds Kaidanian. Kaidanian suggests oats, fruit and yogurt, and vegetable egg muffins as some nutritious alternatives.