5 Morning Habits to Increase Success

By Karen Rae, Founder of Balanced Life by Karen Rae® and Creator of The Signature Balanced Life Planner®

As I’m sure you’ve heard many times, morning routines are crucial and can make or break your whole day/week. Many of us start our mornings by waking up to an alarming sound (alarm clock), checking our phones first thing, scrolling through emails, quickly throwing on clothes, getting ready for work, grabbing a cup of coffee and heading out the door. This routine is not one of a successful person, actually, that’s exactly what one shouldn’t do.

These 5 morning habits are ones that will bring you happiness, productivity, achieve greater focus, clarity, energy and overall a better morning!

Habit #1: Ditch the alarm clock

Get your sleep in order! Meaning, get 8 hours of sleep and make sure that you are going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. This will allow you to ditch your alarm clock. Just think about the definition of the word alarm, “a sudden fear or distressing suspense caused by an awareness of danger." Why begin each day with such a startling manner? This only creates a massive wave of stress hormones and adrenaline as our body prepares for danger. Now I don’t believe that’s the best way to start the day!

Habit #2: Hydrate before the coffee

Many of us look forward to our cup of joe in the morning but by starting off your morning with two big glasses of water it allows your body to hydrate and aids your digestion and metabolism. After all, sleeping for 8 hours and not consuming any water is a long time so it’s important for your organs and tissues to get water first thing in the morning. Water is an essential nutrient and it helps to give us energy! Try drinking a liter of water before your coffee next time.

Habit #3: Cut out any decision-making tasks

Start making your to-do list in the evenings or after your day of work. Write down 3 things that you need to get done the following day. This allows you to have some free time, makes your work day more efficient, and reduces any morning stress. and makes for less stress of thinking what it is you need to complete from the following day. Out of the 3 things, choose which is the most important, which is going to move your business or job ahead and bring you more success. Try this process and watch how it brings a greater work-life balance to your days.

Habit #4: Self-Reflection

Each morning look at yourself in the mirror and check in with yourself. We tend to go through life on autopilot and lose sight of our dreams and aspirations. We let go of our passions and goals and realize that we’re not living a fulfilled life. So in the mornings try to self-reflect and ask yourself am I happy doing what I’m doing today for the rest of my life? If the answer becomes “no” more often than “yes,” it may be time to change up your career. Stop doing things that don’t make you happy in this lifetime. It goes by quickly so make sure to do something that you enjoy!

Habit #5: Get active

Daily exercise is so important as we’ve heard time and time again. Even a 20-30 minute workout or walk can help reduce stress, aid in digestion, boost metabolism, and give you energy! Physical health and mental health are one in the same, they are connected. Working out and being physically strong helps with mental health a great deal. Try some yoga, crossfit, join a gym, go for a walk, just do it!

This is not to say that some mornings may not go as planned, your morning routine may fall off track here and there. When these things happen, don’t beat yourself up, just recommit to your morning routine, make adjustments if need be and try again. Perseverance is the secret to successful people's mornings. Yes, they too have bad days and so will you, but once you conquer perseverance you will conquer much more.

Karen Rae is a lifestyle expert, personal development coach, and Mompreneur based out of St. Petersburg, FL. She’s been featured in Authority Magazine, The Hollywood Times, ABC Live Action News, and on BLOOM, Tampa Bay’s only daily 1-hour TV show focusing on health & lifestyle.

If you’re interested (curious) about how COVID 19 led Karen to take her life back and start inspiring hope and change worldwide click here and sign up to receive Karen's FREE TIPS on how to have work-life balance, renew your faith, get and stay fit, improve your relationships, and MORE.

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