8 ways to improve your morning routine

By Kassadi H.

As high schoolers it can be very hard to wake up each morning and follow a specific, coordinated morning routine.  It can feel like a struggle to not want to sit in your bed and spend 5 more minutes sleeping or doom scrolling through different social media. I personally used to struggle with not wanting to get out of bed and spend a few more minutes in bed but, these are eight different ways to help you out of this struggle and improve your morning routine. 

8. Getting the right amount of sleep

It is extremely crucial to get at least 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Getting this amount of sleep can help you to feel very energized in the morning, it also helps to ensure that you wake up feeling refreshed, and it will ensure that you wake up feeling better than you did from the previous day. 

7. Setting up your outfit in the previous night

You want to lay out the outfit that you know you're going to want to wear. Finding the perfect outfit can help you feel more confident and it can also help you save a good bit of time. Most people can spend almost 45  minutes looking for a good outfit whether they are struggling to find a shirt that goes good with their jeans or the perfect pair of shoes. Getting this done ahead of time can help ensure that you are fully confident in what you are wearing and everything matches perfectly. 

6. Wake up and immediately drink a glass of water 

Waking up in the morning then immediately drinking a glass of water will help to not only get you hydrated but also get you up and moving. This also helps with you not immediately getting on your phone as soon as you wake up. Drinking water in the morning will help to rehydrate you, flush out all of your body's toxins, and help to aid your metabolism. 

5. Stretching out your body

Stretching your body in the morning will help to improve your mobility. This also helps your body to get up and moving along with the water. Stretching in the morning will improve your overall bone health and mobility. 

4. Prioritizing your tasks of the day

Each morning if you spend at least 5 minutes prioritizing your tasks it will help you build a schedule in your head to be better prepared for the day ahead. Building a schedule in your head will help you to stay on task throughout the day and help you to know what's going on after the activity you just finished whether you're talking about school or work. 

3. Eating a good breakfast

Eating a good breakfast will help to improve your overall energy levels and it will help with your metabolism. Eating breakfast is important because it'll help give your body enough carbohydrates to energize you in the morning if you didn't get enough sleep throughout the previous night. Boosting your metabolism is also good to help your gut health as a whole. 

2. Making your bed 

Making your bed can help you to feel as though you have accomplished something good for the day. A task as simple as making your bed can declutter your mind and space; this is good for your overall mental health. Coming home to a clean bed can make you feel better after a long day. 

 1.Getting ready

Taking a shower, getting dressed, and taking care of your personal hygiene is extremely important. This will help you not only look good but also feel good. Feeling good about yourself is extremely good for your confidence and mental health. Walking into any  room while looking, smelling, and feeling good can boost your mood; and make you feel amazing about yourself. 

I took the time to ask Mrs. Jackson, a guidance counselor at Airport High School, if she knows any ways to improve your morning routine and she stated,  ¨ I would like to start waking up about 45 minutes to an hour earlier so that I can do some type of exercise. Whether it's walking or Zumba - I know it would make me feel good to start my day with some kind of movement.” This shows that starting your day off by getting your body up and moving can assist in your morning routine. 

A look online for info to supplement this post led me to an article by Team Asana (https://asana.com/resources/best-morning-routine) who states that you should say positive affirmations each morning. Asana writes, " Affirmations help combat limiting beliefs about yourself and support a confident mindset. When said in the morning, positive affirmations can motivate you to do your best and believe in yourself throughout the day.¨  This shows that if you state at least one positive thing about yourself each morning it can help improve your confidence and the entire course of your day by going into it with a strong, positive mindset. 

In conclusion, if you follow this whole list or maybe even a few things off the list you can majorly improve your morning routine. You can find your day moving by a lot smoother and much more peaceful by doing these simple things. Improving your daily morning routine can help with your mental health, confidence, and much more!