Morning Routines: Your guide to making your mornings THAT much better

I'm a little bit of a hypocrite right now, speaking to you about morning routines. The truth is, I absolutely hate waking up early. I couldn't even do it properly this morning.

I hate the thought of it. I hate putting on 5 different alarms so I can get up in time for work. I hate having to even think about how cold I'm going to be getting out of my warm, cozy little bed in the morning. It's just not fair. I love sleeping in- and I deserve a life where I can be as lazy as I want to be.

But unfortunately, I need to work to make a living and most jobs require me to be up and ready to go by 9am so...here I am, trying to make mornings suck a little less.

Truth be told, I'm not 100% consistent with trying to maintain a good morning routine. I'm a pretty flaky person when it comes to making the choice of sleeping in for five extra minutes of sleep (because, really, I deserve it) or getting up in time to make a good breakfast. But, I'm not dumb; see, the moments where I felt best in life, always seemed to coincide when I was taking care of myself the best that I possibly can.

And for most of those times, that was when I was holding myself accountable and trying to keep a healthy daily routine going on. So, yeah, my best mental health days were the ones that I forced myself to get up early. I sacrificed sleep and comfort, but so that I could have an easier and better start to my day rather than forcing myself to run around and get ready for a full day of work and obligations and socializing and not have any time to myself later on.

It's in those quiet hours I have to myself that I can properly prepare for my day, but also align myself with my emotions. I'm not rushed, I'm not stressed. I'm cold and tired and maybe hungry, but that's all dealt with over time.

Something I have to constantly remind myself is that setting up a morning routine really isn't an effort to look or feel perfect and get everything on my to-do list done. It's more to set me up for the day I want to have; it's more of giving me a little space of peace and happiness before I have to give my energy to work, friends, family and other obligations.

The few hours (or even just minutes) you have to yourself in the morning can really help set the pace for your day, and in my honest opinion, can help make or break the attitude you choose to move forward with during the day. So, here are my best tips for establishing a routine that works for you:

1. Stay away from your phone as much as you can. Once you get on your phone and start scrolling through texts, tweets, emails and Instagram...It's all over. There goes that half hour you could've used for yourself. Try your best to at least not grab your phone for the first part of your morning.

2. Try to leave a lot of the planning in the night, not in the morning. If you're like me and tend to have to run around quick in the morning, try planning out most of your day the night before- that means maybe setting aside your clothes for the next day, making a basic to-do list, maybe even showering the night before. That way, in the morning, you don't have to worry about actually setting a full plan for the day because you did most of the work before you went to bed.

3. You don't need to force yourself to eat a full breakfast or do a full workout in the morning if that's not for you- but try to do little things to make up for it. If you don't have the stomach for a full breakfast in the morning or don't have the energy to really workout hardcore, just do a smaller, easier version of that. Make sure to drink a bottle of water or have a protein-heavy smoothie to get some nutrients in for the day. Do a quick walk outside for some fresh air and energy, or do a quick yoga flow/stretch routine to get some movement in. The same thing can go for anything really- wish you could meditate but know you don't have the attention span for a full hour? Do a quick five minute guided meditation, or do a quick chant throughout the morning whenever you need to ground yourself. Doing something small but intentional is better than forcing yourself to stick to something you truly don't want to do.

4. Try to mix it up. Consistency is key, but sometimes doing the same thing every day can get a little old, so that's why I try to cycle out some stuff. Every other day, I'll do some light reading in the morning. On the days I don't read, I'll do a light meditation or do something to get my body moving a little bit. Being a little flexible with your routine can help you avoid the boring part of being accountable. When things get boring, it gets easy to ditch the routine- so avoid that by allowing some room for trying new things every so often.

I've included some of my favorite things to do early in the morning that have helped me get in a good mood for a long day ahead- of course, feel free to do what feels best and to try out a little bit of everything to see what sticks with you.

To better mornings, and better days!