What is your mourning routine like? Do you hit the snooze a couple times and then jump up in a panic to rush though your routines? Or are you the type of person that allows yourself enough time to ease into your day? I suggest the latter as I have found that the way we start our day typically does have an impact on the tone of our day. If you start stressed, you’ll likely carry that stress. It’s like going for a run and going as hard as you can right from the start, you’re going to burn out early. Life is not a sprint, it’s a marathon, so why put your days in jeopardy from burn out by running a sprint from the moment your feet leave the bed and hit the floor. That rush in the morning can also snowball into other negative effects such as not leaving yourself enough time to eat, forgetting something that you need behind as you rush out the door, many of those things that eventually lead to even more stress and even anxiousness.

If you want to help set yourself up for success and to be productive, start with a positive morning. Here’s a few points to think about regarding the importance of your morning routine:

• You can start your day feeling energized and motivated by focusing on positive and healthy habits. Your morning sets the tone for your day.
• If you have a busy schedule or work from home structure and consistency is important. If you incorporate structure and consistency into your morning routine, you are more likely to carry standard of being structure and consistent into your day and other aspects of your life.
• If you can knock out important tasks in the morning, you can open up the possibility of being more productive in your day by freeing up some of your time, as well as freeing up some of your energy for activities you do later in the day.
• When you start your day more calm and relaxed routine, can help you approach the remainder of your day with a more relaxed and positive mindset.

So many people are missing out on the importance of a positive morning routine and the benefits that come from it. According to a survey conducted by YouGov, within 15 minutes of waking up, 48% of Americans, in particular, are checking their email and social media. This means that they are allowing themselves to become impact by work, other people’s lives and the world around them before they focus on themselves. Rather waking up and steering their morning towards self-care, mindset and other healthy habits, rather they are allowing themselves to be consumed by technology.

So you may ask, realistically, just how beneficial is a positive morning routine. To give you an idea, I’m going to share the results of a few studies I have read about regarding a positive morning routine.

1. According to a survey by The Sleep Judge, they concluded that 85% of what they consider successfully people, have implemented a positive morning routine into their life. It has proven to be beneficial to people in their careers and personal lives.
2. The American Psychological Association found that those who wake up earlier tend to be more proactive and goal-oriented. Waking up earlier can provide you extra time for planning and organizing.
3. A study published in the journal called Emotion, found that people who engage in gratitude practices, such as journaling what they are grateful for, experience high levels of well being and lower stress levels. Waking up and expressing your gratitude for another day can be beneficial.

As you can see, just from these 3 studies I have mentioned, a good morning routine can help set you up for a day full of productivity and success. In addition, it promotes a healthier, less stressful lifestyle. It’s great for helping you start your day feeling energized, motivated and focused.

Here are some ideas for helping you establish a more positive morning routine:

• Start your day with clear intentions and goals. Just simple things like going for a walk, meditating, praying, making your bed, or reading are some good ideas.
• Express your gratitude in the morning: Simply write our what you are grateful for. Reflect on the positives you have in your life can help catapult your positive mindset for your day.
• Take a few minutes to visualize. Just close your eyes for a few minutes and visualize your day ahead. What do you want to accomplish today?
• Even 5 minutes is better than no minutes, even though I suggest longer periods of exercise if you can incorporate it into your routine. This will help boost your energy, naturally, getting the juices flowing which can help you remain focused and motivated throughout your day.
• Get some sun, or good light right away. It’s been proven that natural or even artificial sunlight can help naturally help get you going for the day.
• First and foremost, get 8 ounces of water into your body as soon as possible after waking up. The majority of your body is made up of water, it’s fuel to your organs and your organs power your body.
• No, I don’t mean sleep through your morning routine I mean that having a consistent sleeping routine and making sure you are getting enough sleep is crucial to helping you wake up energized and ready to go.

Of course all my suggestions may or may not be a good fit for you specifically. There really are no specific rules you must follow. I say just look at the positive things that do work for you that you could be doing in the morning to improve your day and start doing them. It might be tough at first, but keep going and eventually you will start to see the positive results that come from having a positive and productive morning routine.

Like Lemony Snicket said, “Morning is an important time of day, because how you spend your morning can often tell you what kind of day you are going to have”. A great day starts with a great morning, just like the wise words of Tim Ferriss, “win the morning, win the day”.

My encouragement is to get disciplined about your mornings, get your start right so that you can have a nice, relaxed pace to your day. Get your heart and mind during the start of your day.