I’ve banged on about the importance of a morning routine before. And I’ve shared my own routine. I’m not alone when it comes to religiously sticking to a morning schedule. The creatives and entrepreneurs I’ve interviewed across the globe over the years all have one. And stick to it.
Likewise on website Mymorningroutine.com. Intrigued by morning routines and how living by them leads to success, these guys have interviewed 161 professionals about their morning rituals. Looking through the stats on their site, and the people I’ve spoken with, the same three things rate highest:
- 50% of interviewees drink water
- 78% exercise
- 69% meditate
Drinking water
The average waking time of all interviewees is 6:38 am. And about half of them have a glass of water as their first drink.
I do the same.
I drink about 1-2 litres of warm water with fresh lemon juice. Sometimes with a dash of apple cider vinegar. Why? Drinking water on waking helps detox the liver and boosts your metabolism, making it easier for your body to digest your breakfast.
Exercising
They say if there’s one thing successful people have in common, it’s their morning exercise. Barack Obama, Winston Churchill, Anna Wintour, Steve Jobs… the list of successful people getting a move on before breakfast is way long.
I’m also a fan of morning exercise.
And for me it’s the every day bit that counts. I’ll commit to some form of exercise for at least 20 minutes. Even on thyroidy days, when I haven’t had much sleep. And I listen to what my body needs. Often a 20 minute walk or stretch at the beach is enough. I’ve shared the types of exercise I do, if you want to know more.
Meditating
About two-thirds of all interviewees said that meditation is part of their morning ritual. Entrepreneur and former food photographer Aiste Gazdar explains:
“I see it as ‘making your bed’ for the day – whatever external or internal struggles I might have, meditation is the opportunity to iron things out from the other side of conscious awareness.”
I relate.
I do 20 minutes of meditation every morning, usually after exercising because my body is more open. Sometimes at the beach. Facing the sun. After meditating I sit for another couple of minutes, to feel what the tone of my day will be. Doing so gives me the energy I need to tackle the day.
What are the most important elements of your morning routine?
