10 Morning Rituals That You Should Try This Year

Mornings are the worst, aren’t they? Seriously.

Coming from a true night owl, when my alarm clock obnoxiously goes off at the crack of dawn, I want to throw the covers over my head and just go dead to the world.

Actually, I have to be honest — when I say “crack of dawn” I may be over exaggerating. I actually get up at around 8am most mornings, but when you are up till 1 or 2 am that’s a big deal. Like I said, I am a night owl.

I have decided that since it’s a New Year — OH, HAPPY NEW YEAR BTW!!! (I should have started with that!) I am going to get a little bit better at being a morning person. Or, I am going to give it the old college try at least.

Here are 10 things that you can do to that might make a bit of a difference in your life. If you start the day off right, there’s no telling what you can accomplish.

1. NEVER hit the snooze

I know this is much easier said than done, but hitting snooze is the worst thing for you! Hitting snooze pretty much throws off your entire day. It continuously tricks your body into thinking it doesn’t need to wake up, thus making you feel sluggish — which is never fun. When your buzzer goes off, rub those sleepy eyes and hop to it. Trust me, your body will be grateful and you can start your day feeling a lot less sleepy.

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2. Start each day with a grateful heart

This one is very important to me and has been quite helpful. I like to start each day by saying some morning prayers. I like to thank the Lord for all He has given me and start my day by feeling grateful for all that I have.

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3. Do some light stretching

It doesn’t matter where you are — you can be still in bed or down on the floor on a yoga mat but get in the habit of doing some light stretching. This will help your body wake up and help you to feel energized and refreshed.

4. Always make your bed

I know, I know… I sound like your mother, but there is a reason she was always telling you to make your bed. Making your bed, first thing in the morning is a great way to boost productivity. Not only that, you start your day by accomplishing something worthwhile.

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5. Wash your face

There’s nothing more refreshing than splashing a bit of warm water on your face, so make sure you wash your face every morning. Even if you’ve washed it the night before, start each day with a fresh face.

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6. Enjoy a cup of hot water with lemon

There are so many benefits to drinking a cup of hot water with lemon so pretty much what I am saying is there is no reason NOT to do this. It’s downright refreshing and you’ll start your day with that added boost of vitamin C.

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7. Make time for breakfast

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it’s no lie. Make sure you budget in time in your morning routine for breakfast and I mean sit down and eat breakfast. Your body will be much happier and your morning will feel less hectic.

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8. Jot down any goals you have for the day

I am not talking about making a life goals list, I am talking about little things, like pick up milk and bread. That’s just an example, but it’s so easy to forget tasks that we need to do during the day and especially with a busy and hectic schedule. Writing goals and tasks down in a list will help you prioritize and stay on top of things.

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9. Unplug for the morning

Put your phone down and stay off social media for the morning. It’s so easy to get lost in the world of Instagram and Facebook, what with the endless scrolling and all. The last thing you need in the morning is added distraction, so unplug and save the scrolling for a break at work or when you have downtime throughout the day.

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10. Try something new and start small

If you’re not a morning person, this list may seem a little daunting. Let me tell you, though — there is no time like the present. It’s hard to change and start something new, especially since as human beings we tend to get so routinized in our ways but you can always start small.

Pick one thing from this list and give it a go. If it doesn’t work for you go ahead and try another one but you’ll never know until you try.

I would also like to add, that a big reason why people tend to fail at their New Year’s resolutions is that they start WAY TOO BIG. Start small and work at attainable goals.

You know what they say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

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Let me know if you try any of these ideas and let me know how they worked out for you!

If you want to keep this list so you can reference it later, pin this image!