These 4 morning hacks can be sustained for longer than a week
In amazement (and with some jealousy) I recently read how Kris Jenner starts her day. At 4:30 AM (I call it the middle of the night) her alarm goes off, after which she promptly drinks her first coffee at 5:00 AM. Before she jumps in the shower at 7:00 AM, she has already cleaned out her entire mailbox and completed a treadmill workout. How?! At 8:00 AM it's time for the ’glam hour‘ as she calls it. After that, our Kris is ready to start the day.
I regularly see articles popping up with headlines like ‘The best morning rituals’ or ‘With this morning routine, nothing can go wrong.’ I must admit: I click on these quite often myself. But what strikes me is that so much is expected of you in the early morning. Take it easy, come on. If we follow all this advice, we need to have drunk a matcha latte by eight, done half an hour of meditation, and run five kilometers including stretching. And don't forget the cold shower. And the ginger shot. And the warm water with lemon. And it goes on like this.
I personally prefer routine and structure more than I want to admit. But often I lack discipline. I find long or complicated morning rituals unmanageable. Believe me: I've really tried them all. Morning rituals are meant to make your day better, not to make you fail right away because you don't have lemon at home. It took a while, but I finally found a few morning rituals that I've been applying for a while. There aren't many, and they are very simple, but they make me quite happy.
1. Drink a glass of water
Without lemon. No hot water, just a glass of cold water. It doesn't get easier than this. At night we lose a lot of moisture, which is why we wake up a bit dehydrated every morning. With a glass of water, you immediately replenish this deficit. Moreover, a glass of water on an empty stomach gives your digestion a boost. I always have a glass of water on my nightstand. I drink this glass as soon as I wake up: the first task of the day is accomplished. Not long after, I do have a coffee, which
according to many is not the intention. Again: these are my morning hacks and this works for me.
2. Make your bed and open the curtains
You’ve probably heard this one before (probably from your mother): neatly make your bed and open your curtains. It's so simple but it works. Maybe most normal people do this by themselves, but I really had to learn it. And good news: your second task is already done. What a productive morning.
3. The first 20 minutes without your phone
Sure: the first hour of the day without your phone would be better, but I find that quite difficult. These 20 minutes already make a huge difference for me. Starting the day with time for yourself is quite nice. Sometimes I read a bit during this time or I meditate. Most of the time I just lie around chilling with my dog Sjaan. This way you wake up calmly, without immediately getting overwhelmed by messages, emails, or the news.
4. Write down what you want to do with your day
Important: with pen and paper. (No, not in your notes on your phone.) Place a notepad and pen next to your bed. What you put on paper can really be anything: a spiritual message or just a very practical list. How do I want to feel today? What do I need to do today? What is my intention? I personally just write down my to-do list every morning, so I'm not in blind panic all day about forgetting things.
