Having a morning routine that sets you up for success is one of the most powerful ways to kickstart your performance on a daily basis. 

If your usual morning looks something like: snoozing a couple times, realising you’ll be really late if you don’t get out of bed NOW, rushing to get dressed and grabbing something wrapped you can eat on your way as you run out the door… 

Or: grabbing your phone, checking all your apps and scrolling through social media before you’ve even gotten out of bed…

Without realising it, you’re actually putting yourself straight into reactive fight/flight mode from the moment you wake up. You’ll spend the rest of the day trying to make up for lost time and most likely just feel like you’re behind from the start. 

My morning routine looks like this:

• Get up at 5am, no snoozing
• Drink a big glass of water to rehydrate
• Check HRV (more on this here)
• 20 mins of breathing exercises and meditation
• 20 mins HIIT workout followed by 10 mins of stretching (or only stretching if HRV recommends rest day)
• Cold shower
• 5-10 mins journaling of intentions for the day (this helps me stay focussed later on in the day)
• Feed the horses hay
• Have breakfast
• Phone on airplane mode throughout the whole routine! 

By doing this, I’m relaxed and feeling great before I have to start my workday. I’ve already got a couple wins under my belt, so I’m fully prepared for any challenges the day might throw at me. If you can win your morning, you can win your day! 

Some things to take in to consideration when putting together your morning routine:

Your morning routine can be completely different, as long as it leaves you feeling amazing and ready to tackle the day 🙂 

• Typically your cortisol levels rise in the morning, providing us with energy to get our day started. By exercising first thing in the morning you make use of that elevated cortisol and get it out of your system. Dopamine rises and serotonin increases. After your workout, you’re not only fully awake but you’ve also electrified your energy and focus and amplified your self-discipline.
• By owning your morning, you protect yourself from decision fatigue. Decision Fatigue: You can only create a finite number of good decisions each day. Setting up habits early in the day creates positive momentum and a vision and direction for your day.
• You can not over-estimate the importance of sleep! Go to bed on time so you can get up early without sacrificing sleep. If you’re not willing to do what it takes to get enough sleep, you’re not really interested in achieving true high performance. 
• In our modern society with distractions everywhere, focus is the new super-power. Meditation and breathing exercises to fully oxygenate your mind and body are incredibly important in being able to create the laser-focus you need for high performance. 

How can you improve your morning routine to set yourself up for success every day?