A good morning routine is the foundation of a productive day, and most of the highly successful the world over swear by the power of their morning rituals. A good start increases your energy, builds momentum, and gives a positive tone to your day so that you begin your morning on the right foot.

Morning routines are personal. However, most successful people follow certain practices in the first few hours (2–3 hours usually), which help them get the most out of their day.

Here are ten common morning routine practices of highly successful and effective people.

1. They wake up without struggling with the snooze button

It’s a no-brainer that to wake up effortlessly, you must sleep for a sufficient number of hours and feel rested and refreshed in the morning.

Highly successful people have a designated sleep hour that helps them enjoy 6–7 hours of uninterrupted sleep and wake up without feeling groggy and tired.

To begin your day without struggle and reluctance and with a positive feeling of being well-rested and energetic, stick to a consistent sleep routine. It will help you look forward to your day’s work enthusiastically and can hit the ground running.

2. They hydrate their body first thing after getting up

Water is an essential part of your body, making up about 60% of the total, and is vital for maintaining good health. Most of the super successful people, therefore, have incorporated the practice of drinking water into their morning routine.

After remaining without consuming water for several hours while sleeping, it is only logical that you replenish your body with fluids and get it going.

Drinking a glass or two of water after you get up is an excellent way to kickstart your metabolism besides maintaining your body’s water balance, flushing out the toxins, and soothing yourself.

3. They have some form of fitness routine

Whether it is a gym workout, practicing yoga, running, walking, or carrying out stretch exercises, successful people make sure they maintain a regular fitness routine to keep them going.

Early morning exercise has far-reaching beneficial effects that no health foods can provide.

Besides burning extra calories, it helps increase your focus, improves your blood circulation, uplifts your mood, lowers your risk for lifestyle diseases, and encourages you to eat mindfully throughout the day.

Regular exercise, thus, goes a long way in inculcating discipline, improving body posture, and boosting self-confidence.

4. They read meaningful books

Stimulating your mind with positivity by reading is one of the best practices commonly followed by high achievers and massively accomplished people.

No matter how busy they are, successful people make it a point to include a reading time of at least a few minutes in their morning routine.

Reading something meaningful every morning has a calming effect on the mind, helps you learn something new, increases your knowledge base, and improves your critical thinking ability. Most of all, connecting with books and reading in the morning keeps you inspired and in a positive frame of mind the whole day long.

5. They prepare their to-do list and organize their day

To have a productive day, you must begin by setting a broader vision. The high performers and super-efficient people start their mornings by writing down their to-do lists and prioritizing the tasks they must complete during the day.

You only have so much time available to you, and by organizing your to-do list, you not only keep yourself away from chaos and stress but also ensure that you work in a stress-free manner.

Creating a priority list allows you to plan things, say no to distractions, and make important decisions quickly. It also frees up your time and helps you plan your me-time and carve out time for your family.

6. They keep away from social media

Many people’s day begins with checking social media. This unhealthy practice not only sucks away your precious time but also distracts you, gets you into mindless comparisons, and leaves you feeling low and depressed.

High performers and successful people know the positive power of social media but, at the same time, are well-versed in its ill effects. Hence they keep themselves away from the social media feed and notifications, especially in the first half of the day.

Ditching social media in the morning enables you to keep yourself and your priorities in front and center, keeps you in a good mood, and improves the quality of your life.

7. They do journaling to clear their mind

The practice of journaling encourages mindfulness and connects with your inner self.

Pouring your thoughts and feelings on paper unburdens your mind and acts as emotional catharsis, especially when issues or disturbing thoughts bog you down.

A few minutes of daily journaling can do wonders for your mental health. It keeps your mind clear and helps you think straight. You are better positioned to view your problems and figure out their solutions objectively.

Journaling gives you an outlet for your repressed inner self; you feel good when you open up and express yourself freely. Writing a journal, therefore, helps fight anxiety and stress and keeps you from feeling depressed.

8. They do meditation

Most people’s mind starts to wander, and negative thoughts plague them right in the morning.

To silence your mind and ease the mental chatter, the high achievers engage in deliberate activities at the start of the day.

Meditation is one of the most popular morning rituals, which has mindfulness at its core. It draws your mind away from your thoughts by side-stepping them and focusing on your breath instead.

Building a stable meditation practice helps you direct attention to the present moment and stay grounded in the ‘now.’ It, thus, relaxes your mind, alleviates anxiety, and gives you inner peace.

There’s an array of meditation practices; you can choose the one that is right for you.

9. They practice gratitude

Viewing life through a positive lens and appreciating good things evokes positive emotions and allows you to begin your day on a happy and upbeat note.

Highly successful people begin their morning by reflecting on their life and writing down things they are thankful for.

Documenting the positives and expressing gratitude for things working well in life reinforces your faith in the goodness of the world around you. It also increases your self-belief and boosts your confidence.

10. They eat a healthy breakfast

Highly effective people keep a check on what goes into their system throughout the day. They are extremely particular about avoiding unhealthy food that is rich in refined carbohydrates, unsaturated fats, or sugar and provides only empty calories.

Though there are individual preferences, and some might choose to skip breakfast altogether, those who prefer to go for it make sure to grab a bite of something nutritious that is high in proteins and fibers and low in carbohydrates as their first meal of the day.

There are a variety of options to choose from; choose what suits you the best and satisfies your palate but strictly say no to any kind of processed food with additives in the morning.

In Conclusion

Tapping the power of the morning hours equips you to design a productive day and gives you an advantage over others.

You don’t necessarily have to follow to the T what the highly effective people and high performers do.

Customize your morning routine and include practices that work for you.

The idea is to give yourself an empowering start by energizing your body and mind for a productive day and living a holistic stress-free life.

Originally published on drroopleen.com

You may also like:

8 Habits of People Who Unlock Their Brain’s Full Potential

5 Simple Everyday Habits To Develop Self-Discipline

How Do Highly Successful People Keep Themselves Motivated Every Day

Dr. Roopleen is the author of ‘And So Can You’ and From Average to Awesome