Anyone else have a love-hate relationship with Mondays? The Sunday scaries are behind you, and the Monday blues begin. You have to get back into your routines, work, and leave the memories of the weekend behind. According to a study by
RestoreZ, "65 percent said they rarely wake up feeling rested and energized. And this daytime tiredness negatively affects 74 percent of respondents' productivity."
So, the Monday blues are real, but what are some of the best ways to get over them and ensure your week is productive and fulfilling? Today, I want to dive into some of the ways that I motivate myself to get up and start my day, even when everything feels like a chore and I don't want to get out of bed.
Personal experience:
Typically, I would dive into past experiences, but today's encouragement is inspired by what happened this morning. Last night, right before bed, I decided not to set an alarm. I wanted to hold myself accountable and let my feelings dictate how I would start my Monday. At 6:56 am, my body shot up with adrenaline from a bad dream. I immediately tried to shake it off but still felt tired. So I went back to sleep... My Monday blues had begun. About an hour later, my body was ready to try again. This time, I wouldn't let my negative energy stop me from kickstarting my day. I took a quick glance at my phone, avoided endless scrolling, made my bed, and was out to the gym within 10 minutes.
me at the gym this morning 
In the past, I might have turned off 3+ alarms, thinking "10 more minutes," which would turn into an hour, or spent an extra 30 minutes mindlessly consuming content. But today, I followed some of my best practices that I encourage anyone trying to find more balance and be more productive to follow.
Here are my best morning habits:
Set one or fewer alarms:
I never set more than one alarm. Why? Setting multiple alarms does two things:
- It teases your mind into thinking it's okay to sleep past the first alarm.
- It indicates to yourself that you're unable to get yourself up and out.
It's crucial to tell yourself that you're strong and capable of reaching your goals. When you set multiple alarms, the odds are you won't wake up until the last one. You create a scapegoat that encourages you to rely on last-minute objectives and develops bad habits. Let's think about this in a non-waking up aspect. Imagine you have a plane to catch or a work assignment to do. By starting your day with multiple alarms, you're telling yourself it's okay to arrive right on time or complete the assignment last minute because you "still have time." This is unhealthy and a bad habit!
Instead, use alarms as proof of your capabilities. Set one or none and make it a habit to get up and out. By doing this, you no longer have that security blanket and will have no choice but to get your day rolling. I recommend trying this on a weekend or holiday first, so you can start adopting this healthy habit.
2. Avoid endless scrolling:
As a digital strategist and someone who consistently uses social media, I often start my days with endless scrolling. It's one of my most unhealthy habits and one of the most difficult ones to break. When I think deeply about it, the gratification I get from scrolling is minimal, yet the positive effect of deciding to skip scrolling is massive! On days that I save my scrolling and jump right into my day, I always see positive effects.
I know it's easier said than done, but here are some of my best ways to avoid scrolling on social media:
- Set a specific break time during the middle of your day for social media scrolling.
- Set time limits or locks on social media applications to remind you not to use them.
I could write an entire blog on the reasons for not starting your day with social media scrolling, but I'll save you the scroll
3. Make your bed:
I know it sounds cliché, but both my experiences and many studies show that making your bed has a positive impact on your mental health. By starting your day with a made bed, you are setting a clear intention and taking control of your environment.
Studies show that "Living in a tidy environment improves or retains brain function and enhances the general quality of life." By making your bed, you not only create a routine and a tidier environment for yourself, but you also improve your health!
For me personally, making my bed is something I do automatically. I work from home and have to work in an environment that feels welcoming and clean; otherwise, I will drive myself crazy. Seeing my made bed makes me less likely to jump back into it and more likely to be well on my way towards crushing my day. When I'm leaving my house, making my bed is also important to my well-being. Coming home to a nicely made bed always makes me feel good and fulfilled. In fact, I just got home (I slept at my parents' last night) from a weekend getaway, and I was so happy when I came home to a nicely made bed.
my nicely mad bed
Start your day off with an accomplishment - make your bed.
4, Engage in physical activity:
Let me first start by sharing that doing something is better than doing nothing. Every person has different activity goals, but the suggestion here is to do something active at some point in the day. Whether it's a walk, run, workout, yoga, or any other form of activity, it's helpful to do at least one active thing every day. This one is easier said than done and varies for everyone.
I plan to create an entire blog on this topic in the future, so hopefully, you stick around. But I like to say that as long as I do one active thing every day, it's impossible for me to have a bad day. Just doing one active thing means I did something to improve my mental and physical health. I know that this might not be a morning routine for some people reading this, but I hope it becomes part of your routine. Get up and out or give yourself a beneficial activity to look forward to every day!
5. Remind yourself that today is a new day:
It's so easy to get caught up in the past. One bad day or event has the ability to affect the following days, weeks, or even months. Of course, it's important to learn, grow, and feel emotions toward the things that happen in your life, but it's also essential to always move forward. Put one foot in front of the other and focus on how you can grow. When you think about what happens on any given day, one thing will always remain the same: the sun will rise in the morning and the moon will emerge at night. There will always be darkness and there will always be light.
Whenever you start a new day, always put whatever you can behind you and focus on the progress you can make today. No matter how rough a previous day was, you have the power to make today great!
Last but not least: Be kind to yourself!
Change doesn't happen overnight. Many people struggle with establishing routines and finding more positivity in their lives. If you resonated with these tips, it's up to you now to take the steps and start applying some of these suggestions. You won't have amazing mornings every day, but be proud of any progress you can make! Always be kind to yourself and remind yourself that you're human.
I hope that these routines help you overcome morning struggles and find more positivity in your life. This is only my second wellness blog, and I'm already loving it. If you enjoyed what you read, please leave a comment and tap the button below to share it with someone who might also benefit from my authentic thoughts and personal experiences. Let's all strive to create a world full of more fulfillment, motivation, and love
