Picture it. You’re disoriented and woken up by the blaring of your alarm. You roll over and hit “stop” instead of “snooze.” This will probably be the hardest part of your day.
Afterwards, you run, shower and make your breakfast. It sounds tedious, but you eventually start to feel more energized and less anxious. Before you know it, you’re reading over a cup of coffee and refusing to worry about any of the tasks you have on your list that day.
I don’t subscribe to the whole “grind” mentality. This idea from the internet that you have to wake up in the middle of the night to get ahead of work and fitness. It’s the online version of your uncle at a family dinner telling you to get up and work harder, to pull yourself up by your bootstraps.
I also don’t believe in being hyper-individualistic. How many people have you seen on TikTok promoting days spent ignoring others and setting unrealistic boundaries in the name of “protecting your peace?” We have obligations to our community, and as time-consuming as those priorities may be, they’re still important.
Contrary to my preferences, having a morning routine is helpful. I spend my days working, in class,at meetings and with friends. I’m privileged to get to do this, but I started to find myself rushed from sleeping to the full force of daily tasks. It gave me whiplash.
When I enjoy my mornings alone, I ease into the day. I get to do the things that I love to do without impeding on any responsibilities I may have later on. It’s become something essential to my mental health, which makes sense considering all of the benefits.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, writes that a morning routine increases energy, productivity and positivity. It isn’t only beneficial for your mental health when you first get up, those feelings extend through the whole day when those important responsibilities start to hit.
It’s also known to be a great stress reliever. The ease you feel in the beginning of the day makes those later tasks more achievable and it gives you the chance to connect with yourself before having to be “on” for the world.
You don’t have to do anything crazy, something as simple as waking up, opening the curtains and eating breakfast can cause noticeable improvements in attitude and focus. Try it for a week and see the difference!
