I am a firm believer in a disciplined morning routine. The first thing I do is make my bed before I even consider doing anything else.
I picked up a small habit from a book that suggests if a task takes less than 2 minutes, do it right away rather than putting it off. As I mentioned in my previous article, I function absolutely well when I sleep a maximum of 6–7 hours per day.
Every morning is a beautiful morning.
— Terri Guillemets
As soon as I wake up, I drink a tall glass of water before going to the bathroom to wash my face with Cetaphil’s Extra Gentle Daily Scrub and trim as usual. After trimming my beard, I use an electric toothbrush with a 2-minute timer to brush my teeth. After finishing the brush, I jump under the shower and take a regular, hot shower.
I tried taking cold showers in the past, but it didn’t work well for me for a long time. I want to start my mornings with happiness, and I can’t do that if I’m forcing my body to do something that I am not enjoying. So I put that cold shower technique off for a long time.
After a steamy and relaxing shower, I choose a t-shirt or, if I have professional meetings where I must wear a dress shirt or coat, it depends on the work routine — most of the time, it’s simply a plain t-shirt and jeans. I enjoy working in my jeans.
I read somewhere that having the minimum necessary colorful clothes is the best way to minimize mental strain while deciding what to wear. Most of the time, I merely pick a t-shirt based on simple plain colors.
One thing to note is that I keep my face moisturized by using any good moisturizer. Because my skin dries out quickly, I prefer to apply moisturizer as soon as I get out of the shower.
When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive — to breadth, to think, to enjoy, to love.
— Marcus Aurelius
The perfume part, I believe, is really personal, and everyone has their own preferences. Dior is my particular favorite, as it is lovely and delightful. By the way, wearing Dior (Amazon Affiliate Link) got me a lot of compliments. I’d recommend using a decent fragrance in your morning ritual so that your brain can get in the mood.
Black coffee, without sugar and milk, is my favorite. Yes, I want my coffee at 90 degrees Celsius, and I’m picky because it gives me a boost in the morning. I take more than 3 cups of coffee every day, but I need to cut back my caffeine intake. It’s not a good idea to drink too much coffee. In the end, it stimulates your brain to get an extra kick.
I’m trying to give up coffee, but it’s going to be really difficult, especially in the mornings when the smell of coffee wakes me up. I’m also experimenting with decaf, but I’m not having much luck with it.
Pro Tip: While brewing coffee, I meditate for 3–4 minutes, which helps me clear my mind for the day.
I go to my workplace next door from my bedroom when I put on my Apple watch to greet the day. Like most of us, I usually work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. My Apple watch keeps me on track with the meeting schedule because it integrates smoothly with the online calendar.
Starting your day with a healthy morning routine can help you feel more productive. The most important part of enjoying your morning is setting a schedule to go to bed at a particular time to get enough rest; therefore, when you wake up, you will have enough energy to embrace the mornings.
