Tips for a Morning Routine
In today’s Turbo Think Tank, the topic of a morning routine came up for discussion. Our Turbo Thinker shared that starting her day with a morning walk put her in a fantastic mood and set a positive and energetic tone for the rest of the day. With a consistent morning routine, she could ride the momentum throughout the week. In exploring how to make that happen, she discovered that the key to success was actually sticking to an attainable evening routine! And she could only do that by prioritizing sleep. Once she associated a good night’s sleep with the daytime positive feeling, it all made sense. But how to get to sleep on time?
By now we know that we need reminders, since our working memory does not always work. But having a reminder on our phone that says “Bedtime” is the equivalent of an annoying parent nagging us with a wagging finger. Our brains naturally rebel! We easily remember the negative feeling associated with shutting down the computer or the phone, but we have trouble remembering the positive feeling associated with the long term effects of sleep. How can we create a visual prompt or a physical reminder of the positive feeling when it's time to sleep? Today’s Turbo Thinker wanted to remember the lightness, energy, happiness and freedom she felt when she walked her dog in the morning and saw her run free in the fields. Freedom was her keyword, for she felt free all day when she could start with that experience full of beauty and grace. She wrote the word FREE on a post-it note and placed her dog’s leash on her nightstand.
What is the positive feeling you get from a morning routine? What can remind you of that feeling the night before, so that you want to go to sleep to make it happen? What will make you announce to the world, “I’m going to bed now because I want to feel great tomorrow!...And because I am worth it.”