How you spend your first few hours in the morning might set the tone for the rest of your day. Morning practices inevitably lead to efficiency since they eliminate the decision-making process, saving you time and energy.
Some of the world’s most famous, creative, and successfulmen rely on personal morning routines to make their days as productive and beneficial as possible.
If you resist your morning wake-up call and hit snooze, you could benefit from one or more of the 9 things highly-accomplished people do when they wake up each morning listed below to form a better habit.
11 things highly-accomplished people do when they wake up each morning
1. Clear your head.
There are numerous reasons why successful people incorporate meditation into their daily routine: it can reduce anxiety and tension while also increasing self-awareness and concentration.
It’s no surprise that mindfulness has become such a popular practice among leaders.
Jen Rubio, Away’s co-founder, begins each day with meditation before working out. Arianna Huffington, whose Thrive Global office is in a WeWork headquarters in New York City, meditates for 20 to 30 minutes every morning before checking email or using technology.
And, before his six-mile run, former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey meditates for 30 minutes.
2. Eat a proper breakfast.
The perfect breakfast can help you get through the day. While the science underlying the benefits of breakfast is less obvious than the science behind the benefits of water, many successful people incorporate breakfast into their morning routine.
Kelly Ripa sticks to coffee, yogurt, and granola for breakfast, but Barack Obama enjoys eggs, potatoes, and wheat toast.
If you’re short on time, a smoothie is an excellent choice. In 2020, Reese Witherspoon published her go-to green smoothie recipe, which she has had every morning for the past nine years. John Mackey, the founder of Whole Foods, enjoys a green smoothie for breakfast.
Others, like as Idris Elba, keep things simple with toast. Whether simple or elaborate, discovering your personal breakfast ritual can be a terrific way to start the day.
3. Practice thankfulness.
This may surprise you, but after burning incense in her home, Marie Kondo does not go into a thorough folding session. Instead, she expresses gratitude. “I say a prayer of thanksgiving for my family and team members’ health, and I renew my resolve to do as much as I can that day,” she writes in her letter. This technique is followed by the creation of her daily to-do list.
Wealth is measured not in dollars and cents, but in the love we build, the laughter we share, the meals we consume, the dreams we have, and the hopes we foster.
4. They think about improvement
Venus Williams told Fast Company that she wakes up and instantly thinks about “her game.” “It’s an addiction, but I always think about how to get better,” she claims. “Everything is geared toward that.”
So, instead of pushing the snooze button for 30 minutes tomorrow morning, attempt to establish a more productive tone for the day. Get moving, eat breakfast, and do what your parents have always asked you to do: make your bed.
5. They meditate
Tony Robbins, a self-help expert, exercises every morning, but after a protein-packed meal, he meditates for 10 minutes, according to Business Insider.
He calls the practice “priming,” which combines yoga and mindfulness. He believes it gives him energy and helps him create positive thoughts for the day.
Jeff Weiner, the CEO of LinkedIn, once tweeted that he meditates every morning. In fact, he gets up at 5:30 a.m. every day, reads his emails, checks the news, works out, meditates, and has breakfast—all before 9 a.m.
6. Drink water
It may seem insignificant, but incorporating a simple glass of water into your morning routine can make a big difference. Hydration is a vital component of health. Water eliminates waste from the body, regulates temperature, lubricates and cushions joints, and protects delicate tissues. Our bodies might become dehydrated overnight, so drinking water in the morning helps us rehydrate. A morning glass of water has also been shown to lower calorie intake throughout the day, boost mental function, improve the appearance and health of your skin, and even jump-start your metabolism.
It’s no surprise that superstars like Kim Kardashian and Beyoncé have all emphasized the importance of drinking water.
Cameron Diaz explained in a 2014 interview with Marie Claire: “Every night, before I go to bed, I fill up a large glass bottle with water and place it on my bathroom counter.”
I drink it first thing in the morning after brushing my teeth, and I notice an immediate effect. I shift from being a withered plant to one that has recently been revitalized by rain.”
7. Read a book.
Many individuals understand that reading before bed can help relax the mind and prepare the body for sleep. What you hear less about are the benefits of incorporating reading into your morning routine. Instead than scrolling through social media in the morning, try reading a book or an article.
You reap the full benefits of reading first thing in the morning. Research from the University of Sussex discovered that just six minutes of reading can reduce stress by up to 68%.
Reading has also been shown to increase cognitive activity in the brain, making it an excellent approach to prepare for the day’s challenges. It’s not surprising that people like Bill Gates and Barack Obama begin their days by reading.
8. Rise with the sun (or even before it)
A 2008 study published in The Journal of General Psychology discovered that early risers procrastinate less than night owls with later alarm clocks.
It stands to reason that many successful people throughout history have identified as early risers: Apple CEO Tim Cook, for example, gets out of bed at 3:45 a.m. to check email before his five-o’clock gym session. Richard Branson, the founder and chairman of Virgin Group, gets up at 5 a.m. to exercise and spend time with his family.
“I have always been an early riser,” he admits on a Virgin blog. “Over my 50 years in business, I have learned that if I rise early, I can achieve so much more in a day, and therefore in life.”
Branson continues, “I find the calm period, before most of the world logs on, to be a terrific opportunity to catch up on news and respond to emails. “These early hours allow me to start each day with a clean slate.”
9. Create a To-Do List
Planning your day and developing a to-do list will help you mentally prepare for the day ahead. To-do lists may not be for everyone, but successful people such as Michelle Obama and Richard Branson believe in methodically planning what needs to be done each day. Blocking aside time to plan and care for yourself is one of the primary benefits of list-making, according to both of these leaders. Branson once said, “Far too many people get weighed down in doing, and never take the time to think and feel.”
Bringing It All Together: Things Successful People Do
You may not be an entrepreneur, Olympian, or billionaire (or even aspire to be), but their strategies may help you get more done in less time and stop feeling overworked and overwhelmed.
