The evolution of my morning routine - Grant Sommers

When I was in Brussels, I most definitely made improvements in how I value a morning routine. Jetlag notwithstanding, I realized going to sleep at 4am, hitting the snooze several times, waking up with barely enough time to make it to class or my internship on time, skipping breakfast, and starting the day feeling groggy and slow were not going to help me succeed overseas. As a got used to the time zone and was able to form a more reasonable sleep schedule, I began to allow myself to get up just a little bit earlier than I had been. I would drink a tall bottle of water, take my time getting dressed and getting ready, and be clearheaded and energized for work or class. Eventually, I decided to upgrade my relatively scant morning routine by making a concerted effort to wake up in time to walk the 35-40-minute walk to work. I found these to be my best mornings because, despite rising earlier, I found myself less tired, more clear-headed, and ready to take on a day.

Having a morning routine has many well-known benefits. Having a morning routine helps people emotionally by allowing for time to organize thoughts and tasks, make sure nothing is forgotten rushing out the door, and allowing one to become more resilient during stressful times of the day.

Just as important, productivity improves with a steady morning routine. Productivity relates not just to how much work one accomplishes but relates to the attention on gives a task and the resulting quality. With a morning routine, allowing the body to “wake up” so to speak, organize thoughts, and realize motivation, people are more likely to be more productive during the day.

Lastly, with the general stress relieving properties of creating and maintaining a simple morning routine, a sweeping sense of peace can manifest. Using a morning routine as a time to practice mindfulness and awareness of oneself, one’s surroundings, and one’s circumstances can help offer some peace of mind.

These benefits I really began to notice as my routine began to change and solidify. Coming back home to go directly to quarantine has certainly thrown my newfound routine for a loop, but I hope that I can take the benefits I realized to heart and maintain, even a small, morning routine.