How to Be More Motivated in the Morning

Getting out of bed in the morning is only half the battle. If you want to make the most of your day you’ll need to have a clear idea for the direction you want to go in and enough motivation to follow through. But motivation doesn’t always come naturally.

It’s unlikely that you’ll wake up every day feeling like your best self. That’s why it’s important to discover what motivates you to take action and know how to use it to your advantage.

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Even if you don’t consider yourself to be a morning person, you can use these tips to motivate yourself no matter what time you wake up 😉

Important First Steps

These steps are not required but can be very helpful to naturally increase motivation in the mornings. They help to manage your mood and energy levels so you can create a good foundation to start your day off right.

Productive Morning Habits

Get a full night’s rest

Like it or not, the amount of sleep you get the night before can affect you greatly throughout the following day. If you experience the afternoon slump every day from your energy levels crashing then not getting enough sleep could be to blame. Try to limit caffeine and sugar throughout the day, get in regular movement and sun exposure, and limit screen time before sleeping to help get a better night’s rest and fall asleep earlier.

Skip The Snooze Button

Hitting snooze too many times after you wake up is signaling to your body that it’s perfectly fine to lie in bed all day and there’s no sense of urgency to get up. This will only increase your drowsiness and prevent you from getting out of bed when it’s time. Try to sit up after your alarm rings the first time to send the correct signals to your brain that it’s time to wake up.

Build A Morning Routine

Having a set morning routine provides structure in the early mornings which your body will adjust to over time, making it easier to wake up fast in the mornings. It also allows you to use your time more efficiently by eliminating any time used for decision-making and over-thinking as you become more consistent with your routine.

Ways to Motivate Yourself to Start The Day

Once you have some foundational habits built into your routine, you can start to explore what methods work best to motivate you each morning. Use the activities below as ideas to get yourself started. Don’t forget, you can always switch it up if something isn’t effective anymore or change the process to better suit your needs. You might even need to do something different every day, the point is to figure out what works best for you and your lifestyle and try to put that into practice.

Morning Pages

If you’ve never heard of morning pages before then I highly suggest learning more about them from the source. Essentially it’s the idea that writing down all your thoughts on paper first thing in the morning can provide you with mental clarity, reduce anxiety and help organize your thoughts so you can focus better throughout the day.

All you need to do is dedicate a private journal to this practice and fill up three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing without any prompts, every day. That can sound very intimidating if you’ve never journaled before so just remember that the point is to do what works best for you whether that means starting with just half a page or using prompts for help in the beginning until you get more familiar with your personal journaling style.

The goal is to get your creative juices flowing while having a safe space to declutter your mind and vent. This can help you observe and question negative thought patterns in a healthy way.

Change in Routine

Changing up your routine could be the quick fix you need to reignite your spark. If this sounds exciting to you, make a plan to do something new throughout the week such as try green tea instead of coffee, go to a local cafe to grab breakfast before work, or find a new park to visit for your morning walks.

Positive Mindset

It may sound simple, but having a positive mindset can play a huge factor in whether you feel motivated or not. If you feel stuck or overwhelmed it can be hard to break free from negative thought loops. It can be even harder if you’re facing setbacks and feel like a failure.

Addressing this issue first should be your priority if it’s something you struggle with. Learning how to practice gratitude, reframe negative thoughts and silencing your inner critic are good places to start.

Pick Your Top 3

Sometimes all we need to motivate ourselves is to cut right to the chase. Take out a pen and paper and write down the three things that you absolutely must accomplish by the end of the day. Setting a deadline for yourself and making it a non-negotiable can help you kick it into high gear and prioritize what really needs to be done.

Be sure to use a pen and paper to physically write down your list, it’s more powerful than just typing up a quick note on your phone.

This doesn’t just have to be a to-do list for appointments or important tasks, use this method for anything that you’ve been wanting to start working on but haven’t been able to such as personal projects and goals or hobbies.

Vison Board

A vision board is essentially a collage of pictures or other media (quotes, journal pages, receipts, etc.) that represent what your dream life looks like. Vision boarding helps you stay focused by showing your goals in pictures for you to reference every day. It’s a visual reminder of what you’re working toward. Seeing your dreams laid out in this manner can encourage you to take action and motivate you to keep going.

Life Goals Vision Board Kit

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Add Accountability

Sometimes we need an extra push to feel motivated to do things. Whether it’s holding yourself accountable or asking a friend for help, accountability is a tried and true tool for motivation. You can try signing up for an early morning exercise class, live webinar, community classes at your library or other organizations. If you’re nervous to go by yourself or want the added accountability, ask a friend to join you.

Affirmations

Affirmations are short, positive statements that you repeat to yourself to shape your mindset. In the morning, say them out loud while getting ready or looking in the mirror. Try phrases like “I am capable.” or “Today I will take action.” The purpose is to combat negative self-talk and replace it with self-encouragement. Over time, you will develop the confidence to be your biggest cheerleader.

Light Movement

When I’m low on energy I find that being more physically present in my body is helpful to determine if I need to rest or if I just need to get moving to recharge. Some things that work for me are pacing back and forth being mindful of my posture and engaging the right muscles, doing a quick declutter, or light stretching.

You can listen to a podcast, audiobook, or music to make it more fun.

Remember Your “Why”

When you’re struggling to move forward, having a personal mission statement to fall back on can be extremely motivating. It’s an internal motivator that helps you address everything else in your life with a sense of purpose. If you’re still unsure of what your “why” is or how to determine it, see this resource:

Link: How to Find Your Why

What is Your Motivation to Get Up Every Morning?

It usually takes a lot of effort and experience to learn what is the best motivator for you to take action. You can get started today by committing to some of the ideas above and observe how much of a difference they make in your daily life. Take note of what works and what doesn’t and how you feel after incorporating these new habits into your routine so that you can make adjustments as necessary to create the perfect morning motivation routine for you.

How to Be More Motivated in the Morning