This past March marked my third anniversary with DemandGen (now BDO Digital). When I first joined the company, it was my first time working from home with an entirely distributed remote workforce. I was used to the constant buzz of an office with people stopping by my desk and all those proverbial water cooler conversations.
Then, all of a sudden, I didn’t have that anymore. With no commute and no saying goodbye to coworkers before heading home at the end of the day, each day began to blend into the next. I missed connecting with people, and it took me some time to figure out how to structure my days to both give me a sense of routine and bring my best self to my work and my colleagues.
For many, that first work-from-home experience and complete disruption to their daily routine happened two years later in March 2020. After the pandemic began, I was basically spending all my time at home, on top of working remotely. I hopped onto the computer first thing in the morning, and I didn’t have any hard stops to take my son to school (or pick him up), meet a friend for dinner, or do anything fun, really. My entire brain had become focused on work and making sure my son was logging on for school. It was exhausting and frankly wearing me down.
So, I made a conscious decision to carve out some time for myself in the morning. I do the same thing every day, which establishes a sense of routine, and it helps me feel like I’m filling my cup first (remember, you’re supposed to put your oxygen mask on first before helping others!).
If you’re still struggling with how to structure your day and regain some sense of normalcy, here are the top four changes I made to create a positive morning routine.
1. Wake up with a big glass of water!
If this sounds too easy to be true, it isn’t. Our bodies are made up of 60 percent water, but so many of us take it for granted. It’s so easy to forget to drink water in the morning, especially if the first thing you reach for is the coffee maker. During sleep, however, the body becomes dehydrated. And we continue to lose water throughout the day (even through the mere act of breathing!).
As the saying goes, if you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. If you want to give your body (and mind) the best chance of meeting the day gracefully, starting the day with a big glass of water is so important. The official guideline is 11.5 cups of water a day for women and 15.5 cups for men (there are 16 cups in a gallon), but you’ll need to experiment to find out what’s right for you. Start small because it will take some time for your body to adjust. After all, it’s been working hard to compensate for too little water intake for a while now.
I really solidified this part of my morning routine last year. I found that once I started drinking more water, my body craved even more of it. I got to the point where I invested in a one-gallon water bottle that shows you how much water you should drink throughout the day. It’s a great visual reminder to stay hydrated, and also visual proof that I’m doing something good for my body.
Now I start my day with a refreshing glass of water. And, yes, I can actually feel the difference. I have more energy, I’m less irritable in the morning, and I can think more clearly — all of which help reduce stress. These are actually proven benefits of drinking more water. And it’s something I already have at home (although, depending on your water quality, you may want to invest in a water filter).
2. Cultivate a grateful heart.
A couple years ago, I read Girl, Wash Your Face by New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hollis. I enjoyed her book so much, I found more of her content online and that’s how I came across her daily practice of writing down five things you’re grateful for.
Now, it’s my daily practice, too. Don’t get me wrong. When I first started, I had a little trouble thinking of things to write down. It used to be something as simple as, “I’m grateful I woke up on time today.” Or, “I’m grateful for this brand new day and all the opportunities it presents.” Or, “I’m grateful because I’m writing things that I’m grateful for.” Seriously, it can be challenging at first. The practice of literally writing things down you’re grateful for, however, shifts your mindset and puts life’s daily stressors into perspective. Even if you have a busy day ahead of you, or you didn’t sleep well, practicing gratitude helps you flip the script. Nowadays, I sometimes have to limit myself to only writing down five things I’m grateful for!
Focusing on gratitude helps you remain positive, which can be contagious. And that can make a world of difference when others (yourself included) are experiencing a drop in their motivation, such as during a big, complex project with the end nowhere in sight. After witnessing this on a large project, a colleague and I decided to begin each meeting with a list of the team’s accomplishments. Now the calls begin with gratitude instead of the grime. And it has injected new life into the project.
When you’re chipping away at a large mountain of work, it helps to take a step back and reflect on what you’ve already accomplished, instead of how much further you have to climb. As Rachel Hollis says, “Gratitude isn’t an attitude, gratitude is a choice!” If you’re ready to start your own daily gratitude practice, check out Rachel Hollis’ My Gratitude Journal for inspiration.
3. Get inspired!
How you get inspired will look different based on what, well, inspires you. For me, listening to a song, audio book, or motivational speaker or reading a daily inspirational quote or devotion gets me fired up and ready to take on the day’s challenges.
Love reading but don’t have the physical or mental energy to commit to an entire book? Start with a free Audible or Audiobooks trial to see which one you prefer. More than just books, these subscription services also offer podcasts, audio news and magazines, and guided wellness activities target=”_blank”. In fact, that’s how I discovered Rachel Hollis and Mel Robbins’ The 5 Second Rule (you can check out her Instagram account and her video on using the 5 second rule to get out of bed in the morning for more inspiration). It’s great for helping the time fly while I’m doing tedious tasks, and I’ll usually listen to part of an audiobook during my morning or evening chores.
You can also search for five- to 15-minute motivational videos on YouTube, perfect for a quick jumpstart to your day. I’ll have my pre-workout drink (see #4), which takes a few minutes to kick in, and I’ll listen to a YouTube video, song, or part of an audiobook that gets me fired up. I’ll sometimes do a search by author, but oftentimes I’ll search on “motivational video” or “motivation” and see what pops up in the results. Even it’s the cheesiest video you’ve ever watched, you can usually find a kernel of wisdom to take from it. You never know: it may be just the kick in the pants you need to shift your mindset and have a great day.
4. Enjoy a 30-minute sweat session.
Yes, I said enjoy. That’s the goal, although it may not happen right away. But trust me, it will. You just have to find what works for you. It may be taking a short walk around the neighborhood, gardening, tai chi, window shopping at the mall, or doing some light stretching. The goal is to incorporate some movement into your day to get your blood flowing, your heart pumping, and (hopefully) your endorphins rejoicing. A study found that even 15-25 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week can lengthen your life by roughly 3 to 7 years!
I was never big on going to the gym and working out in front of an audience, so I decided to focus on what I could do at home. I found some workout videos I could follow online, and then invested in some weights, resistance bands, an indoor jump rope, a step, and an ab ball. I really got my act in gear, though, during the first lockdown. Since there weren’t many reasons to leave the house other than to try to hunt down the last remaining rolls of toilet paper, I needed something to check off the calendar every day to give me a sense of routine.
After seeing a friend from high school share posts on Facebook about her workouts and the progress she was making — it didn’t hurt that she always looked so happy and healthy — I got involved with a private Beachbody® group of like-minded women and mothers. Like me, they were looking to get more fit, but didn’t have a lot of free time. We do at-home workouts (in private!) and then share sweaty selfies and words of encouragement for our fellow members. In addition to giving me something to accomplish on most days and motivation to keep going, it has also given me a sense of community (something that all but disappeared last year). And bonus: I’m now able to model healthy behaviors for my son.
I started with a 9-week program, but there are shorter and longer ones depending on what you’re looking for. You can choose between yoga, dance, cardio, strength, and other types of activities. I found the structure and variety of classes to be a good fit for me, as well as the option of downloading the workouts and streaming them from my phone, but you may need to do some research until you find what works for you.
Yes, I do have to get up a little earlier, but prioritizing my health has spilled over into every aspect of my world. And, feeling like I’ve already accomplished a goal before I even log on for work helps me ease into the workday. Being able to work out by myself at home and then share my progress with the community has also been really helpful in terms of dealing with the isolation of being at home all the time. And, after the initial jolt to your system, a morning workout actually gives you more energy to tackle life’s daily stressors.
From night owl to early bird
In the past, when I just went straight into my workday, by the time it ended I was exhausted. Then, I still had to make dinner, cheer on my son at his football game, do chores, and go to bed — only to repeat the same vicious cycle the next day. The metaphorical hamster wheel. I definitely didn’t feel like I was making any personal progress.
When I started carving out some me time first thing in the morning, that all changed. I did it by incorporating gratitude, motivation, and fitness, all of which work together to provide a sense of ritual and help diffuse the stress of the workday. By the time work begins, I already have a sense of accomplishment, which spills over into the rest of the day. Like everyone else, I veer off track from time to time (I’m only human). But when I’m consistent with my morning practice, I notice a significant difference in not only my mood and well-being, but also my ability to move projects forward and get other things done.
I never used to be a morning person, but now that’s how I’d describe myself. It did take some trial and error in the beginning (my alarm clock now lives across the room from my bed, which prevents me from just hitting snooze), but the tangible results and benefits I’ve seen have made it all worth it.
Danielle Joyner is a Project Manager with BDO Digital’s Demand Generation Group. Danielle works closely with clients and cross-functional teams to implement and deliver high-quality MarTech projects on time and on budget. Working hand in hand with all stakeholders, she helps define project scope and objectives, ensures technical feasibility, and proactively manages resource needs across multiple services teams. Danielle is working towards her next career milestone of obtaining her PMP certification.
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