It can be hard to get into a good routine in the morning. It can be even harder when you’re retired and find yourself with less structure to your day. Here are some tips and tricks on how to create a masterful morning routine for seniors, no matter what stage of life you’re in!
Wake Up at the Same Time Every Day
This can be a challenge if you no longer have to wake up at a certain time for work. However, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day will actually help you get a better night’s sleep, so it’s worth a try! It will be difficult to establish a morning routine if your wake time isn’t consistent. Choose a time that feels fairly natural for you to wake up. If you’re a night owl and stay up past 10pm, there’s no reason to force yourself to get up at 5am. Consistency matters more than what time you choose. The vast majority of people really do need at least 7-8 hours of sleep per night, even in their senior years, so make sure you go to bed at least 8 hours before you plan to wake up in the morning.
Start Your Day With Something You Enjoy
Waking up is hard enough on its own. You don’t have to plan a dread-inducing hour-long workout for the moment you open your eyes in the morning. Choose something you enjoy doing! Some good choices might be stretching, reading, drinking water, coffee, or tea, journaling, eating breakfast, or even meditating (just don’t fall back asleep!). Whatever you do, be mindful and aware as you start your morning, instead of going on auto-pilot. Of course, if you enjoy exercise, that’s another great way to start the day. Just make it something that will start your day with a smile and feeling of accomplishment.
Avoid Your Screens
It is the most oft-repeated advice by sleep and productivity experts everywhere for a reason: starting your day on your phone doesn’t make you happy, and impedes your productivity. Beginning the morning with a pile of emails or messages can be stressful. Even if something like scrolling social media posts seems relaxing and purposeful, it usually doesn’t bring happiness. Instead, it often feels like a waste of time, and who likes starting their day feeling like they’ve wasted time? Social media scrolling can even contribute to depression. Whatever you start your day with, just try to keep it off your phone.
Make A Short To-Do List
If you want to make your mornings more productive, a to-do list can be a great way to start. Choose 3 things you’d like to accomplish each day, not a never-ending list of odious tasks. These things don’t have to be traditional chores or errands–they can be things you genuinely want to do, like read, go for a walk, or call a friend. Keep your goals in mind as you create these to-dos.
Your morning routine doesn’t have to be long, complicated, or unpleasant. As a retiree, you can still learn how to create a masterful morning routine for seniors with these simple tips and start your day off right every day this year!
