Creating a morning routine with Madeleine

First: Determine how much time you have before your commitments that day

Secondly: what are your goals? (how you can cater your morning routine to these goals and set you up to success). Are your goals to be in a better mood for the day? Be more productive? Improve your health?

Thirdly determine what are non negotiable to do’s you need to do before your commitments that day.

1. Set an alarm & avoid checking your notifications. Checking your notifications on your phone is a high dopamine activity, by doing this as soon as you open your eyes sets this standard for your dopamine for the rest of the day. This means you tend to constantly check your phone more throughout the days and are in a lower mood.

2. Immediately complete low dopamine actions when you wake up (cleaning, tidying, getting ready, making your morning coffee/ beverage) making your bed) these low dopamine actions set a lower standard for your dopamine for the day putting you in a better mood.

3. Move your body: do a workout or go outside for a walk. Moving your body in the morning will lower your body's cortisol levels (stress hormones). Morning exercise will also help relieve tension and relax your muscles, which fights the negative effects of stress on your body.

4. Journaling (gratitude): set a couple of minutes aside for your self growth practices. My personal favourite is filling out the gratitude questions on the In Charge app. Why gratitude is so powerful is because expressing gratitude for what is already good in your life allows more good you attract.

5. Visualising and manifestation: If you have goals you are working towards set aside a couple of minutes to look at your vision board and read your manifestations. Reminding yourself how your daily actions are contributing to your bigger goals is a great way to push you to be productive and excited for what’s ahead.

6. Tick off your to do list: put on your to do list your low dopamine actions you did when you woke up and your movement; this will make you feel immediately like you have had a productive day already and motivate you to continue to be productive