As a digital nomad, your morning routine is of the utmost importance.
If you’re not productive from the get-go, you may find yourself wasting the entire day trying to catch up.
In 2016, Tim Ferriss published a book that broke his previous book series (and sales records): Tools of Titans.
Tim, an American entrepreneur, and content creator interviewed for his podcast over one hundred and fifty entrepreneurs, investors, actors, content creators, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger – in order to understand the beliefs, habits, actions, strategies, and hidden forces that drive successful people.
One of the common habits of all those excellent people is a morning routine – they all practice a series of actions in the first hour after waking up to start the day on the right foot.
As digital nomads (especially the independent ones among us).
We must have strong self-discipline that will allow us to compensate for the geographical distance, be productive and effective, and maintain continuous contact with clients, colleagues, family, and friends.
And healthy self-discipline always starts in the morning – every morning.
What Does an Ideal Digital Nomads Morning Routine Look Like?
There is no such thing as an ideal digital nomad morning routine!
We are different people with different needs.
However, there are some actions that I think will benefit the vast majority. Here’s what I do:
Make the bed
This action may seem trivial, but it actually psychologically prepares you to be productive later in the day.
This transition between lying in bed and proactive action, as simple as it may be, makes a kind of switch in our head and moves us from passivity to activity.
When you arrange the sheets you are actually transmitting to your subconscious: I take responsibility for my day in an active and proactive way.
Easy jogging / aerobic activity:
Aerobic activity encourages sweating, which in turn lowers the level of cortisol (the stress hormone) in the body.
The motor drive of the body, combined with the cool wind on your face, will make you feel alive and energetic and will bring your body out of its comatose state quickly.
You don’t need more than ten minutes – it’s not a workout.
Yoga
While sleeping, our body gathers inward, and the muscles contract – especially in winter.
The slow movements and deep breaths will put your body into a state of high awareness, maximum alertness, and precise movement.
Automatic writing
After taking care of the body, it’s time to take care of the mind.
The best way to do this, in my opinion, is by doing some automatic writing – a technique that involves writing down your thoughts in a stream-of-consciousness style, without censoring or judging them.
The goal is to simply get all the thoughts out of your head so that you can start the day with a clean slate.
This will allow you to think more clearly and make better decisions throughout the day.
Gratitude
Most of us spend a good part of our day thinking about what we’re missing, what’s wrong with us, or what’s wrong with the government.
But what will happen if for just a few minutes you try to look at the bright side of things and think about what you’re grateful for?
Studies in positive psychology show time and time again that sincere and genuine gratitude contributes to our peace of mind.
But most of us know that. What many of us don’t know is that gratitude is a mental muscle that can be trained – just like the pull-ups at the gym, the more you do it, the stronger it gets.
Write 10 things you are grateful for every morning.
Tony Robbins does this every morning and says it’s one of the most important things he does.
Related: How to Spread Good Vibes & Positive Energy As A Digital Nomad
Breakfast
After all this, it’s time for the most important meal of the day: breakfast.
You’ve probably heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but you may not know why.
The theory is that breakfast “breaks the fast” – it’s the first meal you have after a long period of not eating (i.e., overnight).
Your body needs food for energy, and breakfast is the perfect time to get it.
There are endless possibilities for what you can eat for breakfast, but I usually go for something simple like oatmeal with fruit or eggs and toast.
Meditation
After automatic writing, I like to do a short meditation session.
I sit down in a comfortable position, close my eyes, and focus on my breath.
I try to clear my mind of all thoughts and just focus on the present moment.
I usually do this for about five minutes, but you can do it for as long or as short as you like.
How long should the morning routine last?
This ceremony lasts between an hour and an hour and a half – no more.
Remember: the goal is to stimulate the body, clear the head, charge both with positive energies, and prepare them for the challenges of the day.
Related: Challenges of Being a Digital Nomad
If you try to do too much, you’ll end up tired and stressed, and that’s not what we’re going for here.
What should you NOT do in your morning routine?
Stay away from the screens
That means no phone, no computer, no TV.
The idea is to disconnect from the outside world and connect with yourself.
If you start your day by looking at pictures of other people’s perfect lives on Instagram or reading the news, you’re setting yourself up for comparison and dissatisfaction.
So just stay away from screens for the first hour or so of your day.
Stay away from the news
For the same reason, you should also stay away from the news.
The news is designed to sell advertising space, not to inform you.
And even if it did inform you, do you really need to know about all the bad stuff that’s happening in the world first thing in the morning?
No, you don’t.
So just stay away from the news and start your day off on a positive note.
Final thoughts
The morning is your quality time with yourself, and time to clear your mind.
This morning routine for digital nomads will require you to get up earlier and give up an hour of the day, but everything good in life requires some sacrifice.
Abraham Lincoln once said: If I had an hour to cut down a tree, I would spend the first 45 minutes sharpening my ax.
The same is true for your mind.
If you want to be successful, you need to sharpen your mind first.
And the best way to do that is with a morning routine.
Start with one habit at a time, and practice it well for three weeks before moving on to the next habit.
Within a few weeks, you will jump out of bed with enthusiasm.
Remember: When you win the morning – you have a good chance to win the day. Good luck π
- Improve your digital nomad skills
- Become a Digital Nomad
- To be my friend
