Starting The Day The Best Way

Current NHS pressures aside, my current working routine is as predictable as it has ever been. This is not exactly where I thought I would be, given my chosen specialism, but that was how it worked out.?

For about a decade I was a ‘junior doctor’, a ‘doctor in training’ if you like. As a side note this terminology is very confusing for everyone involved. I graduated from medical school in 2007 and became a very junior doctor, but still an adult professional person in gainful employment.?

You are technically still a ‘junior doctor’ until substantive employment starts, which is either when you complete postgraduate training and become a consultant in your specialism of choice.?

Some people choose not to enter or continue with training and will take up non-training posts, so I feel it would be unfair to refer to them as ‘junior doctors’ as they are also key members of the workforce.?

The terminology is problematic and part of a system wide infantilization of professional people, but I am sure other professions suffer the same issue.?

The problem with shift work

For the decade or so that I was going through postgraduate medical training, as you would expect/imagine I worked through a variety of shift patterns. With the exception of 4 months spent in general practice, this shift pattern rotated across the 24 hours of each day (so I would work days, evenings, nights at different times etc).?

This was especially the case when I reached the stage of choosing a specialism, which for me was Emergency Medicine (aka Accident and Emergency). As you would expect, the departments need to have doctors on duty 24 hours a day.?

I became very accustomed to being a shift worker working across the 24/7, in fact there were some great perks to not being a nine to five person. A notable one was the random days off during the week, which made it easier to arrange dental appointments etc.?

However, it did make it challenging to maintain any kind of routine in my life. As a result I never really had things like a morning routine. I didn't really have specific times when I would go shopping for food, go to the gym etc.?

As a result my sleeping, eating and exercise habits were all over the place. With the aid of the retrospectoscope I can see that this is how I ended up in the hole that I found myself in around the time I completed training and took up my first consultant post. I describe this in more detail in a previous blog/post, if you are interested in hearing more.?

Bringing routine into my life

Routines were a low hanging fruit in terms of my personal development. Reaching a point in my career where the working pattern was a bit more regular and reliable also made this more feasible.?

There are a few different areas of the day where a routine can be helpful- morning, evening, transition into and out of work. I will mainly focus here on morning routine, as this has had the biggest impact on my life.?

When I first started working with my own coach/mentor a few years back, this was one of the cornerstones of the programme I was introduced to.?

And it started quite simply- get up a bit earlier in the morning.?

As someone who was accustomed to shift work (I certainly thought I was accustomed to it) I was more familiar with sleeping until I woke up, or when my alarm went off.?

On reflection, I can identify that I used to struggle to get myself up for a dayshift in particular. I would often get up at the last possible opportunity (sometimes after), get myself ready and head to work in a rush.?

To be entirely honest there were times where I didn't feel like I was properly awake until about lunchtime, certainly late morning at the very least.?

In many ways I was chasing my tail for 50% of the day.?

On top of this I was very much a ‘night owl’ at the time. I used to stay up until late at night, usually watching TV but occasionally this was my productive time where I might be reading, studying for exams or updating my training portfolio.?

My other half used to frequently ask why I wasn't going to bed on the occasions that I didn't have anything essential to do. The only answer I could come up with, which didn't make any sense on reflection, was that I was worried about missing out on something. Unspecified FOMO keeping me awake at night.?

So, it's safe to say that ‘just getting up a bit earlier’ was a bit of a change for me.

Morning routine

I had aspired for many years to be the ‘kind of person’ that gets up early and does exercise etc (I didn't really have a clue what I would do other than that initially), but had never really managed it.?

How did I make it work this time? By first connecting with my identity, values and vision. I could then see who I was, where I was and the rules of the game as I understood them.?

I could also see now why I wanted to get up earlier, and how this aligned with my vision for the future.?

It started very simply- go to bed slightly earlier, get up slightly earlier. Rinse and repeat. Over time get up slightly earlier (making sure to adjust bedtime too!).?

This created time and space for me to insert some activities. I was a bit unsure what was best to do with this time, so I did the thing that most people do- tried out the things I saw other people were doing.?

Meditation, mobility/stretching, reading, online learning, online workshops, exercise, breathing exercises.?

Being entirely honest there were times where I crammed far too much into my morning routine. This took some of the positive sheen off it, but I instinctively felt like this time in the morning was somehow my ‘super-power’, if only I could harness it.?

Having some time in the morning before anyone else was awake allowed me to invest this time in myself, avoiding trying to fit these things in around the hustle and bustle of daily life.?

I am in a really good place with my morning routine now. I go to bed early and get up early (I won't share the time for now in case people start comparing and feeling twitchy- feel free to message me if you want to discuss morning routines!).?

I enjoy some coffee and can spend some time reflecting on the previous day and the day ahead. I partake in the wisdom of some thought leaders and can work on personal development and side projects. All before anyone else in the house wakes up.?

Since starting this habit a few years ago my morning routine has changed a lot, and the reality is that it will continue to do so over time.?

I still very much regard my morning routine as my ‘superpower’, so watch out for ‘morning routine man’ coming to a Marvel film near you soon.?

Establishing your own morning routine

If you have read to this point, you may be comparing what I have described to your own experiences. You may even be thinking that you would like to start your own morning routine, or make some changes to what you already do.?

So, where to begin with establishing the right morning routine for you??

As with all things the starting point is to consider- why do you want to do this? How does this align with your vision? What will a morning routine give you??

If you just fancy trying it out, fair enough. It might work and it might stick, but in all likelihood you won't stick with it and see the full potential.?

Compare and contrast with ‘I want to get up earlier and have a consistent morning routine because it will allow me space to invest some time in my future health, well-being and personal development’.?

Does this guarantee that you will stick with it? Of course not. But there is a much higher degree of alignment with your vision, whatever that may be.?

It's not possible for me to outline a specific morning routine that will suit you as a person. This will vary widely from person to person. But there are a few elements that I incorporate in my morning routine despite how it changes.?

How you start the routine is most important. Bear in mind that you may not have fully woken up immediately. Try not to be put off by this, the hard part is avoiding the snooze button and getting physically out of bed. You will feel better quickly.?

Do something that gets your day started in the best possible way, bearing in mind that you ARE what you expose yourself to. I would advocate for avoiding your phone and things like news and email. What do you need to do to start the day in the best mindset? Go for a walk, meditate (bearing in mind the risk of falling asleep first thing in the morning) or perhaps read. Anything that is for YOU and steers you towards a great start.?

After you get started it's an open gambit. Broadly speaking I would include something for personal development, remembering that this time is designed to be for YOU. To give you the best possible start to your day. Online learning, reading, learning a new skill. There is so much you could do to develop yourself during this time. The power of small, consistent actions performed each day as part of your morning routine is so powerful.?

The other main pillar of what to include in your morning routine is health. What can you do to benefit your health? I would advocate for some form of exercise here, and it doesn't have to be intense stuff. Going for a long walk is a fantastic form of physical exercise. CHeck in with your physical health vision here, do you have specific fitness goals? Consistent activity done each day will be a great investment in your longer term health and well-being.?

That is morning routine in a nutshell. Go to bed earlier, get up earlier. Design something that works for you using the broad categories above- getting a good start, personal development and physical health.?

There are so many things that could be included, and you need to be careful that you don't overload yourself or take on too many things that are better done elsewhere in the day. For example, this is probably not the best time to be catching up with any work you are lagging behind on.?

Your morning routine is a great way to make YOU a priority. And by doing this, you will ensure you show up for the other people in your life the best way.?

How would you rate your current morning routine??

Do you need any help or advice in starting or changing yours?

Share your thoughts below.