Hey, my lovely friends! I don’t know about you, but I get more done and feel more productive when I start my day off right. And one of the best ways I’ve found to do that is by creating a morning routine and sticking with it. Today I’ll be sharing a few tips and ideas for creating a routine that works for you, along with sharing my own routine for inspiration! This is not an exhaustive post; I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas on morning routines as well.
Tips for Making Your Best Routine
Creating a morning routine helps to start your day off right and can set the tone of the rest of your day. Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way, as well as a few from Science of People.
- Keep your wake-up time consistent.
- Eat a healthy breakfast.
- Stretch, do a light workout, or go for a walk to wake yourself up fully.
- Take a quick shower, do your skincare, etc.
- Start small.
- Don’t stress if it takes a while to build this new habit.
Morning ROutine Ideas
(Special thanks to my friends for sharing their morning routines with me for inspiration!)
Set your alarm for a certain time. This is the foundation of your morning! Please don’t hit the snooze button repeatedly; it doesn’t help. Here’s what I did: I started with my alarm set half an hour earlier than I usually got up. After a week or so doing that, I moved it back another fifteen minutes. Doing that made the transition easier.
Do a short yoga session or other type of stretching. After sleeping all night, your body might feel tight and in need of relaxing. Do some yoga or a few various stretches to help you feel better.
Go for a walk or a run. This would be a good way to meet up with a friend and catch up with each other on what’s been happening in your life lately. Or you could go for a fast solo run around the park. Either way, make sure you put safety first and pay attention to what’s around you.
Write your to-do list for the day. Write down all the things you need to get done, along with the things you want to get done.
Make yourself breakfast (and your family too, if you can). Even if you’re not a breakfast person, please don’t skip eating entirely! An apple, a yogurt, or an egg are good small breakfasts. My favorite thing to make in the morning is a smoothie bowl with granola.
Take a cold shower. One of my friends does this, and she said it’s a great way to wake up and be ready to tackle the day. I don’t take a shower, but I do wash my face with cold water and that works just as well.
Do your devotional time. I believe that the morning is the best time to spend time with God. It gives you something to think about, strength for the day, and guides your thoughts and actions.
Get your Duolingo done. If you do Duolingo, you know how Duo gets if you wait too long to do the days lesson. Why not get it done while eating breakfast, or running on the treadmill? Then it’s done, your streak is extended, and Duo is happy.
Write in your journal. This could be many different things. I have a friend (and I’ve done this too) who does a gratitude journal. Every day, she writes down three things she’s grateful for. You could also journal about the day before, doodle some flowers or something, or write about something that you enjoy. The sky’s the limit!
Message a friend “Good morning!” One of my favorite things is when I open Instagram and see a good morning message from a friend! You could also call a friend to say hi, if that works for the both of you.
What to Avoid
DON’T get on your phone right away. This is hard, I know! But if you can resist the urge to check social media right away, instead spending that time reading, talking with your family, or doing a quick workout, the morning goes better. If you’re on your phone right after getting up, I’ve discovered that it’s easier to keep scrolling and lose track of time. And that defeats the purpose of a consistent routine!
DON’T do too much, too soon. A morning routine is a habit, just like anything else. It needs to be built up over time. It’s better to start small and work your way up, than try to do everything all at once and give up after only a few weeks.
DON’T compare your mornings with someone else’s. Everyone’s morning will be different. Spend your morning the way that works best for you and enjoy it!
DON’T feel like you have to do your complete routine every morning. Some mornings don’t allow for a slower start. Maybe you have to head out the door to an early practice or an early work shift. I’ve had days where all I get done is making my bed and eating breakfast. And that’s alright! It makes me appreciate the days where I can do everything all the more.
DON’T incorporate activities just because you feel like you “have to.” For me personally. this would be a morning walk/run. I have no idea why I feel like I have to do this, yet I do. I occasionally go for a morning run if my evening is busy.
My Morning Routine
My alarm goes off at 6:15. I start with my devotional and Bible reading first thing. I’m going through a Proverbs 31 study by Donna Partow, and reading Ecclesiastes. I try to spend at least 20 minutes on this.
Next, I make my bed, tidy up my room, and go downstairs for breakfast. I often make a smoothie bowl with granola, or oatmeal with fruit. I also fill up my water bottle with ice water and fill my smaller water bottle with lemon water.
While I’m eating, I write my to-do list for the day. Some things stay the same day to day, like music practice, gardening, and tidying downstairs. Other tasks are every other day or weekly things. Three things I make sure are always on my list are a workout, a yard/garden task, and cleaning of some sort.
Finally, I go outside and take care of the animals. This is often when I do what I need to in the garden as well.
Let’s Chat!
Do you have a morning routine? How do you start your day? Do you notice a difference when you do it and when you don’t?
