Building a Morning Routine That Works for You

Mornings and Mondays…two of the average working woman’s least favorite things. Am I right? If you struggle to get up in the morning, it might be time to develop a morning routine.

A morning routine doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. Keeping things simple can actually work in your favor. Setting up a routine helps keep you organized and alert as you get ready for what the day has in store for you. If you start off your morning right, you’ve got a better chance of having a successful day overall.

So here’s how to set up a good morning routine to all but ensure your daily success.

Why A Morning Routine Is Important

Ever have a really crappy morning and that frustration follows you for the rest of the day?

Having a morning routine in place gives you the best chance of starting the day off right. While it feels like a lot of work to develop a routine, it’s actually going to save you a lot of time and stress in the long run.

It’s easy to sleep in as late as possible, unhappily roll out of bed, and sluggishly start off your day. But if you don’t wake up on time, you’ll get hit with responsibilities as soon as you wake up. Your mind needs time to reboot after being asleep. Give it the chance to wake up slowly, rather than making it tackle chores as soon as you get out of bed.

People who stick to a morning routine that works for them are more likely to have a more productive day with less stress.

Sounds like something you’d like in your own life? Here’s how you can get started making that happen for you.

Your Morning Routine Organizer

Are you new to building a good morning routine? You certainly aren’t alone! If you want to start your day intentionally, rather than rolling out of bed and hoping for the best, here are some things to consider adding to the morning routine.

1. Stop Hitting the Snooze Button

It is so tempting to tell your alarm clock “just five more minutes!” But hitting snooze for a few moments more won’t make you feel more rejuvenated or wakeful throughout the day. Five more minutes of sleep won’t make a difference in how sleepy you are, but adding five more minutes to your morning could go a long way in helping you stay organized.

Are you a chronic snooze button hitter? If so, put your alarm clock far enough out of reach that you need to get out of bed to turn it off. Once you’re up, going back into bed is a conscious decision you have to make. Getting up and out of bed is the hard part. Once you’ve conquered that, you can keep that forward momentum going.

2. Take Your Medication

Many people have morning meds they need to take. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to forget them when your brain is still half asleep.

If you struggle to remember to take your meds, give your brain a reason to remember it. Here are some examples:

Use a pill organizer. Not only will the pill organizer help you to remember to take them in the first place, but you’ll also know for sure you took them if you can’t remember later on.
Tie it to something you will remember. If you’re like me, you won’t forget to make your coffee in the morning. I keep my medication in a drawer under the coffee maker. As I let my coffee brew, I take my meds.
Don’t let it be out of sight, out of mind. If you keep your pills in a drawer, put them out on the counter before you go to bed. Then when you get up, you’ll see them, take them, and then you can put them away.

3. Get Blood Flowing

While it’s tempting to roll out of bed and slump onto the couch to eat breakfast and scroll through social media, that won’t really get you mentally and physically ready for the day.

You can start as soon as you get up by doing some light stretches. Just slowly bend down, let the top half of your body hang loose, take a deep breath, and then roll up slowly, like you’re stacking your vertebrae on top of each other. End by reaching up towards the ceiling and getting up on your tiptoes. This simple motion as soon as you get out of bed can get the blood flowing and set you up for a more wakeful morning.

4. Get in the Right Mindset

Starting your day with a grateful, clear mind helps you have a thoughtful, productive day. There are quite a few ways you could introduce mindfulness into your perfect morning routine.

Start a gratitude journal. Don’t roll your eyes just yet. You don’t have to write a five-page paper. If you want, journaling could take no more than 30 seconds. To keep it simple, you could write down three things you’re grateful for. Or you could write down your intention for the day. You don’t have to write anything extensive.
Do a short mindfulness exercise. If you’re going to close your eyes to do a breathing exercise, don’t lay down! Do it sitting up so you stay alert and don’t fall back to sleep. You could use an app like Insight Timer, which gives you thousands of free meditations. There are whole sections dedicated to starting your day right.

Mindfulness doesn’t even have to be anything formal. Just taking a few deep breaths and thinking about what you’re grateful for can get you started on the right path for a great rest of the day.

And whatever you choose to do, make sure you do it before unlocking that phone to scroll through social media.

5. Eat a Healthy Breakfast

How many times have you heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day? Making breakfast a priority gives you the energy you need to start your day on the right foot. You wouldn’t get in a car with no gas and expect it to get you where you need to go.

You don’t need to make anything complicated. And you can easily prep your breakfast the day before to make your morning easier.

But if you don’t have time to make anything, even just grabbing a granola bar is better than going on an empty stomach.

And no, coffee is not breakfast. (But while we’re on the topic of beverages, try to drink at least one full glass of water before heading out the door (or opening up your laptop) for work.)

Your Morning Routine Is For You

You can watch as many morning routine TikToks and Instagram posts as you want.

But if you don’t create a morning routine that works for your body and brain, it’s not going to work. You need to find and form morning habits that work for you.

Some of us will never be a morning person. And that’s okay. A great morning routine doesn’t always have to involve getting up at 4:00 am to work out and read a book before the sun rises. Make your morning routine realistic. You’re more likely to reduce stress and feel good at the start of the day if you set up goals you can achieve on a regular basis.

Sarah Margaret Henry

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Author, Artist, Photographer.

Sarah Margaret is an artist who expresses her love for feminism, equality, and justice through a variety of mediums: photography, filmmaking, poetry, illustration, song, acting, and of course, writing.

She owns Still Poetry Photography, a company that showcases her passion for capturing poetic moments in time. Instead of poetry in motion, she captures visual poetry in fractions of a second, making cherished keepsakes of unforgettable moments.

She is the artist behind the Still Poetry Etsy shop, which houses her illustrations and bespoke, handmade items. She is the author of intricacies are just cracks in the wall, a narrative poetry anthology that follows a young woman discovering herself as she emerges from an abusive relationship.