Do you wish you were a morning person? Do you hit snooze for a half hour before dragging yourself out of bed? Do you rush around in the morning and end up leaving the house frazzled or stressed out? Already? At whatever time it is. Do you wish your days started out a little more peacefully? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you are in need of a morning routine! “Morning Routine” might not sound easy, but it doesn’t have to be hard. I’m here to share the 6 essential parts of a morning routine.
Let me start off by saying I was never a “morning person.” I love sleeping. I love my bed. By nature, I am more of a “night owl” than a morning person for sure. But, I have come around to the cold hard fact that mornings are an important part of the day. Sometimes we have to adjust and do things out of our comfort zones to see change.
I have also come to realize that having a morning routine in place makes me a happier, more productive person and makes the rest of my day much better.
When I first started exercising back in 2012 I would exercise at night. That was what worked for me and it worked for a while, but there came a time when I started missing workouts. Life changed. Nights got busier and I found myself too tired at night to get those workouts done. I grudgingly accepted the fact that if I was going to get my workouts done (I knew by then that they were a priority for me) I’d have to get them done in the morning. It wasn’t an easy transition.
Once I got the exercise part down, I added other pieces to my morning routine. Some days I might do a little more, some days a little less, but there are 6 main parts that I make every effort to do each day.
6 Essential Parts of a Morning Routine
- Drink Water. First thing in the morning I fill a 20-ounce water bottle. If I’m exercising that morning I drink the water during my workout and finish it as soon as I’m done. If it’s a day when I’m not exercising, I drink the whole bottle right away. If that sounds like too much water, start smaller and gradually increase the amount. It’s important to hydrate your body after sleeping. It also sets you up to drink more water throughout the day.
- Exercise. I know a lot of people think they could never exercise in the morning. I was one of them! I also know if you give it a chance and enough time to get used to it you’ll find you can do it. You are more likely to exercise if you get it done first thing! But, if you are not willing to go there just yet, that’s fine. Instead of doing a full workout do 5 minutes of exercise. Or just stretch for a minute or two. It’s a great way to wake your body up and get going.
- Read. Read in the morning? Yes. I know it might sound crazy. I know you might be saying who has time for that? But reading something positive in the morning can have a huge impact on your life. I try to read for 15 minutes or so, but if that sounds like too much go for 5 minutes. Or listen to an audiobook or a podcast while you get ready for the day. Make it something positive, motivating, inspirational. Think of an area in your life you would like to change and look up books or podcasts about it. Want to be more confident? Google “confidence podcasts.” Need help budgeting? Google “books about budgeting.” Whatever it is you’re looking to improve there is something out there for you. Or just look up inspirational audio books for general good thoughts and feelings early in the day.
- Write. Again, I know this might sound crazy. You don’t have to write a book. If you like to write, do a little writing in the morning. Just whatever is in your head. If you don’t like to write maybe just jot down a list- of things you have to do, things that are on your mind. Write down one thing you’d like to do that day. Something I try to do each day towards the end of my little morning routine is write down something I’m grateful for. Lots of days it’s the same general thing. Some days it’s something very simple. But writing can be a great release. And a great way to start your day with more intention.
- Meditation. I just heard that daily meditation can actually physically change your brain in 8 weeks. Isn’t that crazy? I am a big believer in the benefits of meditation. There are several apps and websites that can help you get started with this. Ideally, you’d have 5-10 minutes at least to devote to mediation, but even a minute or two can help you feel calmer and more centered as you start your day.
- Make your bed. This is something else I came to grudgingly. I was never a bed maker, and I’m not very neat. But making your bed makes your whole room look and feel neater. There’s also something to be said for accomplishing a task, no matter how small, early in the day. You’ve already been productive! It’s a good habit to get into and if you’re not doing it already why not make it part of your new morning routine?
Do I do this every single morning without fail? No. But I try. Today I was really tired after being away for the weekend. I did hit snooze for a half hour (or more). So all I got to do was exercise and drink water. As soon as I had a chance, I listened to a podcast I love. During the rest of the day, I’ll squeeze in time to write and meditate. So don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good. Craft your own morning routine and do your best to get in the habit of doing it each day. When you don’t have time for everything do what you can.
I recently read a book about creating your morning routine. It’s called The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. Definitely worth checking out! You can buy it from Amazon here. Before I read the book I wasn’t writing or meditating in the morning. I’ve loved what those two things bring to my morning. I hope to read the book again.
These 6 facets of a morning routine can help your mood, your attitude, and really set you up for a good day. Maybe your routine will look a little different. Maybe you can pick 1 or 2 things to start with and try adding on more when you’ve been in the habit of having a morning routine.
Do you already have a morning routine? I’d love to hear about it!
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