Making a Morning Routine
By now you’ve probably heard of the “morning routine” and its benefits. I started my own morning routine over five years ago and it has profoundly improved my life. For me, my morning routine is less about productivity and more about self care. Doing something good for myself and cultivating a positive headspace in the morning sets me up to have a better day and be the best version of myself. After workshopping and practicing my routine in different forms for many years, I wanted to share my personal experience and provide a framework which I hope will help you curate a morning routine of your own.
Why I love my morning routine
My mental state at the beginning of the day sets the tone for the rest of the day. Your mind is a blank state at the start of each day. What you write on that slate matters and will likely stay there for the rest of the day. For example, if I wake up feeling stressed and don’t do anything to address it, I’ll continue feeling stressed for most of the day and may be easily overwhelmed. Conversely, if I start my day with gratitude, that feeling will trickle into my future experiences and interactions and help reframe them in a new way.
Sometimes, I try to set an intention to return to throughout the day. For example, challenging myself to be non-reactive when something doesn’t go as planned. Setting this intention early puts it top of mind and changes how I perceive events that otherwise might have upset me. You want to start your day at a high - from a place of calm, strength, and confidence - so that you’re ready to face any challenges that come your way.
I’m able to do the things I care about. I want to frontload the things I care about, because they have a significantly lower chance of getting derailed in the morning. As the day progresses, things come up; last minute plans get made, work drags on, or you may just end up feeling tired/burnt out. You may throw in the towel and not end up doing the things you planned to do. But in the morning, nobody is bothering you. You usually have the most energy and fewest distractions.
I’m guaranteed to have a good day. No matter what else happens in the day, I’m happy knowing that I did something good for myself. I believe we are happiest when we’ve invested time in ourselves. Life is all about knowing ourselves better, being the best version of ourselves. Pouring love and energy into yourself is something you’ll never regret.
Step 1: Brainstorming
Better, not best. Before we dive into the specifics, remember that your morning routine can, will, and should evolve. It’s easy to fall into the trap of wanting to cram everything into your first routine, but then it becomes way too ambitious to ever really tackle, and you never end up establishing a morning routine at all. Focus your brainstorming on setting yourself up for success rather than on “productivity”. The goal is to be better and better each day, not the absolute best.
What would make my day better? Start by reflecting on your current life - both what you do and how you feel. What do your mornings look like? How do you feel in the morning? What does your day look like? How do you feel at the end of the day? For example, do you wake up feeling well-rested or tired? Rushed or relaxed? Stressed or excited? Do you wish you worked out more consistently or spent more time on a hobby?
Next, reflect on what would make your day better. For example, maybe you’d like to have time for breakfast in the morning, be more level-headed throughout the day, get better sleep, or make sure you get a workout in. This brainstorming will help inform your core activities.
What are my core activities? Your core activities are the main activities you will be designing your morning routine around. A core activity can be as quick and simple as expressing gratitude for one thing every morning, or as long and involved as going for a morning run. I would start with just one or two core activities. Remember, the goal of your routine is not to do everything you’ve ever wanted to do, but rather to invest some time into yourself every morning to make yourself and your day better. For each core activity, think about (1) how it contributes to improving your mood, (2) if it’s something you can easily commit to doing, and (3) how long you want to spend on it.
Step 2: Building
Work backwards. We make time for the things we want to make time for. That’s why I suggest working backwards from your “end time” all the way to your bedtime.
End time. When is your hard stop to your morning routine? I recommend sticking to the same routine and end time every day - the more well-defined your routine is, the more likely you’ll stick with it. If you have a variable work schedule, choose an open-ended activity for your “extra” time or just use it as free time. For example, if your routine is from 7AM to 8AM, but some days you don’t need to go into work until 9AM, use that “extra” hour as free time instead of moving your end time on those days.
Wake up time. When do you need to wake up in order to complete your morning routine? How much time will you need for each core activity? How much time will you need for other basic needs such as brushing your teeth, showering, getting dressed? Play around with the timing and ordering of things. Be generous about allocating time - the last thing you want is to feel rushed. Set yourself up for success by giving yourself ample time to both complete your core activities and get ready for the day.
Bedtime. Your morning routine actually begins the night before. Being well-rested and setting the intention the previous night is crucial in making sure you carry out your routine the next day. How much sleep do you need? When do you need to be in bed? When do you need to get ready for bed? When do you need to be home? When is your cut-off time for evening activities? Being unyielding in your bedtime, I’ve found, is the hardest and most important step in having a successful morning routine. When you have a variable bedtime, it’s easy to stay up too late, feel exhausted the next morning, and justify sleeping in or skipping your routine.
Step 3: Practicing
Commit in advance. So you’ve defined your morning routine, but how do you successfully execute it? Again, my biggest advice is to commit the night before. Tell yourself that you’ll practice your routine for one full week, and do everything in your power to achieve that. Have a hard cut off time for evening activities and a consistent bedtime. Over time, you’ll figure out how to adapt your existing life to fit with your routine.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. When I first started my routine, I was really hard on myself. If I missed one day or even just started late, I felt like I had failed and would “give up” on my morning routine for the rest of the week. But you can’t let perfect be the enemy of good. You’ll have some amazing mornings and some not-so-great ones, but the important thing is that you keep trying.
Change your routine! Recognize what is and isn’t working for you and make adjustments. My routine has changed depending on my job, commute, personal needs and interests, mental health, living situation, etc. What works for one permutation of your life doesn’t always work for another. It’s ok for your routine to evolve, to shorten or lengthen, to increase or decrease in intensity. Your routine is for YOU - cater it to your changing needs.