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This month I have been focusing on creating a good morning routine. Notice that I said good. Sometimes that simply means “good enough,” because I am far from perfect. Not every day goes according to plan. But by creating a new routine, I am hoping to create some habits that will actually stick for good.
If you find yourself hitting your snooze button way too many times each morning, dreading the start of your day, or rushing out the door last minute on a daily basis, then this post is dedicated to you. I have been you. Sometimes I am still the last minute lady, pulling myself out of bed much too late and running around trying to get out the door on time. I forgive myself. But I don’t want to live like that every day. I want to take back the power of my mornings.
How to create a morning routine that works:
- Go to bed early enough so that you have the amount of sleep every night that your body truly needs to feel refreshed.
- Wake up at a time that truly works for you. You can say that you want to wake up at six every day and mean it, but it won’t mean a thing unless you are truly happy waking up at that time. Perhaps, realistically, you prefer to wake up at seven instead of six. If you push yourself too much to wake up at a time that does not truly work for you, then you are setting yourself up for a miserable morning. Find a time that really does work for you, not against you.
- Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. The first few weeks may be difficult, but once you establish the habit you will be able to maximize your new routine.
- Wake up in a positive way. Perhaps alarm clocks are too brutal for a wake up call or maybe you prefer a very loud alarm. Wake up in a way that makes you feel good: perhaps to your favorite song, a radio station you enjoy, or with a morning meditation app.
- Have unplugged mornings, or at least a half hour of unplugged time when you first wake up to keep yourself feeling refreshed. Reduce the digital noise.
- Do one thing every morning that brings joy and energy to your day: it can be any exercise or activity that makes you happy and helps you feel good about yourself. Perhaps you love to sew, color, craft, dance, listen to music, or even bake. Maybe you love building or fixing things or having extra time to meditate or go for a nature walk. You don’t need a lot of time for this activity. Just ten minutes is good enough if you have a limited amount of time to your morning every day. No time to squeeze one in right now? Consider waking up just ten minutes earlier to give yourself that precious time.
- Get dressed earlier rather than later. This way you feel ready for the day and you will not feel rushed when it is time to leave. Go a step further by picking out your outfit the night before to make your morning to-do list one item less.
- Eat a healthy breakfast every day. It doesn’t have to be big, but you should have something. This jump starts your metabolism and gives your brain. boost of energy for a more productive and happier day. Include a healthy beverage with this part of your routine such as water, water with lemon, orange juice, or tea.
How I applied this new routine to my life:
Taking back my mornings started with reclaiming my sleep. I now have a “bed time alarm” that reminds be to start getting ready for sleep by 10. I have created a night time routine that gets me in the cozy mood for sleep. By 10 I brush my teeth, wash my face, put up my hair, put on soothing organic lavender lotion, and slip into a comfortable pair of pajamas. All screens are off: lap top, television, and even my cell phone (unless I have it on for music or a meditation app). All lamps are turned off except for the one small lamp next to my bed. Then it is time for a relaxing activity in bed like reading a poem or a chapter of my latest book, coloring in a coloring book, or listening to a meditation story as I try to sleep.
When I make sure I have enough sleep, getting up in the morning is much easier. To be honest, I started simple with just getting up ten minutes earlier. If you can manage ten minutes earlier every morning you can eventually manage twenty, or thirty, or even an hour. Sometimes it is best to start small.
Here are the simple changes I made to my morning routine to bring more joy to day:
- I wake up a half hour earlier than I did before.
- I changed my alarm. Instead of listening to the blare of a cranky alarm clock, I now wake up to kind piano music. It is a more gentle way to start the day.
- I start my day from bed with a simple meditation, a bed yoga warm up or stretch, or reading a chapter in my latest book.
- Music in the mornings. This is a mood lifter. I have found some really amazing playlists on youtube that I can listen to right on my phone’s YouTube app. Some of my favorite playlists to look up are Indie music playlists. Oldies also have an amazing impact on uplifting my mood.
- I wear pajamas that I love. Feeling cozy and comfortable in the early morning makes the start of my day much happier.
- A work out in the mornings: In New England it is still very chilly every morning and I haven’t been able to bring myself to get outside for a walk, run, or bike ride. But I do like to dance in my living room. I look up Zumba dance routines on YouTube and dance for about fifteen minutes to truly wake up and energize in a fun way. I have more energy for working out in the afternoons so I prefer my longer work out routine later in the day, but if you love some good cardio in the morning, a workout is a great way to start your day.
- After some movement comes a healthy breakfast. I am still not very hungry in the mornings, but I have been eating small breakfasts like oatmeal, a healthy cereal with almond milk, fruit like blueberries, melon, or a banana, or juiced fruits and vegetables.
- I get showered and dressed earlier in my mornings now to keep myself from feeling rushed or like I am getting ready right before I head out the door.
- After getting ready for the day, I enjoy a short amount of time to myself: time to blog, time to read, time for an activity that I enjoy and then I am out the door by 10:30. As you can see, I am fortunate to start my days later in the morning, but this routine can just as easily be done for an earlier day.
