Pause for a moment and picture your perfect morning. What does it look like?
An ideal start to the day might include breakfast and an episode of a favorite show. Perhaps the perfect rise-and-shine recipe is yoga and a shower. Maybe a great a.m. is as simple as having just 10 minutes to yourself to enjoy a cup of hot coffee.
A great morning often leads to a great day — and, unfortunately, the opposite is true.
How many great days begin with running late, feeling scattered, or stressing about all the things? Sure we’re all going to have those mornings occasionally. But one of the best ways to get the day started off right is with a mindful, positive morning routine.
Why a Morning Routine Matters
The morning sets the tone for the entire day. And there are psychological and physical benefits to having a morning routine. Having a morning routine can increase energy, productivity, and positivity.
That’s great and all, but getting up early to dedicate time to a morning routine is hard. Moms don’t exactly have the luxury of waking up refreshed every day and taking the time to do our favorite things before the demands of children and the day begin.
A Different Approach to the Morning Routine
So, let’s break some “rules” about morning routines.
1. The first “rule” to break: A morning routine means getting up super early.
You’ve probably read at least one article or social media quote from a CEO or influential person that notes getting up early is the secret to success.
Not everyone is a morning person, and that’s okay.
Even as an admitted morning person myself, I believe that it doesn’t matter when you start the day. What does matter is how you start the day.
2. The second “rule” to break: A morning routine has to be exactly the same every day.
I know that sounds wrong. I mean, I Googled the word routine and it literally means, “a sequence of actions regularly followed,” or, “a fixed program.”
But you know what? People are not robots. We are designed for flexibility. A morning routine doesn’t have to be a mindless run-through of the same activities every day. Instead, it should be mindful and based on what you need that day.
Sure, there should be key pieces that are present most mornings. For example, I begin every morning with coffee, gratitude, and a strict no-phone rule. Other days, my routine includes those things, plus maybe exercise, yoga, breakfast, and likely a lot of water.
A condensed, short morning routine is better than skipping it altogether. Some days, you just needed that extra 15 minutes (or more) of sleep, but can still benefit from a staple or two.
Start by thinking about what makes you feel in control and be at your best. Think about what makes you feel calm and like “you.” Then, start small. Commit to a couple simple things, a few dedicated minutes every morning.
Here are my favorite morning components:
Ideas for Your Morning Routine
1. Sip a Beverage
For most moms, coffee is the morning beverage of choice. But consider taking in water as part of a morning routine, too.
There are many benefits to drinking water. It increases red blood cell count and oxygen to the brain to help increase energy levels, can boost metabolism, and it’s a natural way to help detox the body. Also, if you are looking to up your water intake each day, starting in the morning can help achieve that goal.
2. Practice Gratitude
There are many different ways to practice gratitude. A morning habit may be a meditation of sorts, a simple pause to think about what you’re grateful for going into the day. Journaling is another option.
Aside from being hard working mothers raising children and trying to do a million other things in life, this world is chaotic. It is easy to feel hopeless and overwhelmed some days. The simple pause to acknowledge all that is good, first thing in the morning, holds a lot of power to carry you through the rest of the day.
3. Exercise
One of the toughest yet most gratifying morning habits is exercise. And I’ve found the key to the early sweat sesh is to make it the workout you really want to do.
For example, some days, I want to be up to see the sunrise. I’ll plan that day for the early morning run or yoga session. Other mornings, lifting heavy things is exactly what I need.
Make it meaningful and it’ll be easier to get up for it.
4. Eat Breakfast
I can’t describe a great morning where breakfast is not included. Some people aren’t breakfast eaters or maybe prefer to wait until later in the morning to have it. But it’s definitely worth a thought if you’re looking for more energy and focus.
5. Just Breathe
How many times a day do we stop and just breathe? To take a pause? A few calming, deep breaths can be the ultimate stress relief and promote other health benefits.
If there’s no time for anything else in the morning, do this one.
What Not To Do in Your Morning Routine
While I think that not much should be off-limits for a morning routine, I will offer one tip of what to leave out of your morning: your phone.
It is incredibly tempting to begin the day by checking email, social media, the news, basically getting sucked into the scroll. But one of the problems with all of those things?
They all major buzzkills.
Check your phone later. The work emails, news stories, and whatever so-and-so did last night that left them feeling #blessed will still be there.
A final thought is to remember that a good morning routine often begins at night.
Once you figure out what matters most in the morning, see if there are parts of it you can do at night. Lay out your workout clothes for the next morning if you plan to get up and exercise. Set the coffee pot to brew before you get out of bed so your cup of joe is hot and ready.
Who else believes in the benefits of a morning routine? What are your morning rituals that best set you up for a successful day? Let us know in the comments below!
And search for more advice on morning routines on by blog, wellirl.com.