I absolutely adore routine. I’m the type of person who needs a daily morning routine in order to function effectively and productively. If I don’t have a routine or a to do list, normally I end up wasting my time or not getting anything done.
So, routines for me are a necessity. I have weekday morning, afternoon, and evening routines as well as ones for the weekend as well. They aren’t always super strict and rigid. I give myself a little grace to modify my routine based on how the day goes.
Your routines don’t have to be rigid either. Whatever is going to be the most helpful to you to make your day easier and more productive is the best option.
Here are some ideas of things you can add to your morning routine to create a great start to your day. You don’t have to do all of them.
This list is to inspire you to cultivate a mindful morning to make way for a productive day.
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1. Prepare the night before.
Take time every evening to prepare a little bit for the next morning to help your day run smoothly. Even if it’s just 10 minutes you set aside before you go to bed, take some time to prep.
Pick out an outfit, prep your breakfast or lunch, plan your workout, etc. Ten minutes of preparing the night before will make it easier to wake up in the morning and get started with your day because you already have a head start.
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2. Wake up early.
“Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” This old adage has some truth to it.
There’s just something about having a slow start to the day that begins early on that is invigorating to the body and mind.
Aim to wake up about an hour before you need to start getting ready for the day, and you will have a little time to yourself to do something creative, mindful, or meaningful.
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3. Read something.
I don’t need to list all the benefits of reading in order to convince you that it’s a great thing to add to your morning. But one important thing to remember is that you typically will have fewer distractions if you read early in the morning.
Whether you read a chapter of a book, some poetry, an email newsletter, or a fascinating article, just read something.
4. Move.
You don’t have to have a full on workout in the morning if you don’t want to. Try starting your day with a little stretching or yoga to wake up your muscles.
I love doing holy yoga with Caroline Williams on YouTube. It’s such a relaxing practice that I enjoy.
Also, I personally enjoy going to the gym in the morning, too, because I am normally too tired to go after work.
Just do something in the morning to add some movement to your day.
5. Eat a healthy breakfast.
Since breakfast is the first meal of the day, it normally sets the tone for how you will eat the rest of the day. If you skip breakfast, you’re more likely to over eat at lunch. If you eat an unhealthy, unbalanced breakfast, you’re more likely to do the same throughout the day.
Choose a wholesome, balanced breakfast in the morning for a fresh start to the day. Some of my favorite breakfasts include:
- Fruit smoothies
- Greek yogurt and berries
- Oatmeal
- Avocado toast with eggs
- Breakfast sandwiches
- Fruit salad and whole grain toast
6. Make yourself look your best.
Take some time to focus on your appearance. If you wear makeup, create an everyday makeup routine. Take a little extra time styling your hair. Put together a comfortable outfit, and maybe take an #OOTD mirror selfie.
7. Make your bed.
Some people think it’s useless to make your bed because you’re just going to mess it up again later that night. But think of making your bed as the first big accomplishment you’ve done that day.
Every time you walk past your room during the day, you will see how clean your space is and what you’ve already accomplished. It will give you a boost of motivation throughout the day.
8. Have a morning ritual.
Take some time for a little self care to get your day started. Whether it’s something small that you do to pamper yourself or it’s a signal to your mind to tell you that your day has officially begun, you need some sort of morning ritual.
I personally like to do a mini crossword puzzle on an app on my phone every morning. It helps wake me up and wake up my mind, too.
Here are a few ideas for morning rituals:
- Light a candle or diffuse essential oils
- Cuddle your spouse
- Set your alarm to be your favorite song and wake up to it every morning
- Dance
- Turn on the kettle for some tea
9. Take your vitamins.
It’s always a good idea to invest in a multi-vitamin if you’re not currently required to take any other sort of supplement. Do your research on what type of vitamin is best for you and take it along with your breakfast.
10. Plan out your day.
Whether you make a to do list on a note in your phone or you have a large planner or bullet journal you write in, take time in the morning to write out what you need to do and look over your schedule and appointments for the day so you know what’s coming up.
Don’t wait until the middle of the day to write a to do list as you have already wasted valuable time that you could have been taking care of some of those tasks.
11. Meditate.
Take time to breathe when you first wake up instead of barreling head first into your day. Give yourself some time to get in a healthy head space.
Here are two of my favorite meditation apps that I like to use throughout the day:
- Smiling Mind: Free mindful meditations for home, work, and the classroom.
- Abide: Christian meditations. The app is free and there are free meditations you can do, but it is limited. There is a monthly subscription option that has hours of meditations and other resources you can use, too.
12. Don’t hit snooze.
It’s so much harder to get on with your day when you continuously snooze your alarm. It’s also not necessarily good for your health, either.
Set your alarm for when you need to wake up and resist the temptation to hit the snooze button.
13. Tidy up your space.
Set a timer for 10 minutes and see how much tidying up you can do in that time. Clear the dirty breakfast dishes off the table. Put your makeup and hair styling tools away. Hang up the clothes you decided not to wear. Put away the leftover food from breakfast.
Cleaning up your space before you go to work will make it that much better to come home to at the end of the day. It will inspire you to keep up with the trend of keeping your space clean and you will be less likely to drop your belongings wherever you want when you walk in the door.
14. Let some sunshine in.
Open the blinds or curtains and let in whatever natural light is available. Sunshine is good for you.
Even if the sun isn’t up yet, open the curtains so when the sun does rise, you will be able to let the light slowly leak into your space.
15. Play some music.
Create a playlist on your favorite music streaming service and play some happy tunes every morning. Your morning routine will be so much more enjoyable with some tunes!
You can make a special morning playlist, or you can just play some slow music from a favorite artist. Whatever is the most inspiring to you is what you should play to get your day started.
16. Hydrate.
It is SO important to hydrate yourself as soon as you wake up. Your body has just gone several hours without hydration.
Keep some water on your bedside table and drink it as soon as you wake up.
17. Get some fresh air.
Walk the dog. Go out on your balcony or porch. Open a window or two.
Fresh air is so rejuvenating and it can help your body and mind, especially if you spend a lot of your day cooped up at home or in a cubicle.
18. Be creative.
Take a little extra time in the morning to pursue creativity. Whatever your hobby is, use your time in the morning when your mind is newly awake to be creative.
These are a few ways you can be creative in the morning:
- Paint
- Write or blog
- Take some photos
- Research some recipes to bake later in the week
- Practice an instrument
- Warm up your voice and practice singing
- Draw
19. Take care of a living thing.
Having the responsibility to take care of something or someone gives you just a little sense of purpose in the day.
It could be taking care of your spouse or roommate, cuddling your cat, or watering your plants.
20. Greet the ones you love.
Send a good morning text to your mom, wake your husband up with a kiss, or send a funny meme to your best friend.
Share the love early in the day, and it will give you a brighter outlook on the rest of your day.
21. Journal.
Make a faith journal and write about what God has taught you from reading the Bible. Write out the interesting dream you had the night before. Write down all the things you are thinking in a journal to save it for later.
Writing things down helps you focus and recall information at a later moment in time.
22. Take care of your skin.
Splash your face with cold water to wake up your face. Use toner, serum, and moisturizer.
Analyze your skin and use treatments or face masks. Apply body lotion or body oil. Treat your skin well.
23. Repeat affirmations.
Another mindful practice you can add to your morning routine is repeating affirmations. You can repeat one specific one during your morning that will get you going through the rest of the day. Or you can speak a few different ones, too.
Take a list of affirmations to your mirror, so you are reminded of them while you brush your teeth or apply your makeup.
RELATED: Christian Affirmations for a Good Morning
24. Pray.
Don’t let your day get started without inviting God to be a part of it.
Ask for His grace, guidance, wisdom, and protection so you can do His will that day. Don’t get too busy to talk to God, so set aside a time in the morning to do just that.
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25. Be thankful.
Write out three things you are thankful for on a piece of paper or in your journal.
Make list of specific things you are grateful for and share it to your IG story. Make the list pretty and save it as your lock screen on your phone. Showing gratitude is a great way to start your day.
I hope these little ideas for your morning routine helped inspire you to carve out some extra time every morning to do some of them.
If you’re ready to take the step to create your own morning routine, you can download my FREE Morning Routine Planner here.
