What does your ideal morning routine look like?
I can guess that it’s probably not rolling out of bed feeling groggy and already running late.
A good morning can really set you up for a good day and I have some great morning routine ideas for you.
But remember, morning routines are not one-size-fits-all.
Instead of adopting someone else’s routine, work on making your own morning routine that is just right.
While customizing a routine to perfectly fit your life, there are 4 areas important to focus on.
Ready to be the H.E.R.O. of your morning?
H is for Hygiene
Not the most mind-blowing of morning routine ideas – but not to be forgotten!
Brush
Get rid of that “morning breath” as soon as you get up, you want to be sure to brush for a full 2 minutes.
According to the ADA it’s better to brush before eating, not after.
For additional oral care you can try tongue scraping.
Tongue scraping is a good way to remove extra bacteria from the surface of your tongue and can help your breath smell better.
Wash
Washing your face is another must-do in your morning routine, particularly if you have oily skin.
If you don’t have skin issues and you washed your face thoroughly the night before however, a simple rinse may suffice.
SPF
SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. It helps protect your skin from UVB rays.
Don’t forget this step!
UVB rays have been known to cause sunburns, wrinkles and skin cancer, so be sure to wear SPF daily.
Get Ready
You can also take this time to put on deodorant, brush your hair or apply some makeup.
E is for Energize
There are so many different ways to energize yourself in the morning. You just need to start the day by taking care of yourself.
Don’t Snooze
One of the quickest ways to give yourself a boost of energy in the morning is to not give into to hitting snooze.
I know it feels so good in the moment, but it actually hurts you in the long run.
Since you can’t complete a full sleep cycle, you’ll likely end up feeling even more groggy.
Sunlight
You can also energize yourself by getting outside.
If you’re getting out of bed when the sun is already up in the sky, try sipping your coffee outside.
The natural sunlight will send signals to your body that it’s time to be awake.
Spending a moment outside in the fresh air and nature can be especially important if you are spending the rest of the day inside.
Workout
The morning is also a great time to squeeze in a little exercise.
Exercising in the mornings has also been shown to boost your overall energy throughout the day.
If you aren’t quite feeling up to that you should at least stretch your muscles and move your body.
Some ideas include: dancing to music, going for a walk (take your dog if you have one or take yourself if you don’t) or doing some yoga.
Hydrate
Remember it’s not but first coffee – it’s but first water.
You’ve just gone many hours without any and need to make sure to rehydrate yourself!
Then you can have the coffee.
Eat
Energy can also come from food, so try not to skip breakfast entirely!
We’ve definitely all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it can be.
You can’t start your day on an empty stomach and expect to do all the things.
Stay offline
Don’t reach for distraction first thing in the morning.
Scrolling actually often increases our stress.
We all know how easy it can be to get sucked into social media.
2 minutes somehow turns into 10.
Just don’t do it .
Save your morning time for YOURSELF, instead of looking into what is going on in other people’s lives or what they might need from you.
R is for Reflection
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It is important to reflect on your life.
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” ― Søren Kierkegaard
Gratitude
Be grateful for the things you already have, and the good that is going to come in the future.
Take time to remember all of the good things you have in your life.
Being grateful literally makes you happier.
It turns what you have into enough.
Meditation
If you’ve never meditated before don’t try to force a 30 minute meditation, start with 5 minutes.
We all have 5 minutes and it can feel like a surprisingly long time to sit still and do nothing.
Especially if you have anxiety.
Start small and make sustainable progress.
Journal
Journaling can be a particularly good way to reflect and I recommend everyone keep a journal.
If you’re struggling to write, you can find plenty of prompts for different things.
There are prompts for growth, discovery and working through your feelings.
Maybe you just want to brain dump all of your thoughts onto the page.
Start with scribbling down 3 things that you’re grateful for.
Something is better than nothing.
Affirmations
Ok, I know… Repeating affirmations can feel a little cheesy at first, especially if you’re struggling to believe the things that you are saying.
What you want to do is create affirmations that you can believe.
There actually is some psychology behind it.
Your thoughts build neural pathways in your brain so think about it like this: do you want those pathways to be built with all the negative thoughts and things you said to yourself or built by positive thoughts and things?
I think we all know which one is better.
If you still can’t bring yourself to say them out loud, try writing a few down on sticky notes and sticking them to your mirror.
O is for Organize
Staying organized can help ensure that you don’t forget to bring anything you need with you.
Start yesterday
If you’ve ever looked into starting your own morning routine, or the morning routines of successful people, then chances are you’ve probably heard “a good morning starts the night before.”
Well, that’s because it’s true!
What you do before you go to bed can have a real impact on your sleep – both it’s length and quality.
The devices we use – our phones, tablets, laptops and even TVs – all produce blue light.
Try to put away the devices and turn off the TV a little earlier.
Instead, pick up a physical book and maybe drink a cup of tea!
Review
Take a look at your schedule for the day and mentally prepare yourself for what you have to do.
Charge
Charge your phone for a few minutes if you forgot to plug it in.
Make your Bed
Also make your bed (you knew it was coming) It really can make your whole bedroom look more put together.
Making it also might stop you from crawling back under the covers and generally takes less than 2 minutes.
Gather
Keeping all of your things together can also reduce stress.
It’s awful to be rushing around in the morning trying to remember everything.
Even worse when you arrive at work only to realize you forgot something important – like your lunch.
Tidy
You might think that you don’t have enough time to clean in the morning but you’d be surprised at the difference a 5 to 10 minute tidy can make.
Be flexible
Remember to take it easy on yourself.
If you’re anything like me, your brain isn’t fully functional first thing in the morning.
Also, each and every morning is a little bit different from the last so you can’t expect perfection from yourself in sticking to your routine all the time!
Ok those are all 4 steps and all my morning routine ideas!
Remember, you also don’t have to get everything done every single morning.
These are all just morning routine ideas.
It’s important to give yourself multiple options.
You want your custom routine to be flexible so you can whatever feels aligned with the way you’re feeling that particular morning.
I made a printable to help you with that so you can design your HERO morning routine!
You can put all of your morning routine ideas under each category. Just subscribe below and you’ll receive the password to my printables vault where I have many useful things for you to use for completely free!
Just because being a morning person seems like “the thing” to do lately, doesn’t mean that it’s for you.
Which hours you spend awake are not nearly as important as what you do with those hours.
My Experience
I consider myself a morning person now but, I definitely wasn’t always.
Like most people, I still hate waking up to an alarm and don’t jump out of the bed full of energy and in a great mood.
I can say with confidence, however, that I had never regretted waking up early.
It’s nice to be up and getting things done before other people are even awake.
Waking up early can truly be life-changing for some.
I happen to do some of my best creative work and feel great when I wake up early.
Maybe you feel most inspired late at night, again that’s totally ok. Do what’s best for you.
a final note
Using an acronym for my morning routine was inspired by the book The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. In this book, his perfect morning routine is called S.A.V.E.R.S.
S – Silence A – Affirmations V – Visualization E – Exercise R – Reading S – Scribing (journaling)
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