How to Create a Morning Routine You'll Actually Stick To
Implementing a morning routine has helped me really buckle down on making mindset shifts which helps me be a more positive human and I don’t know about you but when I’m in a good headspace, I tend to get a lot more done and not just done but done well.
If you follow my personal Instagram account, you probably see a glimpse of my morning routine 3-4 days a week in my stories. I am actually OBSESSED with my morning routine. Why? Because it truly does make a difference in how the rest of my day goes. Being disciplined in following a morning routine has been sacred to me since I was kid.
I’ve never been the kind of person who could jump out of bed, get ready in 15 minutes, and bust out the door. I have to spend the first moments of my day filling up my cup so that I can show up well for myself, my people and for my work.
While morning routines have always been important to me and I’ve always had one, they’ve looked different depending on the season of my life. There isn’t a RIGHT way to create a morning routine. Do what works best for your and your lifestyle.
When I was in grad school and working multiple jobs, I was waking up at 4:30 to give myself time to workout, read, and journal before heading to work at 6:30. Now I wake up at 5:30 and my morning routine usually lasts until about 7:30 or 8 because I’m in a season of life where I own my own business, work from home, and don’t have babies depending on me.
You can spend your time complaining that you don’t like waking up early or that “she’s so lucky that she gets to enjoy slow mornings” OR you can be disciplined in YOUR season and CHOOSE to wake up an hour earlier than you need to get ready so you can craft your own special morning routine, ya feel me?
So why do I think everyone needs some sort of morning routine? Because how we start our day truly sets the tone for how the rest of our day is going to go. Having a morning routine gets you in the right frame of mind. It allows you to go into the day with a positive attitude. To choose gratitude over being a grump! Even if you only spend an intentional 15 minutes on a morning routine - it will make a difference.
I’m gonna share with you in detail what my morning routine looks like and then give you a few steps to follow to create your own!
My Morning Routine:
5:30 - My alarm goes off and I DO NOT hit snooze. I get out of bed and head to the kitchen to start brewing my coffee. My husband sleeps in later than me so I don’t make the bed - he does that when he wakes up. While I’m waiting for my coffee to brew, I take my vitamins and supplements. I also grab my jade roller out of the freezer, pop a drop of Blue Tansy essential oil on it and roll it over my face. I also let our pups out and feed them while the coffee is finishing up.
By 6:00, I am heading into my office to choose what oils I’m going to diffuse that day. I get the diffuser going and post up in my favorite cozy corner in my office - I open the Spotify app and hit “shuffle” on my worship playlist. I spend a song or 2 sipping my coffee and talking to Jesus. I usually spend the first song focusing on my breathing (my form of meditation) and the second song thanking God for a new day.
After that, I grab my digital mindfulness journal and I write out my gratitude list, which is just 3-5 things that I’m grateful for from the day before or that morning even, I fill in the “on my heart” section, which I use as a place to write things I’m praying for, then I move onto the today's action item section where I write one thing I’m doing that day to get me closer to my goals. Next up is the how I’m feeling section - I’ve just found it helped to keep track of how I’m feeling each day because it helps me track any patterns - like if I’m really anxious for a few days I can recall how my sleeping and eating habits have been and stuff like that. Then the last section in my journal is goals I am working toward. I have 10 life goals (some business some personal) that I write out every single morning. I have always done this but I learned from Rachel Hollis to write them in the present tense, as if they’ve already happened and that has been a powerful shift. So for example, one of the goals I write is “I am a New York Times bestselling author” - way more powerful than “Someday I will be a New York Times bestselling author.”
It’s usually around 6:45 by the time I’m done with that. I head over to my desk area and open up my bible and any study books that I’m using at the time. I spend 20-30 minutes reading the Word and taking notes in the margin of my Bible. If you’re looking for an incredible Bible Study, I just finished Seamless by Angie Smith and it really changed how I read the Bible - it helped me understand it as a whole picture.
Then for the last part of my morning routine, I grab my second cup of coffee and the personal development book I’m reading and head out to my back patio to read for 15-20 minutes in my beloved swinging egg chair. I usually end up chasing the dogs around the yard for a few minutes after I read and then by 8 I’m heading inside to start my work day. I used to workout in the morning when I was in grad school because I worked all day and had classes at night but now that I don’t have obligations like that in the evenings, I go to the gym with my husband after work most days.
And that’s the rundown on my current morning routine. I fill myself up mentally and spiritually so that I can handle the day with grace and poise.
So how can YOU create your very own morning routine? I'm here to help a sister (or brother) out!
STEP 1: FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH TIME YOU ARE WILLING TO INVEST.
Like I previously mentioned, my morning routine takes me like 2 hours. That includes making my coffee, choosing my essential oil blends, playing with my dogs, praying, journaling, and reading. Back when I worked outside of the home, I chose to invest 30 minutes into my morning routine. And yes, friend, it is an investment because it will come back to you in the form of having a more positive and productive day.
Think about starting with just 5 minutes (because we ALL have 5 minutes to spare if it is going to be an investment in ourselves). Once you notice how much better your day is because of those 5 minutes (and you WILL notice) you can ramp it up to 10, then 15, and so on.
STEP 2: MAKE A GAME PLAN.
Decide how you want to spend the time that you laid out in step one. If you don't go into this with a plan (at first, anyway) you could either a. wake up and just fumble around for 5-30 minutes trying to decide how to spend your time or b. go back to sleep because you don't know what you're doing.
I personally journal, pray, and read during my morning routine. These are things that light me up. You have to find what lights you up and incorporate them into your routine. Maybe your morning routine is going for a 15 minute jog. Or doing a 20 minute yoga flow. Or walking your pup for 10 minutes. Or doing a face mask while painting your nails. I don't care what ya do, but just know what it's going to be ahead of time.
STEP 3: GO TO SLEEP AT A DECENT HOUR.
Wait, what? Why is this relevant? Because if you don't get enough sleep, you are NOT going to want to wake up. We're all different and require different amounts of sleep but just make sure that you're getting what you need before expecting to pop out of bed to embark on your morning routine.
Think of it this way: your morning routine really starts the night before!
STEP 4: COMMIT.
If you hit snooze, that's your choice. But don't expect to reap the benefits of a morning routine if you're only stepping up to the plate 2-3 days a week. Commit to your routine every day to see and feel real changes. Here's the thing y'all - your morning routine is ON YOU. Keeping your promise to yourself is ON YOU.
Since implementing a morning routine in my life, I can without a doubt say that I am more productive and happier. It is easier for me to choose gratitude throughout my day when I wake up and write in my gratitude journal every morning.
If you want to listen in on this conversation, tune into episode 015 of The Hustle Sanely Podcast below!