My Morning Routine – Habits For a Productive Day

5 morning routine ideas that will make your whole day so much better.

Alarm, snooze, wake up, coffee, makeup, and out the door! Usually that’s how most of our morning routines go, but that’s really no way to be to starting your day.

September is Self Care Awareness Month. With it often being a hectic month as summer ends and it being back to work/school time, it’s important to remember to take time for ourselves.

Self care isn’t just about relaxing spa days, face masks, or the excuse to indulge in wine. It’s also about creating a healthy habits and routines to fill our cups and allow us to be our best selves. Having a proper morning routine to start your day off right can make huge difference in how you feel throughout your day!

Why Morning Routines Are So Important

Day after day of waking up stress and rushed had me thinking that something has needed to change. Instead of starting my day setting myself up for success, I felt like I was already behind before the day even started.

Most of our daily routines are so ingrained in us that we rarely think of changing them. But many of our morning habits aren’t helping us to be the most productive, joyful versions of ourselves.

Having a set morning routine creates structure for your day, gives you more control for less stress, and helps you be more productive for the day ahead.

And it doesn’t have to be complicated either. It can be as simple as 3 step morning routine that takes 15-20 minutes, or as complicated as 3 hour ritual that includes a meditation session, full workout and daily strategy session. You can tailor your routine to your personal needs.

Here’s are 5 things I do everyday as part of my morning routine. Though, they may be simple I’ve found that these 5 morning routine ideas together have made a huge difference for me when it comes to setting the tone for my day.

5 Morning Routine Habits That Set Me Up
for a Productive Day

1. Wake up at same time every day

So many people swear by waking up early. But it’s not about what time you wake up, it’s about getting in tune with your body’s clock.

For me, this time is 7am. Now that I’m working from home I don’t need to get up as early to get into the office, and I’m really enjoying it. I still get a bit of that early morning feel without having to wake up too early.

The other part of feeling good about waking up is getting a good night’s sleep. In order to wake up on time, make sure you’re going to sleep on a schedule as well!

And if you need some help to figure out your optimal time to go to bed to get the right amount of sleep, check out this useful sleep calculator for finding when your bed time should be.

2. Drinking a tall glass of water

I’ve been doing this forever and I swear by this morning habit! My mom would be so proud right now because she’s been making me do this for as long as I can remember. 

Drinking water is so beneficial, so easy, and free, yet so easily overlooked. In a world where coffee is the universal sign of love (and energy and motivation and every other positive word that exists), the act of drinking a glass of water before that morning cup might seem difficult to accomplish.

But I promise you’ll feel more awake, your body will feel cleansed, and your mind will feel clearer.

And the benefits of drinking water don’t just stop there. Along with keeping your body hydrated, drinking water improves your skin complexion, boost your immune system, and helps you maintain a healthy weight. 

On the days I skip this morning ritual, I definitely feel a big difference . I feel sluggish and my mind feels foggy. So drink up and cheers to good health!

3. Plan Your Day

If you’re anything like me, a completed to-do list at the end of the day makes you like a complete boss!

It’s a habit that’s conducive to a productive morning routine and sets you up for a successful day. Making a to-do list with a schedule will give your day structure, allowing you to prioritize and conquer more.

Every morning, try to create a well rounded checklist with various levels of difficulty and allocate a reasonable time to tasks and allow for breaks.

Even putting down simple tasks like getting gas on the list will give you a boost as soon as you mark it off, which will motivate you to tackle more the more strenuous tasks on your list.

And don’t stress if you don’t get it all done. I always choose 2-3 things that are must get done tasks, while some of the others I allow myself more flexibility on.

4. Read and Journal

As part of my morning routine, I usually spend about 15 minutes journalling as well as 15 minutes reading. Doing this put my mind in a good place to be open and ready to take on the day. I use these 8 journal prompts here to help create a good mindset.

Reading helps to grow and develop yourself to explore new thoughts and ideas. Lately, I love reading on Medium, where there are a number of articles that are fairly short reads, but leave you with new ideas to ponder in a variety fields.

As for journaling, I typically follow a few basic journal prompts, but will sometimes also do a thought dump of whatever I’m thinking of in the moment. If you’re curious about starting journaling yourself, check out my guide on how to start journaling.

5. Get Moving

Did you know that exercise has the same effect on the brain as coffee? So get moving! You just found your natural coffee!

I’m lucky to have a dog, so whether I’m feeling it or not, we go on a walk for a little morning routine workout. It’s the perfect way to get start the day with a bit of fresh air and while getting my blood pumping.

For your morning routine workout, you can dance, run, go to the gym, or do some yoga, whatever you like to get your heart rate up with some daily exercise. And it doesn’t matter if it’s just 10 minute or a full body workout, what’s important is that you do it consistently!

On average, my morning routine takes me about an hour or so and I’ve consistently for about 2 years now, with slight variations to it here and there.

Giving myself the extra time for my morning routine helps to put me in the mindset to have great day ahead, as well as reduce the stress of making so many decisions in the morning.

The best part of creating your morning routine is that you can design it to fit your needs and schedule. And this may take time to figure out as well, but it’s well worth the effort.

Having a morning routine checklist has totally changed the way I look at mornings. I used to wake up dreading the day head, but now I feel excited about day and ready to take it on!

Have any favourite morning routines or habits of your own?
Share them with me in the comments below!

Photography courtesy of Vika Vine

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• Overthinking: Why We Do it and How to Stop it
• 7 Ways to Deal with Anxiety & Stress Naturally
• How to Manifest Your Best Year Yet

XOXO,