Hey friends! I’m here today to talk about the morning routine I have been implementing the past few months that has made my days WAY more productive, purposeful, and positive. I have been working on this morning routine for over a year now and I have finally figured out the most optimal routine to make my days how I want them to look.
Since I started working from home due to the pandemic, the mornings were always such a struggle. I didn’t have to wake up early, I didn’t have to do my hair or makeup to go to the office, I didn’t have to eat breakfast early before I left for work because there’s no stove at the office… There was no sense of urgency or required tasks waking up just to walk down the hall to my home office. And so my mornings really reflected that at the beginning of the pandemic.
But I have been doing a lot of research, studying other successful people’s routines, trial and errors, and more for about a year now and have finally gotten the perfect morning routine down and I’m here to share it with you if you are anything like me. Or even just curious!
So first of all, I keep this exact routine in the Notes in my phone and I set them up like a checklist where I can go in each morning and check off everything that I accomplished. And I listed them in optimal order.
Also, PSA: this list looks kind of long but I can get all of this done in an hour. Some people can do 30 minutes. And sometimes if I’m moving slow/taking my time I take two hours to do everything, but it’s a very peaceful morning routine so nothing hectic or stressfrul.
So let’s start!
#1 – Wake up and immediately make the bed. I try to wake up at around 7am, use the restroom and then make the bed as soon as I get back. If I don’t make the bed immediately after waking up then I’m tempted to crawl back into it and keep sleeping. It was pretty difficult the first few days but then I formed a habit and now it’s just second nature what I do.
#2 – Drink water. Right after I finish making the bed (or even while I’m making it) I chug a giant glass of water. This is extremely good for you and wakes you up instantly. Most days I don’t need coffee if I chug water first thing in the morning. And it gets your metabolism going (hello weight loss and consistent bowel movements). I like to put a Yeti cup full of ice and water on my nightstand before I go to sleep so I can drink it first thing in the morning while I make the bed. Efficiency is key. Cold water is better because it’s an instant energy boost. I also like to add lemon, ginger, peppermint, and apple cider vinegar some days for an extra health kick. This is also when I take my medications and vitamins!
#3 – 10 minutes of meditation. I like to go to YouTube and search for guided meditation and aim for ones about 10 minutes long. I usually finish drinking my water while I meditate or if I need coffee that day, that’s when I drink it. I like to sit on my yoga mat, on the living room rug, on a towel, on a blanket, or on a pillow while I meditate. No bed, no couch, no chair! Trust me. This is when I set my intention for the day so it will be purposeful and not just chaotic or “whatever happens, happens”. My daily intentions sound like this, “today I want to be purposeful” or “my intention for the day is to be productive”. One or two intentions for each day is all you need, too many and you won’t do it. Just focus on one thing every day like organized, positive, helpful, cheerful, calm, etc. I also like to keep my essential oils handy while I’m meditating so it can help me focus and be intentional. Lavender is always a good one for meditation. Peace and Calming and Stress Away are also good if you wake up really anxious and feeling like you need to do a million things.
#4 – 2 minutes of intense workout. Jumping jacks, burpees, mountain climbers, jump rope, jog in place, high knees, skater lunges, something to get your heart rate up in only two minutes. This isn’t a full workout. Set a timer on your phone or your watch for two minutes and intensely move your body. This will get your blood flowing, your heart beating, and your mind stimulated and awake. Trust me, when I started incorporating these two minutes of intense movement into my daily morning routine, I became so much more active throughout the day. I never skipped a workout. My heart got a little taste of intense activity and it wanted more. It will change your life.
#5 – Grounding or fresh air. If you don’t know what grounding is, it’s putting your bare feet in the grass, sand, natural water (creek, river, ocean) and electrically reconnecting you to the earth. When you have your bare feet (this is crucial, doesn’t work with shoes or socks) you are absorbing the earth’s negative ions and essentially “recharging” your body. It’s also known to help with inflammation, cardiovascular disease, muscle damage, chronic pain, and improves mood (read more about it here). If you live somewhere where you can’t easily access the natural earth, then just standing outside on your balcony and breathing in the fresh air will help as well!
#6 – Shower. I only wash my hair two times per week but try to shower every morning (mostly with a shower cap on) just so I can get clean and feel my best for the day. I also add a few drops of Raven essential oil to my shower to really wake me up and get my respiratory system going for a deep breath of fresh air.
#7 – Hair care routine if I wash my hair. I’ll link all of the products I use below.
Pro tip: listen to a podcast or an audiobook while doing these last steps! I’m really into podcasts and have several in my rotation right now and I’m listening to Atomic Habits on audible right now also.
#8 – Skincare routine. I’ll link the products I use every morning below.
#9 – Blow dry hair (if washed) or apply dry shampoo. The dry shampoo I use is linked below with “shop hair care” also!
#10 – Jewelry. This might sound weird but on the days I was putting on jewelry, I felt so much more confident and productive. I put on my rings, necklaces and hamsa hand bracelet (or whatever jewelry I feel like wearing that day) and I’m feeling confident and ready to take on the day.
#11 – Makeup. Putting on makeup every morning also makes me feel very confident and boss babe-y. Even if it’s just foundation and mascara or just mascara or a full face of makeup I instantly feel more productive and confident that I can do anything!
#12 – Breakfast. I’m usually not a big breakfast person so that’s why it’s at the end of my morning routine, but by the time I get to this step I am feeling a little hungry. I also notice that when I eat breakfast I am less hungry or snacky throughout the day. I also try to have a really healthy breakfast because I get lazier and less motivated as the day goes on so having a healthy breakfast saves me if I order crap food for lunch or dinner later that day. Sugar-free oatmeal, eggs and whole wheat toast, smoothie, acai bowl, meal prepped egg muffins, etc. are usually my healthy breakfast go-to’s and they are usually pretty fast to make or heat up if premade.
#13 – Journaling. I take some time at the end of my morning routine to sit down at my desk and write down my to-do list for the day, what I’m grateful for, and any blog ideas or brainstorming that pops into my head. But this can be whatever kind of journaling you want it to be. If you want to actually journal you can, if you want to write down your life goals or what’s on your mind you can, if you want to just make a grocery list or write down things you need to do this month, do it. This is your time to get thoughts out of your head and onto paper.
That’s it for my daily morning routine! Sometimes if I have time, after I’m done journaling I like to pick up around the house, empty the dishwasher, put a load of laundry in, get the crockpot out and start prepping dinner for that night. I’ve also been incorporating a lot of essential oils into my morning routine and that has also helped set my desired mood for the day and helps if I’m feeling anxious, unmotivated, self-conscious, distracted, and so on.
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