How To Establish A Powerful + Beneficial Morning Routine

I’m not a morning person and will probably never be. I’ve always struggled to get out of bed in the morning. Rather than waking up refreshed and ready to start the day, the snooze button is hit three times, which leads to a headache, which leads to us rushing around just trying to get pretty before speed-racing to work. And starting off the day feeling about three steps behind with adrenaline soaring through the roof is NOT ideal.

So much of a morning routine had become just that — routine — and with the added “ugh” of darkness, something needs to change. So rather than making our mornings more productive and checking off to-do list items before brushing our teeth or doing all those morning rituals CEOs swear by — I decided to put beneficial self-care practices together to create a meaningful morning routine.

It’s filled with everything that makes you feel good (and sane!). There’s no checking emails first thing in the morning, no scrolling through a plethora of filtered photos/videos of people doing “cooler things” than you (looking at you, Instagram), but just the good stuff you love doing.

Check it out…

Get Up When Your Alarm Goes Off

You knew this one was coming.

Let’s say you need to wake up at 6:30 am to get out the door by 8:15 am. Hitting the snooze button even twice can cause a clusterf*ck of a morning in your bedroom, especially if you’re someone who can’t just wake up and naturally look like a supermodel. The same goes for entering a vortex of scrolling through your phone right when you wake up.

I recommend turning your alarm off (not to “snooze”), taking five deep breaths, sitting up for another five deep breaths, and slipping into some slippers (to maximize coziness as long as possible) as you slowly get out of bed. I promise it gets easier once you do it for a week!

Practice Meditation and Yoga

Yeah, I know this one is another given. And while we don’t believe a morning meditation will lead the way to a trouble-free day, it does give you an awareness that allows you to retake control if your day does start to spiral later on for whatever reason. So if you haven’t tried it, give it a shot! I like the Calm app, which is rated one of the top meditation apps on the market.

When it comes to fitness, we love an endorphin-high fueling us throughout the day. However, making it to the gym in the morning doesn’t always happen. So we roll out our mats for a simple flow and good-morning stretch to give us a mental and physical refresh that sets the day off right.

Make Your Tea/Coffee/Breakfast

Notice how we still haven’t checked our phones? 😉

After yoga comes fuel. No, the protein bar you grab rushing out the door won’t cut it anymore. Instead, take the time to prepare a healthy breakfast with your favorite tea and/or coffee. It doesn’t have to be gourmet by any means! But a small cup of yogurt mixed with yummy fruit, granola, and nuts should do the trick. Sit with yourself, your coffee, your breakfast, and enjoy!

Actually Get Ready for the Day

And I don’t mean a two-minute shower, followed by a make-up session while sitting in traffic.

Take the time to shower appropriately, shave, do a hair mask, face mask, try on a few outfits, etc. There’s no need to cruise through this phase of your day, say “good enough!” and fly out the door. Taking the time to look your best means you’ll feel your best, and feeling your best means the day ahead is YOURS.

A combination of these things every morning will make a difference in how you feel and behave throughout the day! Is it magical every time? Nope. There are still some hiccups and stressful days. But it’s pretty cool watching how the simple act of choosing to care for yourself before attending to anything else affects you.