Establishing a morning routine 101
The concept of “morning routines” can be overwhelming, especially if yours currently consists of snoozing your alarm until you’re rushing around the house and out the door with a cup of coffee (no judgment, we’ve all been there). Whether you are a morning person or not, taking time for yourself when you first wake up will set the whole tone for your day. Morning routines can range from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on what your daily commitments and home life look like. Regardless, I’m here to help you choose yourself every morning; I promise you won’t regret it.
Step One:
Choose the sun before your tech screens! I adopted this concept from Dr. Amy Shah and have never looked back. I realize for many of us, it’s impossible to not at least glance at the phone first thing in the morning (because of jobs, family, etc.) So, if you must, do just that: GLANCE. See if there are any absolute emergencies you need to get back to and then put the phone down (keep it on “dim mode” or have your brightness down if you take that initial glance). Then, use the bathroom, grab your water and expose your eyes to natural light. This is much easier in the summer when it’s warmer and brighter early, but try to do it everyday if you can! Even just opening your door and looking outside for a few minutes is beneficial. This is so good for our circadian rhythms, but is also a way to help you connect with the outside world and your body before opening the emails, texts or social media. If you’re down for a morning walk, you can also choose that (by yourself, with your partner, kids or dog!) as your “sun before screens” step. I personally love doing this on my rest days (when I don’t workout in the morning). I’ll throw on clothes, brush my teeth, grab my water with electrolytes and head outside with the dog!
** TIP: If you wake up before the sun rises, which is what I face in the winter, get yourself a happy light. Keep it in a place where you typically spend time in the morning (home gym, office, bedroom, etc.) and sit in front of that for a few minutes.
Step Two:
Start simple by setting your alarm 10-15 minutes earlier than your usual wakeup time and choose one practice that you crave or want to incorporate in your mornings (some examples: reading, meditating, journaling, yoga, stretching). Utilize James Clear’s concept of habit stacking and pair this new habit with one that already exists. Here are some examples:
If you already enjoy a cup of coffee every morning while getting ready for your day and you’d like to start reading or journaling in the mornings, make your cup of coffee and then sit down to enjoy it while reading or journaling.
Let’s say you’d like to start a meditation practice and one habit you already have established is feeding the dog every morning at 7am. After putting the dog’s bowl of food and fresh water down, set your timer for 5 minutes and implement your new meditation practice.
These are simple actions you can choose every day (or even just work/weekdays) that will make establishing this new routine easier.
Step Three:
Implement one new habit at a time. Once you feel comfortable and would like to expand your morning routine, repeat step two with the next addition. You may want to enjoy breakfast in your kitchen instead of on the road or start your day with an at-home workout. Stack said habit onto an established part of your routine and adjust your wake-up time as needed! It may even help to block time out for this habit on your calendar or agenda.
Step Four:
Once you’ve established your “typical” routine, choose your non-negotiables. On a perfect morning, you may work out, meditate with some coffee, make breakfast and walk the dog (just an example). However, not every morning will allow for this, so make sure you have 1-3 actions that you know you want to prioritize. My non-negotiables are: make the bed, adequately hydrate & have a balanced breakfast.
This process can be a lot of trial and error until you find what works for you, so have some grace with yourself. Also, it’s okay if your morning routines look different on different days. Shift workers may have the most minimal routine on their work days and more elaborate routines on their off days. The typical 9-5 folks might enjoy a consistent routine Monday-Friday and very little structure on the weekend.
Finding what makes you feel your best every morning is what matters most. Mine has changed a lot over the years and will continue to change as my life does. When I worked 12-hour shifts as a bedside nurse, my work mornings would consist of: 5-10 minutes of meditation or yoga, getting dressed, making my tea & breakfast to go, and heading out the door. The routine on my days off were a lot slower and took longer. With a more structured M-F schedule, I wake up 2-3 hours before I need to start working (on most days) so that I can prioritize what makes me feel best, because my mornings are sacred to me.