A Mindful Morning Routine: Starting Your Day with Positive Energy
We’ve all seen them- TikToks, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts. They’re everywhere you look. “My Perfect Morning Routine,” “The It Girl Morning Routine,” “My Morning Routine for Productivity,” etc. Every influencer out there wants to show you how they start their day. And that’s great. Cool. I’m glad they have a routine that works for them.
But what about the rest of us? Those of us who have regular 9-5s or who have to wrangle the kids and get them off to school in the morning. Those of us who don’t have time for a 15-step skincare routine every day. Where’s the routine for us? Should you even bother with having one? The answer is yes! Let me tell you why you should have a mindful morning routine.
Benefits of a Mindful Morning Routine
While a morning routine might need to look a little different for those of us without the luxury of setting our own schedules, it might be worth your time to create one. Here are some of the reasons why:
Reduced Stress and Anxiety
Having a morning routine can help reduce stress and anxiety. Many of the activities that people incorporate into their routines help to cultivate a sense of mindfulness and lower cortisol levels. Not only that, they also allow us to know what we’re doing in advance. Having a plan gives us a sense of control over our lives and helps us get everything on our to-do lists done.
Increased Productivity
Mindful morning routines often include activities such as journaling and meditation. This can help to increase focus and creativity, both of which will affect productivity. Many people also create a to-do list as part of their morning routine. As mentioned above, having a plan will start you off on the right foot to get everything done.
Enhanced Emotional Well-Being
When you’re less stressed and don’t still have a to-do list a mile long come bedtime, you’re going to sleep a lot better. And that, in turn, is going to improve your mental health. Having an established routine also fosters a sense of stability in our lives. When you’re getting plenty of good-quality sleep and feel like your life is under control, it becomes much easier to maintain a positive outlook on other facets of your life.
Improved Physical Health
We all know that better sleep will also improve our physical health. Throw in other common morning activities such as exercising and drinking water, and it’s easy to see how having a morning routine can be beneficial for us on a physical level.
Increased Self-Awareness
Regular self-reflection, like you’ll encounter while journaling or practicing mindfulness, will improve your knowledge of yourself. This will give you a better understanding of why you respond to things the way that you do and give you an opportunity to grow.
Better Relationships
When we start our day calm and centered, we tend to have more positive interactions with people. This can open up new opportunities and lead to better relationships in the future.
How to Build a Mindful Morning Routine
You might be thinking, “That sounds great, but I’m too busy for all of that.” Here’s the good news- you don’t have to do all, or even most, of these things to reap the benefits. You also don’t have to make all of these changes at once. You can start with something you already do and just try to be a little more mindful while doing it. Or you can pick just one thing and add it to your morning for a while. After a few weeks, pick another thing to add. Before you know it, you’ll have your own routine.
It’s also okay to have a separate routine for days that are less busy. My weekend routine looks completely different from my weekday routine, but I still get all of the benefits from it.
If you’re ready to jump in and start creating your own routine, here are some ideas to get you started:
Wake Up Gently
Too often we start our day immediately annoyed by a blaring alarm clock. I’m not saying you should throw out the alarm- that’s not practical for most of us. However, if you can use a vibrating watch alarm or an alarm that will vibrate your bed, you can wake up a bit more gently. And if you can avoid setting the alarm on the weekends, go for it!
Hydrate
This might be one of the easiest and most beneficial things you can add to your morning routine. Have a glass of water. Most of us wake up a little dehydrated. We haven’t drank anything in 7-9 hours and probably sweated some in our sleep. You can add electrolytes if you’re into that, but plain water is good too.
Meditate or Do Breathwork
If you have the time, meditation or breathwork is a great addition to your morning. Taking just a few minutes to focus on your breathing will leave you starting your day calm and centered.
Exercise
You don’t have to add a full workout to your morning routine to reap the benefits of exercise in the morning. Adding a short walk or a few stretches will loosen your body up, get your blood flowing, and give you a boost of endorphins to start your day.
Journal
Journaling is another thing you can add that takes only a few minutes but has a big impact. It can be as simple as jotting down a few things that you’re grateful for or setting an intention for the day.
Get Some Sunshine
Feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin isn’t just good for your mental health. Your body needs sunshine to produce vitamin D, which is vital to many bodily processes. Getting some sun first thing in the morning can also help regulate cortisol levels, which will improve your sleep and reduce stress.
Read
The average American hasn’t read a book since finishing their formal education, and yet it’s something that nearly all conventionally successful people say that they do regularly. The mental stimulation from reading can improve your focus and creativity later in the day. You don’t have to read a lot. Try reading just a few pages of a book or a journal article on a topic you find interesting. Bonus points if you learn something from your reading!
Have a Nourishing Breakfast
Too many of us just grab a Poptart on our way out the door, or worse, skip breakfast altogether. Now, I’m not one of those “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” people. In fact, I often don’t eat until noon myself. However, we should try to make sure that the first thing we consume is something nutritious. If you’re short on time, try having a piece of fruit instead of the Poptart. Yogurt is also a good, quick option. Ideally, we’ll have something with a balance of healthy carbs and protein, but that isn’t always practical without planning in advance.
Digital Detox
Try to avoid looking at your phone first thing in the morning. Not only is it a big time suck, but we often see things that make us feel not so good. That overwhelming list of email and your cousin’s weird political rant will still be there in an hour when you’re better able to deal with it.
My Mindful Morning Routine
Now that you’ve got any idea of some things that will contribute to a more mindful morning routine, let’s talk about how we can actually incorporate them into everyday life. I’ll use my own routine as an example.
On work days, my day starts around 4:45. I set the alarm on my watch so that the vibration can wake me up gently and without disturbing my partner. Honestly though, my alarm rarely wakes me. I have a helpful, but annoying habit of waking roughly three minutes before my alarm is set to go off, regardless of what time it’s set for. I don’t know how I developed this ability, but I’ve done this for years.
After I’m up, I throw on my sandals and take my puppy for a quick potty walk in the backyard. Once, she’s done, I have some water and get dressed for the gym. (If I’m being completely honest, I also usually drink part of a Monster. It might not be the best thing in the world, but this girl needs her caffeine. We all have our vices, and I feel like there are much worse things I could be addicted to.) Then I meet my best friend at the gym around 5:30. This allows me to get in some exercise and social time before work. We try to end each workout with a few minutes in the sauna.
After that, I head home and walk my puppy again. It’s nearly summer here, so the sun is currently up by this point. If the grass isn’t too wet, I like to kick my shoes off and feel the earth beneath my feet while I soak up a few minutes of sunshine.
Once she’s taken care of, I take a quick shower and then it’s breakfast time. I usually do something simple like multigrain toast with eggs and fruit, so I’ll feed the animals while I’m waiting for my skillet to heat up. I also use this time to get my coffee started.
I’m usually done with breakfast by about 7. This gives me 45 minutes before I have to be online for work. I usually use this time to jot down at least three things that I’m grateful for and an intention for the day. If I have the time, I then read a chapter or two of my book. I’d like to say that I wait until this point to check my email, but I usually do that between sets at the gym.
It’s not a perfect routine, but it incorporates a lot of good practices and works well for me. Not everyone wants to get up at the crack of dawn if they don’t have to, and that’s okay! The best routine is one that you’ll stick to.
My weekend routine is a lot more relaxed. I don’t set an alarm, but usually still wake up pretty early. I’ll take my puppy out and then get my coffee going. Then I like to sip my coffee while I journal. Since I’m not as rushed, I tend to write more. Once I’m done writing, I do one of two things. Some days I will read until it’s time to feed the animals. Other days, I open my laptop and create something. This usually means either working on this blog or designing something for my Etsy shop. After the animals have been fed, I’ll go for a walk or run to get some exercise in.
Again, my routine isn’t perfect. I regularly check my phone first thing and wait until I’ve finished my coffee to even think about drinking water. I also don’t meditate in the mornings, although I do want to try adding that to my routine this summer. This is what works for me though and currently makes me feel good.
Do you have a mindful morning routine? If yes, what does it look like? If no, which of these tips are you most likely to try first?
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