How to Create Your Morning Routine

Set the tone for your day with a routine right out of bed. Unsure of where to start? Read on for a few tips and tricks to mastering your morning.

It's 6:30 AM, your alarm wakes you up in complete dread of your day and your hand finds its way to the snooze button. A few snoozes later and you have 15 minutes to make a cup of coffee, get ready and get out the door.

For many, the idea of waking up 5 minutes early can sound overwhelming or unmanageable. "My kids are exhausting me, I need all the sleep I can get… I have such a long day ahead of me at work, I need 15 more minutes of sleep." Sound familiar? Our brains will convince us to take the path of least resistance every present moment we have. It is easier to stay in bed for an extra 15 minutes, but is it always the best choice for your future self? In my experience, the answer is no.

One of the foundations of wellness is a morning routine. Even just 20 minutes is enough to be impactful. I read an article recently that said how you spend the first 5 minutes of the morning is a barometer for the entire day! Are we starting our day with chaos? Hitting snooze several times? Immediately checking social media or emails? Turning on the TV and watching the same news cycles on repeat?

How is the information you are consuming upon awakening impacting the rest of your day?

I would like to encourage you to start your day with intention. When the alarm goes off, get out of bed (5-4-3-2-1, GET UP). You made a promise to yourself the night before when you set the alarm. Keep that promise to yourself and get up. Let me say a little bit about promises - when you do something you say you are going to do, it starts to build self-trust. When you know you can trust yourself to show up, it starts to build self-confidence.

Now you are out of bed- what do you do next? Well that’s entirely up to you and likely depends how much time you have before your first commitment of the day.

I would like to challenge you to slowly build a morning routine. Try it on for size! Watch and notice what areas of your life start shifting and improving by starting your day with intention. How are you showing up differently in relationships? Are you becoming a more patient parent? Are you less irritable with coworkers? I am a firm believer when one area of your life improves, other areas follow!

I have spoken to so many people that pour into everyone around them but not themselves. By starting the day making yourself a priority, it says to your brain, “Hey, you are important, and your needs are just as important as everyone else’s”. We cannot pour into others without first pouring into ourselves, unless of course we want to feel resentful.

If you are looking for a quick read to learn more about the importance of a morning routine, I highly recommend Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. Order it now, you know it will be here tomorrow (cue my problem with online shopping). This can be the first book you read when starting your routine!

Lots of love,

E