Establish a Morning Routine

A couple summers ago, I attended a one-day wellness/yoga retreat here in Virginia Beach.  I was introduced to the idea of establishing a morning routine.  I always thought I had one - wake up, brush teeth, get showered and dressed, have coffee, check email, etc.  But I realized that I really didn't have one that was consistent and focused.

A morning routine, as I learned, is more intentional and meant to set up a productive day and a positive mindset.  I took notes, and I learned how the speaker had her morning routine set up.  At first, I thought this was really out there and too much to try to fit into the early morning.  By the end, I thought I would give it a try.  I had figured out how I wanted to change my morning routine and truly establish one that would make my days better.  I'm sharing what I put in place and hope that it gives you some ideas on how to better organize and set up your mornings, whether you have to run out the door to work or stay at home.  I do not have to leave my home but I understand the time may be different if you do.

-Wake up

-Drink water and take vitamins.  I do this right after waking up.  I'll forget the vitamins otherwise.

-Put in contacts, brush teeth, splash water on face, moisturizer, sunscreen, hair up.  This is my simplest routine, just to get the dog walked.

-Make bed and do some stretches.

-Let Leo out and feed him.  I have a little side yard where he goes out first thing in the morning.

-Turn on the news only during the hour of 6-7am.  I used to keep in on most of the day but just can't anymore.  It gives me anxiety. If I really can’t handle the news, I put on some music that boosts my mood.

-Water my herbs outside (summer only).  I have kept plants alive inside for many years but the outside ones are more challenging for me.

-Put dishes away from drying mat and dishwasher.  Its amazing that I had overlooked this one and just did this at any random time.  Sometimes it never got done, because I'm not a fan of doing it, and dishes would stack up in the sink.

-Make and drink coffee, because its necessary.  I have a Nespresso and like an Americano with cinnamon powder to start off.

-Write in my gratitude journal.  I have a 5-minute gratitude journal so its doesn't take a lot of time.  I do this over coffee.

-Look at my calendar and to-dos for the day and set goals and intentions for the day. 

-Walk Leo around my community (because some things can't be done in the side yard, according to Leo).  I listen to three podcasts, each only about 8-10 minutes long, during these walks.  They are:  Before Breakfast with Laura Vanderkam, The New Corner Office with Laura Vanderkam and Side Hustle School with Chris Guillebeau.  On Saturdays, I listen to Gretchen Rubin's Happier podcast on our morning walk.  Sundays - no podcast - just the sounds of nature.

-Eat breakfast.  This is usually a smoothie, greek yogurt with berries and granola, or eggs and fruit.

-Shower and get dressed.

I start my day around 8:30am. At this point, I look at email, social media, and industry news.  Not looking at email and social media first thing is highly recommended but its a hard habit to break!  I’m still working on being consistent with this one.

I didn't mention working out because this is a wild card right now, given that gyms have been closed.  I have been running and biking outside since the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders began and have been working around the heat and rain.  I had to be really flexible with this timing, so exercise has occurred sometimes in the morning, sometimes mid-day and every so often, in the early evenings.  I'm sure now that gyms are opening up, I'll have to adjust and plan differently.

One other item for me is writing.  I sometimes get up early to write blogs or other pieces, so there are days when I'm part of the 5am writers club.  I have found that the earlier in the day, the more creative my mind is, and I can get more accomplished in a shorter period of time.  Normally my morning starts at 5:45 or 6am.

I realize that my early morning might look very different from others. Working from home versus having a commute, having kids/taking care of older parents, tending to dogs/other animals, and priorities and obligations in general can change what is important in morning routines.  The message here is to intentionally set up your morning before the morning runs you. 

I hope by sharing how I set up my mornings (again, not always 100% of the time) will give you some ideas that allow you to design your morning better so you can set up a great day!