Having a morning routine has been a life saver for me at times throughout the years and is always a reliable way to ensure that I am starting the day off “right”. My version of right, that is. Each person can tailor their morning routines to what works the best for them and depending on how much time they want to spend on it. A morning routine is the pattern of things that you do when you wake up in the morning, and it includes your tasks, habits, rituals etc. which can set you up to start the day off the way that you like to. It can leave you feeling balanced and grounded, and morning routines have also been known to increase productivity, and reduce stress even later on, during the workday.
Meditation, prayer, a gratitude list, affirmations, visualization, journaling, a daily planner page/schedule, these are all good options for choosing what to incorporate in one’s morning routine. There can be other activities, habits, or rituals that you feel will work best for you. What is working for someone else, may not be the right fit for you, so you can try out different options and combinations of the activities and habits and find a “routine” or pattern and order that suit you and your lifestyle, goals, and needs.
As I love to spend time outdoors in nature, and walking with my dog, who of course also loves and needs the exercise, I incorporate a walk with my dog into my morning routine. Affirmations, mindset work, and meditation are also part of my routine. And before I plan out my day time schedule, I take a moment to write down at least three things that I am grateful for. On weekends or a day when I have time for a longer morning routine, I also incorporate some journaling. I remain flexible and do what works best for me, and don’t admonish myself if I don’t adhere to all aspects of what I had planned.
Here are two sample morning routines, for you to use as examples only. You will need to try out different habits, rituals and activities and combinations of them, and play around with the timing to find the pattern that suits you and your chosen lifestyle the best.
Morning Routine Sample 1:
Meditation, Affirmations, Gratitude journaling: total time approx. 20 – 30 minutes or whatever suits you.
Walk outdoors or workout.
Morning Routine Sample 2:
Gratitude listing (list 3 – 5 things that you are grateful for), visualization mindset work (visualize yourself achieving your goals), meditation or prayer: total time approx. 15 – 20 minutes or whatever suits you.
Plan out your schedule for your day while enjoying your morning tea/coffee/hot water with lemon/smoothie or whatever your favourite morning drink is.
You may be able to find an extra 20 minutes in the morning which you can spend on your new morning routine or perhaps you choose to wake up an hour early and go to sleep earlier the night before, in order to spend time on a longer routine. I hesitated to list the samples because it is ultimately up to you to find what works best for you, what is do-able and will meet your needs. It is better to do even just a few minutes of a morning routine than to have such a long one planned that you aren’t able to do it and you end up skipping it all the time. You could also start off just incorporating one new habit or activity into your morning at a time in order to get used to doing it regularly. Then perhaps a week or two later add in the second habit or activity etc. Or if you are the type of person who prefers to just start doing the full morning routine that you have planned out, and that is how you are motivated, that works well for some people too.
If incorporated regularly as part of your day, a morning routine can benefit you by helping you feel more balanced and grounded as you go about your day. This also benefits our loved ones as we are able to be more fully present when we are with them. It can also reduce the stress that may crop up later in our work days. Morning routines give you some time for yourself, and will help you re-connect with your inner essence. The most important aspect is that it shouldn’t be another chore but is something to be truly enjoyed and is for you to savour the bliss of the moment.
And if you have never written or used affirmations in your daily practice before, and would like to find out more, you may also like: Give Affirmations a Chance