Morning routines are designed to help keep you organized, get prepared for the day, and maintain a pattern to help you wake up in the morning. It’s important to keep a morning routine because not only are you setting the tone for the rest of the day, but it also makes for more structured and consistent habits in your life. Do you want to have a morning routine but you’re not sure where to start? Here are some tips on how to start off your day productively.

PLAY AROUND WITH IDEAS

What do you want to accomplish in the morning? What do you want your morning routine to look like? Do you want to work out? Do you want some alone time for yourself before going to work? Is there something you want to experience in the morning like a sunrise? Read a book? Go on morning walks? List out anything that you want to get done before you start your workday. There are no wrong answers here, remember to keep it tailored to what you want to do, not what someone else wants. You can find ideas and inspirations from Pinterest, TikTok, reading books, listening to podcasts, and/or asking your friends about their morning habits.

PICK YOUR WAKE UP TIME

Finding the ideal time to wake up should be based on how much time you’ll need to complete your morning routine, while also prioritizing getting enough sleep in. If you’re an early bird and want to wake up at 5 am to start your routine, perfect! If you’re a night owl and want to wake up at 8 am to start your routine, also perfect! It doesn’t matter what time in the morning you start your routine, just start somewhere. And no, you don’t have to be a morning person to have a morning routine.

SCHEDULE EVERYTHING OUT

Now that you’ve planned what your routine will consist of and when to wake up, it’s time to map it out. You don’t necessarily need to be concise about doing each task at exactly the same time every single day, but it’s good to have a general idea of how much time you’ll need to get it all done. This ensures that you won’t be in a rush or late to start work on time. Here is an example of what one morning routine might look like: 

6am: wake up, make the bed 

6:30am: eat breakfast & journal

7am - 7:45am: work out 

7:45am - 8:30am: shower, get ready for the day

8:30am-9am: prepare for work

Remember, everyone’s needs are different and the perfect routine is the one you create, not someone else’s.

DO A PRACTICE RUN

The next step is to do a practice run. Set your alarm to your desired time for the following morning and test it out. A practice run will help you decide what habits benefit you the most in the morning. Questions to keep in mind after the practice run: what do I like about the routine? What do I not like? Did I have any issues with going from one task to another? Will I see progress in the future with the habits I’m forming now? Be honest when answering these questions because it will reflect how well the routine works for you.

PERFECT YOUR ROUTINE TO YOUR NEEDS

After the practice run, continue to edit and change your routine until you find what works for you. Ideas will change and evolve over time, and it’s okay if you have to change it up every once in a while. Once you find the perfect routine for you, keep it going and these healthy habits will seem like second nature to you. 

Morning routines can change people’s lives by giving them space to accomplish more in their day. Whether the goal is training for a half marathon, or prioritizing your mental health, curating your morning routine to make time for running or meditation will help you get there. What is something you want to accomplish or change this year?