How to make mornings suck less.
I've been really into morning routines this year. It's something I've never really had. Yes, when I worked a "corporate" 9-5 job I obviously woke up, washed my face, put on make up & did my hair, got dressed, ate breakfast, and left.
But those are things I HAD to do before going to work. And I never truly felt awake until I was about midway through my coffee. When you hear "morning routine" a lot of people thing of: waking up super early, journalling, meditating, making a green juice, maybe working out, and then getting ready for work. And that sounds super daunting, because it is lol.
You can find a good balance of doing what you need to do in the AM (getting ready, eating, etc.) and things that make you feel good WITHOUT having to feel like you're waking out HOURS before you need to. Here are a couple [easier] things to try incorporating into your morning routine!
Keep your alarm away from your bedside
And yes that means your phone! A huge thing that has helped me get out of bed and moving and actually wake up better is having my phone away from my bedside so I HAVE to get up. Another plus of doing this is that you're putting your phone away before you go to bed so you're not tempted to stay up later than you should scrolling through Instagram, Reddit, TikTok, or some other time sucking app. Once your alarm goes off and you have to get up to turn it off, your want for staying in bed [mostly] goes away. If you have a smart watch where you can control your alarm from it, try setting a different alarm on your phone (or an actual clock) so you have to physically get up to shut it off.
Get moving early in the AM
Since I sleep with my phone in the office - I have to get up and go get it. Since I'm already UP, I do a 5-10 minute yoga or stretching YouTube video before I can even talk myself out of it. Here are the ones I cycle through depending on my mood that morning and how I'm feeling. The mornings that I do a 5 minute stretch or short yoga practice - I am so awake and energized for the rest of the day, it's honestly one of my favorite things now!
Journaling
Journaling can mean a variety of things. Sometimes it's just jotting down your thoughts from the morning. Maybe it's recapping your day from the day prior. Sometimes it's writing what you want to get accomplished that day or that week. It can even be what you're grateful for and what you love about yourself (affirmations). You can get a cute blank journal to write in or one that has prompts. I linked a couple below that I have suggested to clients. You can also use an app but I find doing it the old fashion way with paper and pen is a lot more gratifying and keeps you away from your phone a little longer :)
Coffee, tea, smoothie, green drink
Most people are coffee people and make a cup right in the morning and that is a standard part of their "routine". But if you're not a coffee drinker, make something else you enjoy that is going to get you up going; and something you actually look forward to. Instead of doing everything on the go, try and sit with your drink for at least 5-10 minutes and just enjoy it! Put it in a cute mug or glass and make it look Instagram worthy (it'll taste better that way, I promise). You can also read or journal while you enjoy your drink! If you're not a breakfast person, try a smoothie or greens drink/juice to get your day started with some good vitamins, minerals, and fiber! Especially if you're not a big vegetable person, try adding a greens powder to your drink (preferably or smoothie or juice) to help fill in any gaps!
Make a list
To tackle your day, make a list of all the things you need to accomplish that day. You can also put the longer term items you want to get done by the end of that week!
Daily plans can include:
Any work tasks and goals that need to be completed (emails, phone calls, projects)
Homework or studying you need to do
House chores and tasks
Errands you need to run (and list of things to get at the store)
Your workout you have planned to do
Making meals or meal prepping
This will give your day the focus it needs and help you to accomplish what you want and feel good at the end of the day knowing what you gotten done or what you need to get done the following day(s). You can even take it a step further and time block each item so you know when you should get everything done.
Ie:
6-7am: Wake up and morning routine
8-11am: Work tasks #1-3
12-1pm: Lunch
1:30-4pm: Work tasks #4-5
5:30-6:30pm: Workout
6:45pm: Dinner
7-7:30pm: Meal prep/prep for next day
7:30-10pm: Free time (tv, social media, reading, family time)
10pm: Start bedtime routine and winding down
Here are some planning notebooks and To Do lists you can get off Amazon.
Daily planner with goals and affirmations
Time block planner notebook with calendar and goals
I will say it until the day I die - planning is the best way to accomplish everything you need to and reach your goals. Humans by nature like to plan and have routines (now I'm not saying every aspect of your life needs to be planned out, but having a basic structure will serve you SO MUCH).
Try a new morning routine for at least a week, and if it doesn't truly make you feel better, try something different! But if you feel like you're never getting things accomplished and "never have time for X, Y, or Z" start getting a routine into place :)
