How to Start a Morning Routine & Stick to it!

I was not always a morning person. For a long time, I fought mornings and I fought them hard. Getting up at 5:00 am to start classes at 7:15 am in high school was pretty much torture to me. I valued staying up late with my friends and socializing. I did not want to get up before the sun had even thought about rising. It seemed unnatural to me.

And then I got a second shift job right out of high school. Finally, I could sleep in all I wanted! I would go to work at 3:00 in the afternoon, work until about 10:00 and then hang out with my friends until past two in the morning. I would sleep in until noon, and get up and do it all again. It was great for my social life, and I finally felt like I didn’t need to wake up to an alarm. After two years of this, I went to college and I went back on that getting-up-before-the-sunrise routine. It messed my world up. I remember thinking to myself, “if this is how it is being an adult, I don’t wanna.”

Now, my current routine looks like this: I wake up at 6:00 (sometimes earlier), make a pot of coffee, read a book for a little bit, write a little bit, sometimes meditate and practice yoga (although I usually practice in the evenings, I find it helps me release my day). I do “me” things for about an hour, and then I shower, eat breakfast and begin my day. This is not only my routine for the weekday, but also on the weekends. That’s right. I rarely sleep past 6:00 am on the weekends. My body is so regulated that it wakes up, ready to take on the world, no matter if it’s a Tuesday or a Saturday.

So, how did I get so set in this routine? It wasn’t overnight. Pun intended. 😉  I was actually pretty tired of setting my alarm an hour before I had to leave for work, which only gave me enough time to shower, get dressed, grab a granola bar and coffee to go before running out the door, and making my commute. This was how it was for years. One day, I woke up and thought to myself how nice it would be to begin each morning as if it were a Sunday morning, no matter what day of the week it was. I was craving that, the gentle ease of pouring myself a hot cup of coffee, writing about last night’s dream in my journal. And I thought to myself, “why can’t I make that happen?!”

And so I did. I set my alarm for two hours ahead of when I actually need to leave for work. The first hour, I dedicate to me and the last hour is for me to get ready for my day. Now, I know some of us can’t dedicate a full hour to ourselves in the morning because of life – maybe you’re already getting up super early as it is, or you’ve got kids to care for. But even a half an hour will do the trick! The very first thing I do is drowsily walk to the coffee maker. I start my coffee (a must!). I feed the cat, because if I don’t she’ll meow my face off. I take in the morning, looking outside at the sky, waiting for a sunrise if it hadn’t started already. And then I choose what I want to do for myself in that time. It’s that easy.

It’s good to note that even if you don’t have that early morning wake-up requirement, you can still implement a self-care “morning” routine, even if your lifestyle allows you to wake up at noon. “Morning” is relative, and I’m just referring to it here as your wake-up time. So, even if you do work a second shift or third shift job, you can still implement the same concept into your routine.

Here are some suggestions for you to get started on your own morning ritual!

1. Be realistic. If you truly only have time for an extra half an hour, then start there.

2. Be excited! Don’t dread getting up earlier. This is all good stuff. It is your time. Know that you can do whatever you want to do to start your day!

3. Indulge in the quiet. Resist the urge to turn on the news, Netflix or YouTube.

4. Begin a dream journal. If you like to write, this is the perfect time for you to reflect on last night’s dreams! It’s a lot of fun and pretty insightful.

5. Meditate. Even if it’s quick. We’re more in tune with our consciousness right after sleep, so allow your mind to make some sweet connections in this space.

6. Read something. Preferably not your social media feeds. Crack open a real book! Sometimes I like to open up to a random page and see what message jumps out at me for the day.

7. Make yourself breakfast. Figure out what your body is craving and make it happen. You don’t have to stop at the drive-thru on your way to work!

8. Stretch it out with gentle yoga.

9. Watch the sunrise with a hot cup of coffee or tea. Listen to the bird calls. Let yourself breathe in the new day.

10. Give yourself time. No rushing. No thinking about the day ahead of you or the things you have to get done. Stay in the moment.

Let me know how it goes! And if you have anything to add to this list, I’d love to hear how you’ve started your own morning ritual!

Peace & light,

Jen