Sis, from reading the title of this article, you may already be thinking to yourself, “I’m not good at sticking to routines.” “My mornings are already filled, I don’t need to add another thing.” “Where do I even start in discovering my morning routine?”

Pause. Take a breath. I am not here to cause any more stress, but to help you make time for yourself by creating a morning that you love waking up to instead of dreading. The goal of a morning routine is to establish ways to start your day in joy and peace that set the tone for the rest of your day ahead. This way, your day can follow this joy and peace. 

I see a morning routine as a sequence of mindful activities to enjoy before you take on a day of work, kids, school, and any other “adult responsibilities.”  You might find that you already have a morning routine that you just need to modify or add to. You want your morning routine to be self-oriented. Your mornings should be able to create ease for yourself and prepare your mind, body, and spirit for the rest of the day. 

If you can dedicate 5-30 minutes of the beginning of your day to waking up slowly and taking care of yourself, you’ll discover some of these benefits throughout the day:

• Increased energy 
• Relieved mental fog 
• Increased productivity
• Improved ability to focus 
• Decreased stress 
• Enhanced digestion 

How to Set a Morning Routine

#1 WAKE UP!

Set an alarm for the time you WANT to wake up and WAKE UP! 

One of the best pieces of advice I received was to wake up as soon as my alarm goes off. Stop pressing snooze, sis. I know those couple of minutes are tempting. However, they can take away time to prepare for your day and make you feel sluggish or groggy. 

A few ways to decide what time to wake up:

• Figure out what time you need to leave your house or be working and how much time you want to have for yourself
• Decide how many hours of sleep you want/need 

            (e.g. if you want 6 hours of sleep, go to sleep by midnight and wake up by 6 AM)

Tip: Try to wake up around the same time every day (at least on weekdays) so your body can get used to this cycle. It will become easier for you. 

#2 What do you like to do?

If you love physical activity, (e.g. dancing, yoga, walking, running, cycling) find time to do a few minutes of this in the morning! Not only is it beneficial to your physical health, but it also gives you energy and makes you feel like you’ve made time to take care of your physical needs for the day. 

• Have a dance party every morning! I would count that as exercise. 
• If journaling or writing is your thing, this is a great activity to do without leaving your bed. Set a timer and create a story. Take full three pages to write any thoughts that come to your mind. 
• Read a book! Set a number of pages you would like to get through every morning. 
• Draw. If you like to doodle, sketch, or paint, allow yourself to do it as a freeform expression with no specific outcome. Let go of “good” and “bad.” 
• Drink tea or coffee. Find the time to sit down and enjoy these flavors instead of rushing to make and gulp them down. 

Personal share: Part of my morning for a month was to make a playlist based on my mood before I got out of bed. Then, I got ready for my day while listening to it! I love music so this was very creative and fulfilling for me. Remember, everyone doesn’t have to understand why you’re doing what you’re doing!

#3 What do you need to do? 

Maybe, you need to start your day with a morning meditation or prayer to clear your mind. Make this a part of your morning routine. 

If you have kids, pets, or other beings to take care of, try to make space to take care of yourself before them. Plan your morning in a way that you get your self-care “needs” in before the needs of other people. 

Hygiene is important and is already a part of most of our morning routines. Make eliminating, showering, washing your face, brushing your teeth feel like a spa day! Light a candle or incense. Play music you enjoy or positive vibration frequencies. Here’s one of my favorites right now: 

528HZ Frequency Positive Energy 

Eat breakfast. Find a  warming breakfast that makes you feel light instead of heavy and sluggish.

There you have it! 

Take a few of these points and begin to form your morning routine. I know, from personal experience and flowing with the seasons, that your morning routine might change and that’s okay! It also might be hard to find what your morning routine is and that’s okay too! Take your time and find a routine that is sustainable for YOU!

Here’s a sample of my current morning routine:

• Wake up by 5 AM  
• Say 3 things I’m grateful for 
• Rinse face with water
• Oil pull and brush teeth
• Make cup of tea
• Go to a yoga class
• Return home
• Shower
• Eat breakfast 
• Get dressed

I have time in my morning to create an extensive routine. I still have grace with myself knowing that some days I might need more sleep. Sometimes, I do yoga at home instead of in a studio or substitute it for journaling. Sometimes, I take more time to lay in bed and just watch the sunrise. It is okay to modify your schedule as long as you still feel like you have made space for yourself! Start small and keep adding to your routine until you’ve created your ideal morning!