GOOD MORNING - THE MORNING ROUTINE THAT WORKS FOR ME
My morning routine consists of waking up at 5.30am, going down stairs putting on the kettle, letting the cat and dog outside, a 10 minute meditation (thank you Calm App), make my cup of tea, then 40 minutes of writing. Then the day really begins but this time is just for me.
You probably already have a morning routine but just haven’t noticed it. Maybe the alarm goes off and you hit snooze a few times, then run around getting the kids ready for school and yourself ready for work. Maybe you have time for breakfast or not, perhaps you feel like you are on a constant treadmill of running behind schedule. Maybe you feel like you’ve a whole day’s work before you even head out the door and your thinking “You want me to add more to my morning!”.
Finding what works for you
I came across the concept of having a morning routine after ready Hal Elrod’s “The Miracle Morning” it is a good book that describes the benefits of have morning routine and the six steps you should build into it to become a success. He has an acronym SAVERS – this relates to five things he recommends including in your morning routine.
S – Silence – clearing your head of chatter, through meditation or breathing exercises.
A – Affirmations – encouraging words you tell yourself to start your day in a positive way.
V – Visualisation – Imagining you achieving your goals and how you will feel when you succeed
E – Exercise – get the endorphins flowing with some exercise
R – Reading – Learn something new each day by reading something positive
S – Scribing – My favourite – writing is great way to process your thoughts.
I tried this for some time and it just didn’t work for me, although there were some great tips and I strongly recommend the book. It was a bit too much and I just thought I wasn’t a morning person.
Then I realised I had to make it about me and what worked for me. It turns out I am a morning person, I am just not an exercise in the morning person – who’d have thought.
Don’t get me wrong, when the alarm goes off at 5.30am on a freezing cold morning there is that thought that flashes through my mind saying “just 1 more hour, you don’t really have to get up now”, but because I have made the morning about me, I now realise what I am missing out on.
And what exactly is that: One hour of guilt free me time. As a mother and wife, there is always something we could be doing for someone else, but this hour in the morning is purely for me. So, if I don’t get up at 5.30 I miss out on that and believe me it’s worth getting up for.
I do still sometimes think, “I’m getting up early maybe I could bake something that everyone could take for lunch, or sort that washing or clean a bathroom”, but I don’t. That fits into the rest of the day – I’m the one getting up early, this hour is mine, to do what I want or need to do. What a blessing!
So, it turns out I am a morning person, when the morning is just for me. 
Helping me reach my goals
Part of my morning routine is helping me reach my goals. My writing in the morning is either in my journal or writing for my blog. This blog has been a dream of mine for some time, but I never seemed to have the time to dedicate to it. By getting up early and writing, I am getting closer to this becoming a reality. The more I do it the more excited I am about reaching that goal the more I want to do it – it really has a snowball effect.
It also provides me with a feeling of accomplishment, I have achieved something before the world wakes up (well my world anyway) the kids and hubby start stirring around 7am.
Benefits of a morning routine
There are several benefits of have a morning routine. It puts you in a positive frame of mind. I enjoy my writing and getting up early to do something just for me make me feel good. I feel like I have already achieved something before anyone else is out of bed.
Because I feel good and I have had that time to organise my thoughts and day, I feel like my energy has improved. Getting up at 5.30am, many would think that would make me feel tired, the opposite is true, I have more energy because I feel like I have achieved something – it feels good.
I kick starts my creative juices, which helps to keep them going throughout the day. Having time to reflect in the morning can lead to interesting and creative ideas.
My weekly journal setup helps me to keep my goals top-of-mind. I write my top three goals every week as a reminder to set up some tasks to help get me there.
Suggestions for morning routines
As mentioned above Hal Elrod has his six savers that provide a structure for his morning routine. They may work perfectly for you, if not do what will work for you. There is no one size fits all. So below are some suggestions for what you can do in your morning routine. Pick a few that appeal to you, that work with your life, motivations, goals and desires.
- Brain dump – simply write down a list of things that are on your mind to clear your head so you can focus on the day ahead.
- Write 3 things you want to achieve – they don’t have to be big but will push you towards your goal.
- Read for 10 minutes – if you find you never have time to get through that book you wanted to read, get up 10 minutes early, have a cuppa and read.
- Create a plan for the day – create a schedule and try to stick to it. This is a great idea if you are in a bit of a funk and can’t seem to get motivated.
- Write down 3 things you are grateful for – this is part of my morning routine and is a section in my weekly journal template. Expressing gratitude has many benefits and is a great way to start the day.
- Move that body – there are many benefits of exercise, however the same thing doesn’t suit everyone, find what works for you and try to incorporate it into your morning routine. As I mentioned above it didn’t work for me, getting up early to exercise, I prefer to go for a walk after work to destress.
- Drink water – the thing I do for my body in the morning is have a big glass of water (yes, even before my cup of tea). When you wake in the morning it is important to rehydrate, therefore having a glass of water to start the day is truly beneficial. If you really want to add some punch to this health tip – add some lemon. Not only does it make it tastier, adding the lemon has lots of other benefits too.
- Meditation – I start my day with a 10 minute mediation using the Calm App. I can’t say I am good at it or I’ve notice any major changes but it certainly doesn’t hurt and I feel like it is something just for me.
- Hug someone – it can be your spouse, your kids or your pet. Hugging makes you feel good by releasing happy hormones and releasing tension. It also shares the joy, not only will you feel good, so will the person you are hugging.
- Get outside – I love my cosy mornings writing in front of the heater, but as it gets warmer, I am looking forward to taking my laptop or journal outside and writing in the backyard, surrounded by trees, birds and fresh air. It also helps me get grounded and relax. Take a few minutes to notice the beauty of nature.
- Have a healthy breakfast – take time to make yourself a healthy breakfast that nourishes your body and mind.
Tips to help you start and maintain your morning routine
Keep it Simple
You do not need to do all the things listed above. Pick two or three that appeal to you and focus on those for the first week or two. If it is not working for you, change it up and try something different.
Don’t try to do more than three things initially, it is just too much. Once you regularly do those three things you might want to think about adding more.
Be Prepared
Prepare for your morning routine the night before. If you like to exercise in the morning, have your work out gear out and ready to go – some people wear their workout gear to bed, personally I think that is sending mixed signals to your brain, but if it works for you go for it.
I like to have my cup and a teabag ready to go next to a full kettle. Then it’s just a matter of flicking on the kettle and letting it boil while I meditate.
Have a dedicated space
If your morning routine involved meditating or journaling, have a dedicated space set up for your morning routine. I have a comfortable wing back chair that I snuggle into to do my journal writing, next to it is a basket with a ruler, my favourite pen and some extra bits and pieces I can use. We are in the process of building a new home, so hopefully I will have the spare room to turn into my sanctuary, but for now it’s simply a chair.
In winter, when I first get up I like to meditate in front of the heater, so I make sure I have a comfortable pillow to sit on. Having it there near the heater means there is no thought process to go through it just happens. Make it easy for yourself.
Make it work for you
Have a look at the list above and see what appeals to you, perhaps see if you can build some of these things into your life already. Having morning routine should not add to your stress but be something that brings you joy and sets you up for a positive day.
Just do it
Decide on what you are going to try, set your alarm (or not, if you are naturally an early riser) and go for it. Commit to it for at least three weeks, if it is not working for you perhaps look at changing your routine rather than giving up all together.
There is no one size fits all approach to a morning routine. As you can see on mymorningroutine.com This website has interviews with several authors, entrepreneurs and creatives talking about their morning routines. As you can see they are all different, the key is they all have morning routine.
Share your morning routine
Write your morning routine in your journal and keep a track of how many days you can do it. Take pleasure of ticking off a box every day.
If you feel you need extra support then share your morning routine goals with someone who will hold you accountable. If exercising is one of your goals, maybe organise to meet with a friend to go for a walk. If you have a personal life or fitness coach, schedule your coaching session first thing in the morning.
Confession time
Ok, it’s confession time, I do not follow my morning routine on the weekends. If I have something I really need to get finished I do, but most of the time I cut myself a little slack and allow myself a sleep-in.
My natural tendency is to be a night owl, so I do struggle going to bed early despite getting up at 5.30am every day. So by Friday evening I am usually pretty tired. I use the weekends to recharge and get ready for the week ahead. Much of the research I have read on this suggests you should maintain your sleep pattern throughout the entire week, however, as I have said before, it really needs to work for you.
I highly recommend persisting with a morning routine until you find something that works for you. It took me 46 years to work out this one and I am sure it will continue to change over time, however I now can’t imagine not doing it. It truly is a gift to myself. So, I encourage you to try and find what works for you.
In summary:
- Pick a time and set the alarm
- Decide what you are going to do
- Write it down in your journal
- Prepare your tools required the night before
- Do it for a minimum of three weeks
- Change as required
Let me know how you go!
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