Setting a Mindful Morning Routine
How have your mornings felt recently? Rushed? Exhausted? Unorganized? Today we’re sharing some tips for creating a more mindful morning routine. We hope these tips will make your mornings a little less stressful and help you incorporate more time for yourself. Even if your current morning routine is working, you might find a helpful tip or trick to try!
The Night Before
The key to a calmer morning routine starts the night before. Give yourself time to set up for morning success. This means crossing off any list items that can be done the night before. Here are some tips to try before you head to bed:
Tidy up the kitchen and empty the kitchen sink. It’s amazing how an uncluttered kitchen will affect your morning routine vs. a messy kitchen and sink full of pots and pans!
Can you pack your lunch the night before? Have an easy breakfast at the ready?
Set up your morning beverage of choice. It might be coffee, tea, or a smoothie.
If you have kids, what can be completed the night before to make their mornings easier? Involve them in making lunches, filling water bottles, packing backpacks, and choosing clothes for the next day.
Review your calendar and to-dos for the next day. Jot down anything that comes to mind.
Power off electronics. Put your phone away and consider turning off the tv early than usual. Some screen-free time before bed will ready your body for sleep.
Set out clothes for the next day. If you like to workout in the morning, organize your clothes, shoes, and water bottle so you can easily grab and go in the morning.
Choose an evening activity to help you relax. It might mean a warm cup of tea, hot shower, a short meditation to unwind, evening yoga, or curling up with a favorite book.
Write in a journal or your planner. Note what you are grateful for and highlights of the day.
The Morning
Not a morning person but wish you were? Instead of implementing an extreme change in your schedule, start small. Set your alarm for 10 minutes earlier. After a week, add an additional 10 minutes and go from there. Don’t forget, this means an earlier bedtime too! If you can slowly shift your bedtime and wake up earlier, before you know it, you will have the gift of some extra time in the morning.
If you’re still struggling with this change, make it a goal to wake up earlier 2-3 mornings a week. Once you’ve fully incorporated a few days, it will be easier to add in more days over time. This extra morning time is very valuable! What you do with it is yours to explore! This gift of time will help you slow down and make the mornings feel a little less frantic.
What do you need in your morning time?
If you are feeling overwhelmed and need to feel rooted and grounded again, try meditation. Choose a quiet spot and focus for a 5-10 minute meditation.
If you want to feel more connected and focused, try journaling. Releasing our thoughts in the morning is extremely therapeutic and allows us to process our days and connect to our goals.
If you are hoping to ease quietly into the day, try making a warm drink and reading a favorite book. The uninterrupted quiet time for yourself will allow you to give more to others when you are ready because you will have already filled your bucket with a simple pleasure.
If you are crunched for time during the day and trying to meet some exercise goals, try working out in the morning. Choose a workout you can do from home or exercise at a gym or outdoors. Working out first thing in the morning helps if you tend to procrastinate or struggle to fit exercise in. Choose something you enjoy so you will wake up looking forward to it!
If you are feeling stressed, try sitting down with your planner and organize your week. Jot down any to-dos or appointments. List the three main goals you want to achieve that day and/or week.
If you are looking for comfort, try listening to a favorite song and watching the sun come up. Stretch and breathe deeply. Repeat words of affirmation that bring you peace.
After a week of incorporating your new morning routine, note what is working and what needs to change. Are there ways you can improve your routine? How is the approach affecting you? Do you need more or less time in the morning? Hopefully with some of the new tips you’ve tried, your morning is feeling more relaxed and bringing you peace you can carry throughout your day.
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead! Are there parts of your morning routine you love? Anything you want to change? Tell us in the comments below!