Start your day with this approachable morning routine you can accomplish in under 1 hour that will have you feeling your best all day long.
Picture the ideal start to your day: you're waking up feeling rested and vibrant, ready to embrace the day with positivity and purpose. A beautiful dream, isn't it? Here's the thing – it doesn't have to be just a dream. In fact, it's well within your reach. You just need a plan!
Each morning brings an opportunity to shape your day in the best possible way. Yet, how often do we start our day with intention? More frequently than not, our mornings become a blur of hitting snooze, hastily scarfing down breakfast or guzzling a cup of coffee, scrolling bleary-eyed through social media, and a frantic rush to work or school. As a result, we often begin our day reactive, stressed, and far from our best selves.
The good news is, it doesn't have to be this way. With some intention and commitment, it can be easy to transform your morning. This 10-step ideal morning routine is a holistic approach to mind and body wellness that we've refined over the years. Each step is designed to help you kick-start your day with a clear mind and healthy habits, ready to take on the day ahead.
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Our Simple Good Morning Routine (Even If You're Not A Morning Person)
1. Digital Detox: Begin the Day Unplugged (0 min) Try to stay off of social media, text messages, and email until you’ve completed your morning routine.
2. Hydrate With a Wellness Elixir (3 minutes) It can be as simple as a pinch of sea salt in your lemon water, or make it fun with something you look forward to each morning. (See ideas for morning wellness elixirs below.)
3. Boost Your Mood With Aromatherapy (1 minute) Add a few drops to your morning shower or switch on your diffuser with energizing citrus or peppermint essential oils.
4. Turn On Some Healing Music (1 minute) Replace your morning alarm with the serene sounds of singing bowls, Solfeggio frequencies, or a morning playlist of your favorite tunes to set the mood for your day.
5. Incorporate 10 Minutes of Movement You Enjoy (10 minutes) This doesn’t need to be a major morning workout; some sun salutations, a little Pilates, or dancing to your favorite song will help release some endorphins and increase your energy levels. You can do this right in your bedroom.
6. Quiet Your Mind (5 minutes) Before you hop in the shower, give your brain a little internal shower. This can include a few minutes of journaling, meditation, mindful breathing, or reading a few pages of your favorite book.
7. Make a Quick & Healthy Breakfast (15 min) There are a lot of quick and healthy breakfast recipes that you can pull together in just a few minutes:
- A Greek yogurt parfait with fruit and granola
- Avocado toast with a fried egg, micro greens with a sprinkle of Everything Bagel seasoning
- Breakfast tacos with scrambled eggs, salsa, and cilantro
- Banana oatmeal pancakes
8. Dedicate A Few Minutes to Learning Over Breakfast (0 min if multitasking) Pop on a podcast, audiobook, or YouTube video while making and eating your breakfast.
9. Elevate Your Shower Routine- if time allows (15-45 min) Pick one thing that can easily elevate your morning shower. Apply a hair mask while you brush your teeth, dry brush for a minute or two, use your favorite shower scrub, or lather on your favorite body butter. Don’t have a lot of time? A spritz of scented shower mist or a few drops of essential oils in a hot shower will help your morning feel a little more luxurious.
10. Plan Your Day (10 minutes) Keep your good momentum going by taking a few minutes to plan out what you need and want to do with the rest of your day. Keep it balanced between must-dos and like-to-dos.
1) Digital Detox: Begin the Day Unplugged
We live in an age of constant connectivity, where our screens become the first thing we reach for in the morning and the last thing we put away at night. But could this habit be affecting us more than we realize? As it turns out, starting the day glued to your screen could be silently eroding your mental health and productivity.
Starting your day unplugged from digital devices can enhance your focus and mental well-being. Consider designating your bedroom as a screen-free zone and use a traditional alarm clock to curb the immediate morning temptation of checking devices. Set a specific 'tech-free' duration each morning, allowing your mind to wake up naturally. Switch off unnecessary notifications to minimize digital interruptions.
Implementing a digital detox can be a challenge, but the rewards of better mental health and a calm start to the day make it worth the effort. It's about using technology to serve you instead of letting it control you. You're in charge of your morning routine, not your screen. Give it a try for a couple of days and see how you feel.
2) Hydrate With a Wellness Elixir
Do you typically begin your day by immediately brewing a cup of coffee? While coffee has its place, drinking coffee first thing in the morning can spike your stress hormone cortisol.
Your body naturally increases your cortisol levels first thing in the morning to get you up and going. But adding caffeine can compound your already increased cortisol levels, forcing your adrenal glands into overdrive.
Swapping your first morning cup of coffee for a wellness elixir instead can help start your day off on the right foot and help with stress management. Hydrating first thing in the morning helps to kickstart our metabolism, flush out toxins, and replenish our body's water supply after a long night's rest.
There are plenty of wellness elixirs you can prepare, but here's a simple, hydrating one to get you started.
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
- The juice of half a lemon
- 1 teaspoon of raw honey
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper
- 8 oz warm water
Not only is this elixir hydrating, but it also aids digestion and will leave your skin glowing.
Looking to try something a little more fun? We love this Blackberry & Lime Cherry Fresca from Cocoon Cooks.
3) Boost Your Mood With Aromatherapy
You wake up, stretch, take some deep breaths, and the first thing you sense is the delicate aroma of lavender wafting through the air. Instantly, you feel a wave of calm wash over you.
That's the power of essential oils—these concentrated plant extracts can profoundly affect our mood and emotions, making them an excellent tool for starting the day on a positive note.
There are a variety of essential oils, each with unique properties, allowing you to create a custom fragrance depending on your needs on any given day. Whether you want an energizing kickstart or a calming start to your day, there are a few essential oils you can experiment with:
Lemon is a wonderful mood booster. It's known for uplifting spirits, alleviating stress, and enhancing mental clarity.
Lavender can help reduce anxiety and promote a sense of peace and tranquility.
Peppermint is a great pick-me-up. It's invigorating and refreshing, helping to wake up the senses, give you more energy, and increase focus.
Rosemary improves concentration and can be the perfect companion for a productive day.
4) Turn On Some Healing Music
What if the harmonious chiming of Tibetan singing bowls or the soothing hum of crystal tones could replace your morning alarm clock? Sounds appealing, doesn't it?
This is the essence of a sound bath - a meditative experience where you're "bathed" in calming sound waves. This practice is a form of sound therapy linked to reduced stress, improved focus, and a sense of tranquility.
Sound baths use the principles of sound frequency and vibration to harmonize the body, mind, and spirit. As the sounds wash over you, they interact with your body on a cellular level, aiding relaxation and promoting healing. This holistic experience works much like a massage, but instead of manipulating soft tissue, it manipulates energy fields to set a positive tone for the rest of the day.
There are a lot of great playlists on Spotify and YouTube with healing frequencies. But if singing bowls or healing frequencies aren't for you, you can always turn on your favorite uplifting music to set the tone for the day.
5) Incorporate Some Movement You Enjoy
Incorporating just a few minutes of movement into your morning routine, such as light stretching, a little Pilates, or dancing to your favorite song, can positively impact how you start your day. We're not suggesting a full-on cardio sweat-sesh, just something to loosen up your muscles and release a little tension.
6) Quiet Your Mind
Incorporating activities like journaling, meditation, mindful breathing, or reading into your morning routine offers profound benefits for your mental and emotional well-being. These practices cultivate self-awareness, mindfulness, and a more focused mindset so you can navigate the day with intention and clarity.
By dedicating time to fostering a positive internal environment, you lay the groundwork for a day filled with productivity, emotional balance, and personal growth.
Journaling aids self-reflection, helps process thoughts, identifies patterns, and promotes clarity about goals, fostering self-awareness and intentionality.
Time meditating cultivates mindfulness and inner calm, improving focus, reducing stress, and boosting cognitive function.
Mindful breathing, a simple technique focusing on deep inhalation and exhalation, activates the body's relaxation response, calming the mind, reducing anxiety, and improving concentration.
Reading, especially inspirational or educational content, nourishes the brain by exposing it to new ideas, stimulating imagination, enhancing critical thinking, and offering opportunities for personal growth.
Positive affirmations can strengthen your self-esteem when practiced consistently. This increased confidence can make you more resilient to challenges and more likely to engage in healthy morning habits.
7) Eat Breakfast! Make It Quick and Colorful
Protein in the morning is incredibly important, offering satiety and muscle repair; healthy fats aid in nutrient absorption and brain function, and vegetables deliver vital vitamins, minerals, and fibers. Incorporating a wholesome breakfast is definitely worth sparing a few extra minutes in the morning.
Preparing a nutritious breakfast doesn't need to be time-consuming; you can throw together a quick breakfast in under 15 minutes if you have the right ingredients on hand. This list from Love & Lemons has 60 awesome quick and healthy breakfast ideas if you need a little inspiration. We especially love their Avocado and brown Rice Egg Bowls to get our morning started.
8) Feed Your Brain Over Breakfast
Instead of chugging coffee and scrolling through Instagram, setting aside a few minutes every morning to learn something new can be a really great way to squeeze in a little extra 'me time' into your day. It doesn't need to be anything formal, just something to wake your brain up as you're making breakfast.
Think about all the stuff you could dive into. It could be podcasts, articles, online courses, or whatever you're into, whether it's true crime, global cultures, tech trends, or even cooking tips.
It's your morning, your rules. It's not about cramming your head with facts. It's about giving your brain a workout, just like your morning yoga or gym session. Learning new things can flex your brain muscles, keeping them sharp and agile.
In just a few minutes, you can feel accomplished, looking at the world through fresh eyes and challenging what you already know to keep your curiosity alive and kicking.
9) Elevate Your Shower Routine
If you take a shower each morning, chances are you rush through it to get it over with as quickly as possible. We know every minute counts in the morning.
Try to find one way each morning to elevate your shower to make it a little more luxurious.
Only have a few minutes? Here are some quick ways to upgrade your shower experience:
Lay out your towel and your outfit before you hop in so you feel less frazzled searching for an outfit when trying to get dressed.
Add a waterproof Bluetooth speaker so you can listen to some relaxing music while you shower.
Add essential oils or a scented shower spray.
Focus your attention on the shower and the physical experience of the warm water on your skin and your feet on the tiles. Try to stop your brain from going over your to-do list or an upcoming work presentation.
If you're brave, try taking a cold shower to get your blood flowing.
10) Plan Your Day With A Balanced Schedule
After a productive morning, you're probably feeling great, but it can be easy to run out of steam and fall into a mid-day slump unless you have a plan. Making a plan is like setting an intention for your day. Spend time, just a few minutes, to plan the rest of your day. It will keep that morning routine glow going long after the morning's passed.
Instead of feeling aimless or overwhelmed by tasks, you'll feel a sense of direction and control and be better able to balance your responsibilities with the things you genuinely enjoy.
Start by prioritizing any responsibilities and items you must complete during the day.
But a great day isn't just about ticking off to-dos from a list. It's also about making room for activities that spark joy and rejuvenate you. Be it reading a book, going for a run, meditating, or even trying out a new recipe, weave these activities into your plan to make your day brighter and more satisfying.
Remember, your plan doesn't have to be set in stone. It should serve you, not stress you out. You can be flexible with it and tweak it to accommodate any unexpected events or adjust to your priorities. That's perfectly okay. After all, it's a tool to make your day smoother, not rigid.
When you follow through with your plan, you'll find that the positivity and energy from your morning routine doesn't end with the morning.
What Are The Benefits Of A Good Relaxing Routine?
In our frantic, 24/7 world, finding moments of calm is challenging. The moment we wake up, we're often swept into a whirlwind of responsibilities, notifications, and to-dos. A morning routine allows you to claim a piece of the day for yourself. It's like creating a bubble of calm amidst the chaos, providing much-needed me-time to center yourself and gear up for the day.
Boosting Productivity
By starting your day with intention and focusing on what's essential, you cultivate a sense of purpose and direction. This conscious start often translates into higher productivity, as you've already set the tone for a focused, effective day.
Enhancing Overall Health
From hydration to movement, many components of a healthy morning routine directly contribute to physical well-being. But it doesn't stop there. Just the act of committing to a routine and sticking with it can lower stress levels, improve mental health, and boost your emotions.
It's a positive feedback loop— as your health improves, so does your ability to maintain your routine, leading to even better health.
Cultivating Well-Being
Happiness isn't something that just happens. It's a result of incremental, sustainable actions done consistently over time. A morning routine with activities that nourish you—be it meditation, reading, or a yummy breakfast can significantly uplift your mood.
As days turn into weeks and weeks into months, this cultivated sense of happiness and well-being will become your new norm.
Customizing Your Morning Routine
The great thing about morning routines is they're not one-size-fits-all. They can be shaped to fit you and your lifestyle perfectly.
For instance, starting the day unplugged is a great practice, but the time frame is flexible. If you're someone who feels more at ease checking urgent emails first thing, then do it. The key is to avoid mindless scrolling that leads to wasted time and adds no value.
Remember, it's all about you. Experiment with the routines, mix and match, adapt, and find what resonates with you. This is your journey to create your perfect morning routine, and you're the boss. So, go ahead and start curating your ideal morning. The possibilities are endless.
How to Stay Motivated and Stick to Your Self-Care Routine
Establish a Consistent Sleep Schedule
First things first. Your morning routine really begins the night before.
Quality sleep is a fundamental part of any productive morning. It's about setting yourself up for success.
Aim for a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends. Your body thrives on routine. Your internal biological clock will adjust to a consistent pattern, and waking up becomes easier, even if you're not a morning person.
Plan Ahead
Imagine you're going on vacation. You wouldn't set off without knowing the destination or the route, would you?
The same principle applies to your morning routine. Determine what needs to be done and organize these tasks. This could be a simple checklist or a visual roadmap. This guides your actions when you wake up, preventing aimless wandering and decision fatigue.
By planning ahead, you can make the most of your morning hours.
Start Small and Realistic
We often get caught up in ambition, crafting elaborate morning routines that would put an Olympian to shame. Be realistic. Don't set yourself up for failure.
Begin with a few key activities that are achievable and meaningful to you. As you gain momentum, gradually add more tasks. Remember, it's about progress, not perfection.
Find Your 'Why'
Understanding the motivation behind your morning routine can be a powerful tool. It's not just about ticking off a to-do list. What are the benefits of these activities to your life? Are you doing yoga for mental clarity? Reading to expand knowledge? Once you've pinpointed the 'why,' your morning routine becomes less of a chore and more of an investment in yourself.
This blog post was about the perfect morning routine.
In this post, we've explored the importance and impact of a well-designed morning routine, illustrating how it can set the tone for a productive day. Transforming your morning doesn't require extraordinary changes but intentional and mindful actions that cater to your personal needs and interests.
We encourage you to use this checklist as a jumping-off point to craft your ideal morning routine, embracing the flexibility to adapt, experiment, and optimize it for you. Whether it's hydrating with a wellness elixir, incorporating some mood-boosting aromatherapy, or feeding your brain with an interesting podcast or article, it's all up to you.
What's stopping you from making tomorrow morning the start of a new chapter? Remember, how you start the day brings an opportunity to shape your day in the best possible way.
Do you already have a morning routine? What part of your morning do you love? Share with us in the comments! Or share this post with a friend or family member looking to start their own morning routine.
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