These days life can be crazy and it’s often one little detail that puts us in a grumpy mood for the whole day. Ugh. I know that there are days that as soon as I open my eyes my mind goes off into a 100,000 different directions and I’m immediately stressed. The key to having a good day no matter how chaotic it may be is a good morning routine. This morning routine I have found completing daily helps me a ton. It starts my day off on a happy and peaceful note and makes me feel like I have done something productive with my life since we are still stuck at home. When I go back to work, I know I’ll have to make some adjustments but for now this is what I do.
SIDE NOTE
Everything I am going to mention is based on what works for me. That’s why I’m providing you with a list of different options at the end so you can pick and choose what might work best for you. That might be picking one or two things that makes you feel the best and fits into your schedule. By no means do you have to do EVERYTHING. The key to setting up a successful, happy day is a peaceful morning routine. If you’re stressing to get it all done then that defeats our purpose.
MY MORNING ROUTINE
7:30am
My alarm goes off. Sometimes I set a 5 minute timer for some extra z’s and sometimes I just go on my phone. Going directly to instagram is definitely a habit I want to break in the future. For now, I am ok with it, simply because I only watch stories of influencers that inspire me (usually 1-3 people). I don’t scroll through my feed or stories aimlessly.
7:35/7:45am
This is when I truly begin my day. I get up and the first thing I do is open the curtains. This girl needs sunshine. Then I go downstairs to get some coffee. While I’m in the kitchen I fill up my Hydroflask and have a small conversation with my mom before she begins her work day.
8:00am
This part of my morning is a new addition and I’m loving it. This is my time where I drink my coffee and read a book. I told myself at the start of the month that I wanted to read every morning and every other book had to be self-help or nonfiction. So far I have read two books and could not be happier! It is so relaxing to spend the first 45-60 minutes of my day reading while I wake up. Now some days are different than others and I would be lying if there are not some mornings where I wake up and just want to watch youtube or netflix. If this is the case and reading sounds terrible, I’ll watch one video or episode before reading. Usually one video/episode is enough and then I can say “ok it’s time to read for a bit”.
8:45/9:00am
At this part of my morning I’m finally awake and feeling good so this is when I tend to journal and sometimes visualize. I keep my journaling short since I have just started out. Everyday I make sure to write at least one thing I am grateful for as I believe this is truly what makes each day amazing. When you focus on the good, you tend to forget about all the little worries.
9:00/9:30am
Along with reading, this is arguably my favorite part of my morning. Around this time I go for a walk. My walk usually lasts around 45 minutes to an hour, which is the perfect amount of time for me to feel like I got up and moved. During this time, I tend to listen to a podcast episode, one focusing on personal growth. These types of podcasts really help me get into a positive mindset for the rest of my day. Some days I don’t feel like an inspiring podcast so I may listen to a comedy one or listen to music. On day’s I don’t feel like walking, I’ll go for a bike ride, just making sure to keep it around 45 minutes to an hour.
10:00/10:30am
After my walk I am always a bit hungry so this is the time I take to eat some breakfast and watch a show, a youtube video and start texting my friends back. At this point in the day I have a clear head and have done what is necessary for myself. After I eat, I do something productive with my time. I clean, practice some spanish, as I am trying to teach myself the language and lately have been working on the blog.
Saving the afternoons for a bunch or TV and a workout has been the biggest help for me. Having a morning where I take my time to do things to better myself makes me feel as if each day is productive no matter what. Now this is what works for me. Maybe there is no way you could do all of that or get up that early. Maybe 7:30 am is too late for you. Find things that work for you.
Additional Options:
- Mediate
- Make your bed (yes, your routine can really be this simple)
- A yoga flow
- Workout
- Listen to music while making breakfast
- Watch a TED talk
All these small activities are making time for yourself. When you wake up, you should focus on yourself for a bit before doing normal daily life. When you think about it, all the little worries are usually related to someone other than you, “I have to do this project today for my boss and it needs to be done by 3” “oh after work i need to go grab {item} for {someone} for this {activity}” and so on. Never do we think, “oh I need to do this yoga flow today so I can feel better”. Pick one, two, three, seven things you can do in the morning for yourself. Adding these little acts of self love into your day, right away, will set you off for a great and (hopefully) grouchy free day!
Xo,
Em
Related Post:
-Self care: 5 Activities to add to your daily routine
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