I can’t believe I waited 28 years to start making a morning routine. Seriously, it has changed my life. I know that seems a little bold of a statement. But, it’s true!

Since I started making a morning routine this year I have see a difference in so many areas of my life.That’s because my morning routine sets up my entire mindset + actions for the day!

It’s like a domino affect. Once I make it through my morning list, magical things manifest throughout the day.

Today I am going to share:

1. Why I believe everyone needs a morning routine,
2. How to make your morning routine a habit +
3. My personal morning routine right now.

 

Morning Routine: Why You Need One + How To Make it a Habit

 

You may not even realize it. But, I guarantee you already have a morning routine. You just don’t realize it! The question though is whether or not that morning routine benefits you + your entire day… or not.

Unless we make clear morning routines that we consciously develop, the chances are that your morning habits are doing nothing but holding you back in life.

So, I am going to share with you why you need to make a new, healthy one that helps you move closer to your dream-self every day!

 

 

Why You Need a Morning Routine

 

It helps you use your time more effectively

When you have a clear morning routine, there is a specific order + directions you follow with each task. You are able to move from one task to another without having to think about “what’s next.” So, little-to-no time is lost in the process of a clear morning routine. Your day starts off immediately as productive.

Best part is that the high productivity levels your morning routine provides will carry on with you throughout the day. Why’s that? Your mindset is in the right place + you’ve already experienced the positive rush of feeling accomplished. So, your mind will look to replicate that throughout the day so you can receive the same mental reward.

• Related: 7 WAYS TO COPE WITH STRESS + ANXIETY

 

It reduces stress-levels

I encourage that you create a morning routine filled with self-care + mindset work. It could include working out, meditating, journaling, listening to a podcast, reading self-help, taking a long hot shower… Having even one or two of these will help to start your day off with low levels of stress.

Have you ever woken up in the morning + immediately had negative or anxious thoughts fly through your mind? Self-care habits embedded within your morning routine can help to de-stress the mind + set your thought process up for positivity throughout the day.

 

It creates self-discipline

I am NOT going to lie. Creating a morning routine is not an overnight process. It takes time, patience, + willpower to create it. BUT, all of it is 100% worth it. As you slowly build your morning routine habits, you will also be flexing a major mental muscle of yours: SELF-DICIPLINE.

People fail at creating habits because they rely on motivation. Guess what… motivation is NOT always there. There are constantly little clever things trying to hold us back: the warm sheets, soft pillows,+  relaxing slumber. But, every day you push past those + opt for your self-care-based morning routine habits, you increase your self-dicipline. Which, in turn, ripples more self-dicipline throughout your day.

• Related: MINDFULNESS FOR BEGINNERS

 

It helps you fill up your cup

A good morning routine includes habits that make us feel GOOD about ourselves! It encourages you to set your intentions for the day + decide what your day will look like. Overall, it helps you move the needle one tick closer to your dream life.

For many of us, moving that ticker requires us to move more, prepare for healthy choices throughout the day, + (the most important) prepare our mindset for the day so we can find success within multiple areas of our lives. When we start our day doing things like that, it fills our bodies with such high levels of positivity + happiness! What a great way to begin the day!

 

It sets the tone for the rest of the day

Spending just 15-60 minutes a morning following a clear, self-care based morning routine can completely steer the course of what your day is going to look like.

Once you create a routine that makes you FEEL GOOD, POSITIVE, + INSPIRED, you’ll find your life will begin to shift.

• You’ll find yourself choosing healthier options throughout the day.
• You’ll steer AWAY from drama + low-level conversations that bring you down.
• You’ll want to push yourself to do the hard things to reach your goals.
• You’ll move more + look the for the good in the day.
• You’ll inspire others to up-level their lives, too!

 

 

How to Make Your Morning Routine a Habit

 

Start small + build over time

A great way to fail at a morning routine is piling a list of 5+ things on at once. Like any habit you want to adopt, you need to take a realistic approach so it can actually stick. So, I recommend that you choose 1-2 habits to start with. Once those feel easy to do each morning, begin to add another to the list.

Also, think small with the activities you choose + build those over time:

• GOAL: workout 30 min – start with 10 min
• GOAL: journal 1 page – start with 2 sentences
• GOAL: meal prep for the day – start with just your snacks
• GOAL: meditate 5 minutes – start with 30 seconds

 

Write out your am routine

When things are written down they become clear + real. So, write your routine out on a piece of paper or on a white board + display it where you will see it every morning. You can also make it a daily reminder so your list pops up on your phone when your alarm goes off every morning!

• Related: 7 PRODUCTIVITY HACKS THAT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

 

Track your progress

The best way to make any habit stick is to actually track how often you do it. Download a tracker off-line, create a simple one on the computer, or get old school + just put checkmarks next to hand-written habits. You’ll need to make it a habit of actually using it every day! It makes a huge difference.

 

Tell others about it

Might feel weird at first, but you NEED to share your routine so you’re accountable! Tell people you live with, significant others, your friends, post it on your social media, etc. Don’t worry about what others will think! If anything, you’ll inspire other people to start!

• Related: 4 STEP PROCESS FOR CREATING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

 

 

My Current Morning Routine

1. Wake up at 5:15 + get dressed
2. Make a cup of coffee
3. Workout for half an hour
4. Meditate for 2-5 minutes
5. Journal for 2-5 minutes
6. Get ready for the day