Develop a successful morning routine that sticks.
How to Create a Morning Routine That Sets You Up for Success
Your morning sets the tone for the rest of your day. Whenever I have a chaotic, rushed start to the day where I wake up late and barely have time for myself, to get my mind right, I feel off to a bad start – experiencing stress and feeling unproductive. Meanwhile, when I start off on a good note, with a structured and intentional morning routine, I feel set you up for success. I feel focused and confident.
Whether you're looking to boost productivity, improve your self-care, or simply want to feel more in control of your day, designing a morning routine that aligns with your goals is the absolute key and best thing you could do.
Stay tuned until the end for a free PDF download to outline your morning routine, and hold yourself accountable to your goals!
1. Define Your Morning Goals
Before you create a robust routine, pause and ask yourself: What do I want to get out of my mornings?
Is it – more energy and focus?
Do you want – time for self-care or personal growth?
Would you prefer – A calmer, more intentional start to the day?
Once you get clear on what you want out of your mornings, you can create a foundation for your day by designing a routine that helps in supporting those goals.
2. Start with a Consistent Wake-Up Time
Waking up at the same time every day extremely helps with regulating your circadian rhythm, which aids in an easier wake-up in the morning, as well as feeling energized. Try your best to avoid hitting that snooze button – getting up as soon as your alarm goes off builds discipline and eliminates grogginess.
Pro Tip: If you struggle with waking up and are a chronic “snoozer,” place your alarm across the room so you’re forced to have to physically get out of bed.
And while you’re at it, since you’re already awake and out of bed, continue on with that momentum by making your bed – that way, you won’t get back into it and can start your morning. These are the types of methods I had to result to because I was making several alarms each morning, feeding the habit that was snoozing my alarms. It got to a point. But, I am so much better because I made that alteration and now I am up at that first alarm bell.
3. Hydrate & Fuel Your Body
Your body is dehydrated after hours of sleep, so it is crucial to start your day with a glass of water before reaching for coffee. Did you catch that before? If you didn’t, here it is again: BEFORE coffee!
A nutrient-rich breakfast has been shown to also improve focus and mood.
Try this: Warm lemon water or herbal tea to hydrate and boost digestion.
I incorporated hydration into my daily routine to the point of treating myself with a morning cup. I started with warm lemon water and eventually expanded to herbal tea. Fast forward to now, I have many an assortment of teas to choose from, and even look forward to selecting which variety I want that day. Create something that is worth getting out of bed for you!
4. Move Your Body (Even for 5 Minutes!)
I know for some us (me) the last thing we want to right when we wake up is a full-blown, intense workout routine. Rest assured that that is not what I am asking you to do. However, let’s remember that physical movement wakes up your muscles, increases circulation, and boosts mood-boosting endorphins. You don’t need an intense workout – gentle stretching (my personal selection), yoga, or a quick walk can do wonders.
Options to try:
5–10 minutes of stretching
A short walk outside for fresh air
A simple morning workout
5. Practice Mindfulness or Gratitude
I believe whole heartedly that taking a few moments to be present and intentional can shift your mindset for the entire day in such a dramatic way. Mindfulness and gratitude practices are shown to help lower stress and increase overall happiness.
Ways to practice:
Journaling 3 things you’re grateful for
Meditation or deep breathing exercises
Reading an uplifting passage or affirmation
6. Plan Your Day for Productivity
We’re all guilty of picking our phone up in the morning and diving straight into emails or social media. Instead, take some time with yourself before jumping into the thoughts of others. Set your priorities, write down your top 3 tasks for the day so you can give yourself clarity and direction.
Quick Tip: Use a planner or digital notes to organize your to-do list in the morning and keep track of these things and whether they’re getting completed, whether that’s mid-day or apart of your wind-down routine.
Not only will it keep you in check, but being able to mark something as complete will do excellent things for your brain chemistry.
7. Limit Distractions & Avoid Social Media
As we discussed before, this is an absolute no go. We want to avoid this at all costs because scrolling through your phone first thing in the morning can overload your mind with information and distractions. That’s the last thing, instead, we want to place emphasis on keeping your morning focused on intentional habits that fuel your growth and well-being.
Try this: Keep your phone on airplane mode for the first 30–60 minutes after waking up.
I personally have an automatic Do Not Disturb setting that turns on two hours before my bedtime, and it doesn’t turn off until I physically switch it off the next morning. This has helped me tremendously during my wind down and wake up routine. At night, I’m no longer distracted or tempted by notifications, it’s easier to not go on my phone because nothing is drawing my attention to it. This is similarly the case in the morning (despite the fact that I don’t reach for my phone immediately), it’s so nice to be able to control when I’m ready to see all that unfolded virtually over the last 12 hours. I am controlling my phone, my phone is not controlling and dictating me.
8. Make It Enjoyable & Realistic
I can’t emphasize the importance behind making it realistic. Nothing is more diminishing than setting an outrageous routine, not being able to complete it, and then feeling disappointed with the lack of progress. The best morning routine is one that you’ll stick to. If it feels overwhelming, simplify it. Choose 2–3 habits to start with and build from there, and be mindful of how long those things will take in the big picture of the routine.
Example 30-Minute Morning Routine:
Wake up & brew tea (5 min)
Stretch or move your body (5 min)
Journal or meditate (5 min)
Eat a healthy breakfast (10 min)
Plan your top 3 priorities for the day (5 min)
Final Thoughts
Remember, your morning routine should support your goals, energize you, and help you start the day with intention. Even small, simple habits can create a powerful ripple effect on your mindset and productivity.
I want to leave you with a lasting question that can hopefully serve as a branching point:
What’s one small change you can make to improve your mornings?
Start there, and watch how your days transform.
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