Why do you need a simple morning routine? Here’s why:
It was 7:30 am and I felt like I was in a relay race as I frantically ran around the apartment looking for my keys. Where. Were. My. KEYS?!
Listen, I’d been up for a full two hours, yet I still couldn’t get my stuff together to head out for my shift. At this point, I was definitely going to be late. And hungry. I also had no clue what I looked like because once I did find my keys (they were already in my bag), it was a mad dash to the car – no mirror check involved.
My morning routine was so dysfunctional.
Now, it’s not that I didn’t want to set myself up for the rest of the day. I have so many things I want to do, so I need to start my days off right to be my most productive. It’s just that I’d gotten so caught up in the habits of “highly successful people” that I’d overcomplicated my morning routine. I didn’t have time to go through all ten steps I’d picked out, but I kept pretending that I did.
In the end, I had to give up on my elaborate plans and create a simple morning routine. I broke it down into just three steps. And as a result, I was able to be consistent with it, because on most days, I only have an hour before I need to be out of the house.
If this sounds like you, then keep reading. At the end of this post, you’ll have your own simple morning routine. Here’s mine.
Simple morning routine step 1: I eat and get ready (physical self-care)
What I didn’t tell you about that morning is that I was sharing an apartment with a guy. I was doing a rural medicine rotation where my accommodation and roommate were set for me, so I had little say. Luckily, he turned out to be pretty clean and pretty smart.
As I ran around the apartment, looking a hot mess, he calmly ate breakfast and told me about his last work shift. Just to remind you, I’d woken up a full two hours earlier and still wasn’t ready, but within thirty minutes of getting up, he’d showered, eaten, and left the house. In stark contrast to mine, his morning routine was as smooth as the yogurt in his bowl. I couldn’t believe it. (Read: Why Everyone Hates Monday Morning – Except You)
So what do I do when I wake up now? What he did. I eat, drink and take a shower. First thing. Step one in my simple morning routine is to do some physical self-care.
Build step one of your morning routine by doing some simple things for your physical self-care.
You could:
- Stretch
- Do your skincare routine
- Do a workout
- Have a smoothie
- Tidy up an area in your home
- Brush your teeth (hey – we’re talking simple morning routine)!
Simple morning routine step 2: I look at my calendar (personal self-care)
Here’s the irony of having been a student: back then, I complained about my schedule more than once, but it was already perfectly laid out for me! I knew exactly what classes I had, when and where they’d be, and what exactly they’d cover.
Now, I calendar block my weeks myself because no one’s going to do that for me.
If I haven’t made the time for something, it’s probably not going to happen.
I could be “meaning to” read that book or answer those emails, but if I haven’t put it on my calendar as an appointment with myself, then it’s not a priority.
To clarify, the whole point of creating a scheduling system like this is to have set objectives for each day and to have them written down so you won’t forget them. I look at my calendar every morning to remind myself of my goals for the day. If I don’t, I literally forget what my own goals are. It’s a problem. (Read: How I Know my Self-Care is Lacking).
I also take this time to move appointments around if I need to. The focus is on outlining my personal goals and maximizing the flow in my day so that I’m thriving instead of surviving.
Build step two of your simple morning routine by doing something for your personal self-care.
Here are some ideas:
- Pare down your to-do list to 3 must-do tasks
- Look at your goals for the month
- Schedule some more time for self-care today (could you make some time to work out? Have a relaxing bath?)
- Read around a topic that will help you achieve a specific goal
Simple morning routine step 3: I pause (emotional/spiritual self-care)
When I finally found my car keys that morning, I jumped in the car and rushed to work. I can’t tell you what happened that day because I really don’t remember, but I do remember the feeling of being tired, hungry and disorganized.
I remember “getting through” the day because I hardly had a second to breathe. Have you ever felt like that? Like your morning was so rushed that you spent the rest of your day just catching up?
When this happens, those days are never my best, so the last step of my simple morning routine is to get calm. Notice that I said when this happens, not if it happens. I still have some rushed mornings.
Certainly, sitting in silence can feel like a luxury. But almost every morning before I leave the house, I make sure I do it. I make it a necessity.
In all honesty, this is probably my most important step because it grounds me before I step into the chaos of the real world outside of my cozy space and PJs. It’s what helps me to come from a place of compassion and love when I’m interacting with other people, and that’s really important for the work that I do.
Build step three of your simple morning routine by doing something for your spiritual/emotional self-care.
Some ideas:
- Meditate
- Sip some tea
- Visualize your day going well
- Call someone who’s supportive
- Pray
- Dance
- Journal
Make sure this is calming for you, especially if you’re going to have a busy day. Essentially, the idea is to feel calm so that when you meet someone who isn’t – let’s say in traffic – you can stay kind and unbothered.
Get comfortable… Just make sure you don’t fall back asleep!
Summary
So, that’s it! My simple morning routine in 3 steps for days when you need to be focused and productive (i.e. most days).
In the end, I created this routine because I got honest about what was realistic for my mornings. Other people’s beautiful and elaborate routines just didn’t work for me, and I actually felt worse when I tried to implement them. Ironically, I felt rushed and guilty for not making time to do all the steps… even though I was waking up extra early to get them done!
If you want to continue to stay focused and get your most important goals done, then join our email community and I’ll send you a focus planner. It helps you get clear on what matters to you so that you’re not bogged down by distractions (did I mention all the posts I read about other people’s morning routines? You too? No worries).
Here’s a reminder of your own formula for a simple morning routine.
As you read through this post, you identified what you’ll do for your:
- Physical
- Personal, and
- Emotional/spiritual self-care each morning
First start with this, and then tweak it to make a routine that works for you. You can follow my simple formula or you can change it completely: no guilt, no “shoulds.”
Let me know what your three steps are in the comments below. And of course, up next, I’ll share my evening routine!
