Five Benefits of a Morning Routine Plus 10 Simple Ideas to Implement Right Now
Ever wake up in the morning and feel a sense of dread? Or find yourself constantly rushing? I’ve been there. But I found a way to change that by creating my morning routine. A routine that I look forward to every day. I wasn’t always a morning person, but since I started this routine, waking up early has become a breeze.
Your morning routine should be tailored to you, whether as little as half an hour or up to two hours. This is your routine, so as much as you may be tempted to follow someone else’s, remember that it may not work for you.
I suggest you set your alarm 10 minutes earlier each day, gradually adjusting your wake-up time until you reach your desired morning routine.
Making a drastic change to wake up one hour earlier when you are not used to it can make you not want to stick to a morning routine.
With that in mind, let’s dive into the benefits of creating a morning routine.
Benefits of a Morning Routine
There are numerous benefits of having a morning routine. Discovering these benefits can be a game-changer in how you approach your mornings. Here are five benefits of a morning routine that might inspire you.
- Improves productivity
Waking up early or with enough time before getting ready for work can improve your productivity. One example is getting ahead on a task at home.
Since you wake up earlier, you have more time to get ahead. Of course, we don’t wake up wanting to do a task at home like doing a load of laundry but waking up earlier and after you do what you enjoy, then putting a load of laundry can take less than five minutes.
- Improves mood
When you create a morning routine that you enjoy, it instantly improves your mood. You wake up knowing what you will do in the morning, whether reading, exercising, or enjoying coffee. Since you wake up earlier than everyone else, you will not rush to get ready or to tend to someone.
- Slow mornings
You get to have a slower morning. If you have a busy schedule and family to care for, waking up earlier can help create a slower morning.
Even if it is just enough time to do what you need to do with enough time and not be in a rush to tend to everyone else.
A slow morning will also help you remember things during the morning rush.
Read more on slow mornings with 10 Ways to Boost Productivity With a Slow Morning Routine
- Enjoy alone time
As much as we love our family and being around them, creating a morning routine before they wake up will give you alone time. You can do whatever you enjoy doing alone without interruption and in silence.
- Reach your goals
It is always good for us to have goals. It can be related to health, finances, or work goals. Creating a morning routine that allows you to get up earlier can help you reach your goals. You will have more time to get some exercise in. You can work on a side hustle or a new business to get out of your workplace.
We all have the same 24 hours in a day, and if you are reaching a goal, make it a habit to wake up earlier.
Ten ideas to implement in your morning routine
- Wake up earlier
A morning routine starts with you waking up earlier than you have to. Waking up earlier will help you create a morning routine that you enjoy. Begin waking up earlier by as little as ten minutes until you reach your ideal morning wake-up time.
For example, some days, I wake up at 6:00 a.m., which includes walking with my husband; the other days, I have a 7:00 a.m. routine that consists of a 20-30-minute walk alone; and finally, on weekends, I wake up at 8:00 a.m.
So, this is your morning routine, and depending on the day, you can change it to what works for you—prioritizing yourself first.
- Avoid the snooze button
Do not hit the snooze button when your alarm goes off in the morning. You think you are getting an extra nine minutes of sleep when, in reality, you already woke up with the sound of the alarm.
Now, you are just trying to fall asleep, and the alarm goes off again.
Instead, when you hear your alarm, it’s time to get up. If you have trouble avoiding the snooze button, leave your phone in your restroom.
Leaving your phone in the restroom will make you get up to turn off the alarm, making it easier not to go back to bed.
- Make your bed
Making your bed in the morning will make your room look clean and tidy. You can make your bed as soon as you get off or before leaving the room.
I make my bed before I leave the room.
Try habit stacking when making your bed to make it easy. Wake up and as soon as you get up make your bed. It does not have to be made perfectly as long as it looks decent.
Read my 10 Micro-Habits to Start Now to Improve Your Life
- Exercise
I don’t know about you, but if I don’t get my walk in first thing in the morning, chances are I won’t go in the evening.
So, if you want to get some form of exercise in your schedule, wake up earlier. You can start with as little as 10 minutes and add more time when you get used to your morning routine.
- One-task
Taking a few minutes to do at least one task in the morning can help you get ahead on your house chores. It can be something that requires little effort, like putting a load of laundry in the washer. It can also be a quick five-minute reset to pick up and tidy up what might have been left behind the night before.
- Journal/Read or Plan your day
Make it part of your morning routine, whether reading, journaling, or planning your day, depending on what you want to add to it. This can be as little as five minutes.
Reading can help increase your vocabulary, journaling can help with your emotions, and planning can help you be better prepared for what’s ahead.
- Enjoy the silence
Waking up early can also mean you are waking up before your family. If you create a morning routine, you can enjoy silence while everyone else is asleep. This can give you time to be thankful or alone with your thoughts.
- Hydrate
Adding water into a morning routine can help you drink enough water for the day. I know getting at least four glasses of water a day was difficult. You can have a glass of lemon water ready in the refrigerator to make it easy to grab and drink in the morning.
Not drinking enough water will make you feel tired and dehydrated. Add drinking water to your morning routine.
- Eat a healthy breakfast
Eating a healthy breakfast should be a priority, yet we do not make time to eat a healthy breakfast. I know I am guilty of that also. If you do not have time to make breakfast, try meal prepping your breakfast so it is ready for you every day during the week. It can be something like egg muffins or overnight oats with fruit.
- Talk to a loved one
Create a morning routine where you can take the time to talk to a loved one, even for a couple of minutes. It is as simple as asking how they slept, if anything exciting was happening that day, or talking about the weather. Anything that will bring a smile to your face and theirs.
Final thoughts
There are many benefits of waking up earlier and creating a morning routine that helps improve your life. It can help you become a better version of yourself; when you do, you will be a better version of those around you.
The ten ideas I mentioned are just ideas to help you start your morning routine. You can begin by implementing one to three when you start, then add more when the first ones are done out of habit.
Again, it would be best if you did not create an unrealistic routine but one that is realistic and works for you.
To wake up earlier, you must sleep earlier to ensure enough sleep. Make sure you start a night routine to help you prepare for a good night’s sleep.
Read my 10 Habit Stacking Ideas to Improve Your Life
Comment below and let me know if you have a morning routine and what is included in your routine. If you plan on starting a routine, what will you include?