Simple Ideas for Designing Your Perfect Morning Routine

For the past few months, I have been making a conscious effort to design a morning routine that works for my lifestyle. I was tired of being so tired during the day, especially when I work from home. I felt like I was wasting my mornings and those precious moments before getting my day started. It is so easy to start scrolling on your phone and wasting the morning and getting sucked into social media. I simply decided that I wanted to do MORE with my mornings. 

I have made some pretty useful discoveries about myself and uncovered some realistic tips that make mornings way more pleasant. I wanted to share them here on the blog, hopefully they will be helpful to you! 

After determining the way I want my mornings to go and what actions to take, it has been confirmed that, a.) I am NOT a morning person but that doesn't mean I can't have a morning routine that works for me. b.) Those cliché cutesy aestheticized morning routines that you sometimes see on YouTube or Instagram are not realistic for everyone. c.) Consistency is KEY. and d.) Morning routines are POWERFUL!

After starting my new business, Shop BeautyFash, I knew that a solid morning routine would help me move forward and achieve my goals. And as much as I was fighting getting out of my warm and comfy bed and waking up early, I found out that working through the discomfort is worth it. Having a consistent morning routine is the first opportunity to send your day in a positive direction. 

Of course, depending on the day, the time of month and what you have going on in life, some ideas will work better for you than others.  

My strategy is super simple though: Start small. Pick just one (or a few!) ideas from each category below and design YOUR realistic morning. Work your way up to having more steps as you discover what works for you.

 

BASIC TASKS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE

• Set an alarm on your phone and make sure the phone is not within arm's reach 
• Make your bed
• Open the blinds or curtains and let all the sunshine in
• Do your everyday skincare and makeup routine
• Get dressed for the day
• Take your time and make a good cup of tea or coffee
• Make your favorite breakfast
• Prepare your lunch and/or dinner for the day
• Text/call and say hello to someone you love

BE WELL - WELLNESS IS KEY 

• Drink at least 12 ounces of water as soon as you get up
• Go for a walk or run
• Meditate for 10 minutes
• Pick the vitamins you want to start taking daily and TAKE THEM
• Sit outside for a few minutes and breathe in some fresh air
• Listen to your favorite song
• Read a chapter or two of a good book
• Write down 3 things that you are grateful for

NEVER STOP LEARNING

• Watch a short tutorial on YouTube
• Watch a TED Talk
• Read a chapter in a self-help book
• Start an online course that you can work on 
• Read a blog post that inspires you to try something new
• Listen to a podcast
• Do a word puzzle or play a game that gets your brain working
• Research a project that you can work on

YOUR PERSONAL GROWTH IS PERSONAL!

• Work on your side hustle or a new business
• Make a list of the new things you want to try
• Research something fun you want to do over the weekend
• Try a new breakfast or lunch recipe
• Sign up for a new class in your neighborhood
• Have a phone call with a mentor or mentee
• Reach out to someone new for advice
• Brainstorm / write down a few new ideas to make your life better
• Add something to you bucket list

ORGANIZATION IS KEY

• Plan out your week, month or year
• Plan out your day - make a list of the things you need to do
• Clean your workspace or desktop
• Check your email and delete things that you don't need
• Check in on your finances / update your budget
• Get your work supplies ready for the day
• Organize and plan your clothes for the day or week

To sum things up, your morning routine is a very powerful thing. It can set up your day for success OR it can slow you down and make you feel stuck and behind on everything else. Get inspired and decide what you want from your mornings.  A fast and efficient routine? A chance to get some extra time doing what you love? Some peaceful time alone? Before you can start a new morning routine, you have to understand what it is you want.

After that, reference the ideas listed above to get things started. Write your new routine down and memorize it. Treat each day as an experiment to find out what works best for you and your lifestyle!

xoxo, thanks for reading and sharing!