How did you start your day this morning? Do you know that the way you start your day is vital to your mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health? This is why cultivating a happy and mindful routine is the best way to say, “Good Morning!”
A morning routine is the difference between starting your day aimlessly and starting your day with intention. It determines whether your day controls you or whether you control the overall direction of your day. Click To TweetThough you can’t foresee how your day will unfold, what you can do is channel how you respond to what happens. By setting aside some time for a morning routine that cultivates positive feelings, you’ll be in a better position to manage your day.
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Psychological Benefits
There are actual psychological benefits to having a morning routine. The simple act of developing a morning routine is a habit-forming process. Your habits create your mood. And, your mood is the filter through which you experience life. By establishing good daily habits, you improve your mood, and your experience throughout the day is much more positive.
It doesn’t matter what time you say, “Good Morning.” What matters is what you do once you wake up, as this will direct your energy and create momentum. This positive momentum of your internal energy makes you an unstoppable force.
Don’t believe me?
Implement an easy morning routine that fits your lifestyle this week and find out for yourself!
Ideas for a Mindful Morning Routine
Your morning routine shouldn’t be based on someone else’s idea of a happy and mindful start to the day. It should suit your lifestyle and be customized to what you find calming and enjoyable.
The point is not to do what others do, but to create a routine that works for you. Try different combinations of activities until you find the perfect fit. Be flexible and allow it to evolve and change according to what’s going on in your life. What’s important is carving out some time just for you each morning, so that you can start your day off right.
Are you ready to get started?
Good! Here are some uplifting ways that I hope will inspire you.
Don’t Grab Your Phone
Checking your phone first thing in the morning tends to increase your stress and anxiety. This practice also hijacks your thoughts, time, and attention, which primes your brain to be distracted for the rest of the day.
Make Your Bed
Making your bed first thing in the morning may feel like a chore, but it’s actually an accomplishment. When you can accomplish your first task of the day (making your bed) as soon as you wake up, you feel inspired to complete your other tasks. Make it the first part of your morning routine.
Meditate
According to an article published on Chopra, the way you start your day dictates the way you live your day. Mornings are the ideal time for meditation as you’re less likely to make excuses not to meditate. It also helps you to be more productive throughout the day by calming your mind.
Have a Hot Beverage
Carve out some quiet “me time” each morning while you enjoy a hot beverage. Sip on your coffee or tea in silence, either outdoors or your favorite spot in your home. Use this peaceful time for introspection or to visualize how you’d like your day to go.
Read
Whether you read the newspaper or read a book, this is a great way to start your morning. Adding reading to your busy schedule is important, so why not add it to your morning routine? This gives you a dedicated time to catch up on the latest news or educate yourself on a subject of your choosing.
Have a Healthy Breakfast
You can really amp up your morning routine and properly prepare yourself for the day ahead by having a healthy breakfast. Instead of just grabbing an apple, how about chopping it up and tossing it over oatmeal that you made the night before. Smoothies are also an excellent choice if you don’t have time for a full breakfast.
Exercise
Mornings are the perfect time to exercise and including it in your morning rituals will help you establish a fitness routine. Although you can do intense workouts if you prefer, slower exercises seem to work better in the morning. Try some yoga, Tai Chi, or other stretching exercises.
Shower
A shower is a wonderful component of your morning routine; especially if exercise is part of it too. Cool showers stimulate your nervous system and will help you to wake up properly. This is also a good place to review your plans for the day ahead or visualize the outcomes that you want.
Makeup Routine
A simple morning makeup routine is life-changing. Plus, the act of applying your makeup can be therapeutic. By including makeup application to your morning routine, you’ll feel prepared to take on the day. Here are 5 tips to give your makeup routine a pop:
- Make your very own tinted foundation by mixing your concealer with face oil or moisturizer. Blend well and apply.
- Create an immediate wide-awake look by applying a nude-colored eyeliner directly to your waterline.
- To cover up dark circles, apply a magical Instant eyelift. It’s an under-eye treatment AND brightener that feels like a facelift. It’s by Trish McEvoy. She calls it the ‘Triangle of Light’ because it conceals darkness. And I promise it does!!
- Keep it simple. Use an eyeshadow stick that you can easily sweep on your eyelid. You can also use a simple upper eye base, brightener and that instantly creates a vibrant and bright look. You can wear them alone, which is a great timesaver.
- Fingers were meant for makeup. After you’ve applied your lipstick, put your finger in your mouth. Close your lips around your finger, then quickly pull your finger out. Like magic, lipstick on your teeth NO MORE!
Plan Your Day
The final step for a good morning is to plan out your day. If you’ve visualized how you want your day to go while enjoying your coffee or having a shower, then you’re halfway there. Once you’re ready for the day, make sure to plan it out according to your schedule so you have a strategy to win the day.
Summary
Your morning routine matters more than you think.
Unlock the real benefits of having a morning routine by using the ideas I shared, to create your own.
Small lifestyle changes are all that it takes to create these healthy habits.
I’m aware that not everyone has a bundle of free time in the mornings. So, keep an eye out for next week’s post where I’ll share some morning routine tips for parents and how you can develop daily routines with your kids.
Which morning routine idea is your favorite?
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Comments 22
I definitely have a morning routine with many of these, but I’m not very good about the makeup. I’m sort of a “mascara only” gal. Maybe a little foundation to even it all out. I’ve noticed that the inclination to do anything other than the eyes is even less important during COVID. The mask covers my whole face. Now the hair, that takes a bit of time:)
Lol. I know what you mean. I have so many Zoom calls I feel compelled to put on some make up.
I want this post to be inspiring for a long time and hopefully, after this miserable pandemic, when we are out and about again.
And I often go out with no make up at all!
Ronni, I am a firm believer in having a good, solid morning routine. It is so helpful and allows you to start the day productively without following a task list. I totally agree with the fact that your morning routine must work for you (not something you copied from someone else). Great post and I love your photos!
Thank you, Diane! There are a few routines I enjoy in the mornings, regardless of what time I get up, that push my day forward. In a happy way.
We are all different. Our lifestyles are different. Some of us are larks, others are owls. What we do has to fit our needs and our lives.
I’m with you 100% on the importance of a positive morning routine. And while we might not be able to incorporate ALL of the things you mentioned, finding the ones that make sense for you is a great start. If you’re doing none, pick one and build from there. I’m sure my mornings have morphed over time. When the girls were growing up, the mornings were quite different. But even then, I had certain non-negotiables like making my bed, showering, and having a good skincare routine. At this point, I’ve expanded my morning habits to include mindfulness meditation, journaling, walking, breakfast, and that luxurious cup of warm tea or coffee. I like to wake up early enough to do all of these things without feeling rushed. Then I’m ready to embrace my day.
Yes, our lives and routines were certainly different when kids were growing up than they are now as empty-nesters. Know that the ideas I mention in the post are just ideas to pick and choose from. I hope my readers take what they like and leave the rest.
Having my coffee, watching the news, exercising when I can and reviewing my day are my foundation. I love the mornings!
I absolutely love this list. And you’re so right, I remember reading a study that said that grabbing your phone first thing in the morning was one of the worst things you can do for your stress and anxiety levels. I love the idea of being more intentional with my time. Definitely going to implement a few more of these into my morning routine. Thank you!!
Melanie, Whatever you do is better than nothing. I’d rather do 20 minutes rather than 60 any day. Think about taking the time when your husband is around to watch the girls, so you can exercise. That’s what my daughter does.
Stay tuned. Next week I am gearing morning routines to families.
Thank you,Sarah! Putting an end to grabbing my phone was a difficult one for me. I just switched it with doing some lovely meditation, a completely different way to start the day.
I love the mornings and almost always wake up in a good mood. I want to continue that feeling throughout the day. By applying some of these suggestions, I do just that.
Great post, Ronni! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
When I was a kid, my grandmom used to say, “if you make your bed in the morning, even if the room was messy, it would not look that way.” Of course, she did that with a heavy, broken Italian / English accent. LOL – I would add to this, making your bed in the morning allows you to start your day with a completed task. =)
Your grandmother sounds absolutely wonderful. I bet she was quite an inspiration to you.
I agree with you about making your bed first thing in the morning. That one completed task often leads to many others and gets the day rolling. In a positive way.
I love the morning routine presented in “The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod.
Thank you, Caren. I’ll have to take a look.
You know I LOVE a good morning routine! Exercise is one of those things that I really should start doing first thing. I’ve been struggling with incorporating it in my morning routine and often it gets shuffled to the afternoon, which means I exercise less overall. I’d rather do a quick 20 minutes every morning than an hour 2-3 times a week.
I love how clearly you map it all out. Saving this one.
Melanie, Whatever you do is better than nothing. I’d rather do 20 minutes rather than 60 any day. Think about taking the time when your husband is around to watch the girls, so you can exercise. That’s what my daughter does.
Stay tuned. Next week I am gearing morning routines to families.
Roni,
Good reminder! The first thing I do is check my phone and email. Note to self, stop. Hope you’re well!.
I can pretty much predict how my day’s going to go by whether I resist the opportunity to check my phone first thing or not and wait until I’ve gone through my morning routine. You’re so right, it always goes better when I resist. I use my phone as an alarm clock (on airplane mode) but you’ve got me thinking that going back to an alarm clock would be the smarter strategy!
Hi Mary!
I’m so happy to hear from you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
It’s so hard to break old habits. All the research suggests that checking the phone first thing is unhealthy, and has an impact on your stress. It can also hijack your thoughts and time. That’s definitely not the best start to a day.
How about switching it out for a good cup of coffee and reading or watching the news?
Sending you warm thoughts and beautiful wishes for the holidays.
Ronni
This is all great advice. I am NOT a morning person, so I always set everything up (including planning my day) the night before so that if I have to be on-screen or out-the-door, I can sleep as late as I want. All that’s left for the morning is breakfast, shower, hair, and makeup. That’s my morning routine. I work out later in the day because it helps me, a lifelong insomniac, fall asleep more easily. And I know that grabbing my phone or a book in the morning is my surest way to get distracted. But that’s me. Each person knows his or her route to a calm morning and a productive day, and you’ve created a great outline.
Most people are either larks or owls. That’s important to know, especially when you need to get important tasks done and out-of-the-way.
There’s never one way to do anything. (Unless of course you’re eating caramel dolce ice cream .) I like to offer possibilities and then it’s up to each person to choose the ones they like best. We’re all different, with different lifestyles and needs.
Great article! I love the video too. I’m definitely going to try these ideas tomorrow morning. The morning chart is very useful and a helpful visual aid.
Thank you, Randi. I’m so happy that you were able to find ideas that will help you with your projects and create a better and new 2021