Are you overwhelmed by all of the complex morning routines out there? These are the simple yet effective morning routine ideas that you need to try.
Building a morning routine helps you start your day on the right foot. I prioritize my morning routine because it leaves me feeling productive and in a good mood which sets me up for a good day at work.
This post contains the best simple morning routine ideas that will be highly effective and easy to implement.
You will be ready to perfect your morning routine right away, which will benefit your entire day.
This post is going to be all about simple yet effective morning routine ideas.
Best Morning Routine Ideas
1. Morning Routine Ideas for Every Morning
-
Resist the urge to check your phone right away
Since the vast majority of us sleep with our phones within arms reach, it is so easy to grab our phones and start mindlessly scrolling. I know I’ve found myself scrolling and didn’t even realize that 20 minutes had passed.
Not only does this cut into your time to get ready in the morning, but it also starts your day on the wrong foot. When you wake up and immediately get moving that sets the standard for your day. Don’t worry, your day isn’t ruined if you slip up, but I have found it is more difficult to snap out of it.
Some tips to reduce the urge to check your phone right when you wake up:
-
-
Keep your phone out of reach
-
Plug your phone in to charge for the night anywhere other than right next to you. This will force you to get out of bed before you can grab your phone. I have found that once you have physically gotten out of bed, it is easier to keep your morning going.
-
-
Put your phone in airplane mode before you go to bed
-
Turning on airplane mode will prevent the notifications from distracting you right when you check your phone. Don’t worry, your alarm can still go off, but the distractions will be reduced in the morning. Another option is to use the do not disturb bedtime feature if you have an iPhone. Learn how to set up this feature here.
-
Move your body
Moving your body in the morning has lasting benefits for the rest of your day. No matter how the rest of your day goes, you can feel proud of the fact that you have already accomplished something.
This can look different for every person and also look different day to day. Some days, maybe you go to the gym and lift weights, and other days maybe you get outside for a run or a walk. For some, this could mean a 5-10 minute yoga/stretching routine in your bedroom. I know I have done all of these things depending on the day and that feeling of pride is always there.
-
Drink a full glass of water
Putting water in your body first thing in the morning has many different benefits. The water will give your metabolism a boost, give you more energy, and help with digestion. Read here for more information on these benefits!
{ Related Post: The Complete Morning Routine Checklist with Easy Steps that You’ll Actually Want to Follow }
2. Early Morning Routine Ideas
-
Commit to what time you’re getting up the night before
Waking up early can be really tough, especially if it’s something you’re not used to. When faced with the option to get up early or keep sleeping the moment your alarm goes off, 9 times out of 10, you will choose to keep sleeping. I would too.
Leaving the decision of whether you’re going to get out of bed to go to the gym before work or sleep another hour and skip the gym, in my experience, is not going to result in many trips to the gym. What does help me get out of bed is when I decide exactly what time I’m getting up the night before.
-
Get someone to hold you accountable
I’m sure you know someone who already gets up at the crack of dawn or maybe you have a friend who is also interested in taking on the challenge of getting up early. Tell them this is your goal and send them a text after you’ve gotten out of bed and are starting your day.
Knowing that someone is counting on your text in the morning will greatly reduce the urge to roll back over.
-
Exercise
Many people who get up early use this time to exercise before going to work or school. Early mornings are a great time to get a good workout done and move on to the rest of your tasks for the day.
This is also a great way to clear your mind and feel fresh to start another day.
-
Start working without distractions
If you’re a morning person and that is when you feel most productive, this would be a great option for you. Starting your work while most people are still asleep allows you to have little to no distractions.
3. Morning Routine Ideas for School
-
Complete all assignments before bed
If you’re anything like me, you feel very stressed and anxious when leaving assignments until the morning they are due. For that reason, it is important to have all assignments completed the night before at the latest. Even if this means you stay up a bit later, this allows you to sleep better without that assignment hanging over your head.
Ensuring that all your assignments are complete before going to bed also gives you a better start to the day. If you were rushing trying to finish the assignment on the morning it is due, that stress would follow you through the day until you got a chance to regroup.
-
Review any notes while eating breakfast on exam days
On days that you have an exam, it can be helpful to review notes while having breakfast. Notice that I said review notes, not full-on studying. On exam days it is especially important to keep a low-stress morning, so it is best to prepare for the exam in advance.
{ Related Post: 5 Clever Tips for a Morning Routine for Students }
4. Productive Morning Routine Ideas
-
Review or create a plan for the day
For me, having a clear plan makes all the difference in how the rest of my day goes. Depending on how much time you have in the morning, you can either create this plan the night before or in the morning.
Having a clear picture of all the tasks to complete for the day will allow you to be more productive. This will also give you the satisfaction of being able to cross out tasks throughout the day as you get through your list.
-
Shower and get ready for the day
Now that working from home has become so popular, many people skip this step. While I definitely enjoy slower days where I can stay in my pajamas, I can feel that it is harder to get through my to-do list on those days. When setting yourself up for a productive day, it is important to put on an outfit that makes you feel ready to take on the day.
This doesn’t mean that you need to be putting on slacks or a suit but put on an outfit that makes you feel like you’re ready to go. Feeling put together helps me feel more motivated to tackle what’s ahead of me so give it a try!
-
Listen to a motivational podcast
If you have time in the morning, motivational podcasts can be very influential in focusing your thoughts for the day. I like to listen to podcasts on my drive to work. You can also listen while you shower or even while you’re having breakfast.
Some of my favorite motivational podcasts are:
- How I Built This with Guy Raz
- Ted Talks Daily
- Hurdle with Emily Abbate
{ Related Post: Quick Guide: What is Productivity? }
5. Weekend Morning Routine Ideas
-
Let yourself sleep in
After a long work week, you deserve to have a slower morning and sleep in. As someone who wakes up early during the week, I always give myself at least one morning of sleeping in on the weekend. If you don’t have much time on the weekends, even 30 minutes can feel like a huge difference.
-
Get some fresh air / go for a walk
If you have the opportunity to have a more relaxed weekend, it’s good to take advantage of this time. Getting fresh air, whether that means taking your coffee out onto the porch or going on a walk, will allow you to slow down and enjoy the day more. Without those walks for fresh air, you could miss the beauty of the trees changing colors!
-
Make coffee/tea and a good breakfast
As mentioned above, the weekends are a good time to slow down. This means that it’s a great time to try out that breakfast recipe you’ve been waiting to try or even head to that coffee shop you’ve heard so many great things about.
Leave a Reply