How to Create a Morning Routine
I have always struggled with mornings. As a teen and in my early adulthood sleeping in was my jam! Friends who texted me at 7 or 8 am knew not to expect an answer from me for a few more hours. I’d lie in bed curled up in my blankets on weekend mornings snug as a bug in a rug. It. Was. Glorious.
I foolishly thought that after becoming a teacher I would be better at waking up early. That was a hard NO. Then I thought that having kids would magically transform me into a magnificent morning-loving mama. Alas, it was not meant to be. Turns out that being woken up by a talkative 2 year old literally prying my eyelids open with her tiny fingers became my reality.
This year (or at least this quarter to start with!) I am committing to MYSELF in the mornings and I’d love for you to join me.
I’ve created a worksheet that I’m using to plan my morning routine and I’m going to share it with you (you’ll find the link to get it at the bottom of this post).
In the first section, I’m brain dumping all of the things that I HAVE to do in the morning. For me this looks like drinking coffee (yup it’s a need not a want haha), brushing my teeth, getting dressed, quickly doing hair and makeup, getting the kids to pee, brush teeth, change, feed them… you know the drill.
The second part of the worksheet is brain dumping all of the things I WANT to do in the morning. This is the fun part! I’m thinking, drinking my coffee in silence, a bit of yoga, getting myself ready before the kids are up, maybe writing in my journal…ohh la la! Check out these 5 journal prompts for self-care.
Write down anything you can think of that would make your morning more delicious. How do you want to feel? What do you do see, hear, taste or smell during those first 30 min awake? You won’t be able to fit in every single activity but still write down everything you can think of. Circle the ideas that feel best for you and start with those.
Lastly we need to get down to the nitty gritty. How much TIME do you need to give yourself in the morning? Work backwards until you find a wake-up time that will work. I’m going to start small here. For me, I know a full hour or even 30 min of yoga is not realistic yet but I’m sure I can manage 15 or 20 minutes. Yoga with Adriene on youtube is my go-to. Anything would be an improvement though, even if it’s just doing one yoga pose before the kids get up! Before you finish, see if you can add one little thing that would make your morning even more scrumptious. Essential oils, lighting a candle, playing your fave song…
You can download my Morning Routine Worksheet below! Print it, fill it out and use the progress tracker on it. Let me know how you feel after!
-Breyen