If you watch my Instagram stories, you’re probably familiar with my morning routine. I value and protect my morning routine because it’s important for me to have space and time to set the tone for the day. I’m naturally a morning person, so it’s a little bit easier for me to wake up early. I truly believe that if you can have a consistent and exciting morning routine, you will have more joyful and productive days.

The days where I skip my morning routine or the toddler wakes up early and I’m forced to skip it, seem way more disorganized, frenzied, and lacking peace. I find that even if you have 10 minutes to set aside as a morning routine, it will benefit you.

I get asked a lot about how to create a routine and find one that works, so I thought I would share some insight and tips to help you find a morning routine! I also get asked a lot about how to wake up early. You can find a blog post about that here!

Today I want to talk about five strategies you can implement that will hopefully help you find a routine that helps you set a peaceful, joyful, and productive tone for the day!

Five strategies or steps to create a meaningful morning routine:

Set goals: just like most things in life, if you don’t have purpose behind it or an outcome you’d like to see, it won’t benefit you as much as you’d like it to. If you want to have a morning routine that you look forward to and that becomes consistent, set some goals. These goals could be personal, mental, spiritual, or something completely different. For example, my goals for my morning routine are to have quiet time, to get my mind in a good space before my toddler wakes up, read my devotional, get caught up on emails and write a to-do list for the day, and drink coffee. Pretty simple, right?
Turn the phone off/limit distractions: I keep my phone on “do not disturb” all night and continue it throughout the morning. In fact, my phone is typically always on “do not disturb”. When it lights up with a notification it distracts me, so if it never lights up, I check it way less. When I do take time to check it, it’s usually when I actually have the time to use my phone. In addition, when my phone is on “do not disturb”, it’s not serving as a distraction for me. You also deserve to have time without a phone. We think that they are a lifeline, but it’s actually quite nice to forget about it.
Implement a journaling practice: I am not one to sit here and tell you what practices to add to your morning routine, but that’s actually what I am doing here. Sorry. But, I truly believe that there’s great benefits to having some type of journaling practice for your morning routine. I struggle with anxiety and sometimes I can’t quite pinpoint why I woke up anxious. Taking time to write out my thoughts and feelings helps me make sense of what’s going on in my mind and create a plan to move forward with peace. Typically, it’s a bunch of small things that don’t matter a lot. Journaling helps me see that and move forward without as much anxiety. So, all of this to say, I suggest adding some type of journaling to your morning routine!
Do some sort of reading: again, I don’t want to push my morning routine “agenda” on you, but I also suggest you add reading to your routine. I honestly think we spend way too much time on our devices, watching TV, and distracted. There’s a lot of peace that comes from reading and it’s a great practice to add to your day. Reading makes you smarter, too. So, that’s a big win. I typically read a devotional and save my pleasure reading for the weekends and evenings, but it’s totally up to you. If I had unlimited time, I’d spend an hour each morning reading. I’d split the time between a devotional, pleasure reading, and a business book!
Create a peaceful ritual: for me, my morning routine typically begins with a workout or coffee. If I am starting it with coffee, I make my coffee and go sit on the couch to read and do my devotional. Sometimes I turn on music or light a candle. I try to make my time in the morning something that I look forward to and helps set a peaceful tone for the day. Obviously, there are days that are not ideal and I have to dive into work almost immediately (or my toddler wakes up early!), but on the days when I can, I work really hard to have a peaceful environment. It really sets the tone for the day and I am way more focused on the good and what matters most.

They say (who is “they” anyways?!) on average, it takes 66 days to form a habit. That’s more than TWO months! Don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t come easy at first. If you are intent on setting a good morning routine, keep at it. Yes, your baby will wake up earlier than you want on days. Yes, you will oversleep sometimes. Don’t beat yourself up! Just keep trying and keep adjusting your routine until you find something that feels natural and life-giving!

BONUS TIP:

Isn’t it true that our coffee can often be the most reliable part of our day? If you’re a coffee drinker, create a coffee routine that you love. I personally love drinking out of this mug. I then use my Nutpods Creamer* and froth it in this, then pour over my hot decaf coffee. It’s delicious and it’s something I look forward to every day! Which definitely helps me get out of bed in the morning!

*If you want, use code RACHEL_ALLENE to save 15% on your order! Holla!