How to Create Your Best Morning Routine

Many of us struggle in the mornings. We hit the snooze button one too many times, we feel groggy and maybe even resentful, and we rely heavily on caffeine. When we finally do pour the coffee, we start running as hard and fast as we can. 

Every day, you probably fly through the motions of things like:

• Making sure the kids have everything they need
• Running a business
• Getting to work on time
• Juggling mental tasks
• Meal prepping
• Cooking
• Tidying up the house
• Responding to texts and emails
• Running errands
• Stressing that you forgot something

At the end of a day filled with all these demands, you just go to bed and crash. 

And the next morning, you wake up and do the whole thing again. You never know if you’re doing it right, you definitely don't feel in control, and you have no time for yourself.

But friend, the weight of the world was never meant to be on your shoulders. If you want to start your day in a way that makes you feel calm, confident, and in control, you need a predictable system that works for you. You need a morning routine. 

8 Steps to Creating a Morning Routine

Your morning routine may include walking your dog, packing school lunches, doing a cold plunge, or something else entirely. Here's how to set it up so it works well for you:

Step 1: Set an alarm earlier than usual. 

I know, we treasure our sleep. And I don’t want to lose you at step one, but hear me out. 

I set my alarm to get up at least 30 minutes before my kids. Why? Because it allows me to start the day as myself; as Christy the person, not just Christy the mom. This way, I can wake up and come downstairs before all the craziness, questions, and breakfast demands. 

As we progress through these steps, you’ll see why this step is crucial. We’re going to implement some routines that require enough peace and quiet to allow space for careful thought. 

A caveat to this is if you have newborns or babies who don't have a predictable schedule yet, this step may not work for you in this particular season. Baby could wake up at any given moment, right? The rest of the steps may have to happen later in the day, or the night before. Give yourself some grace and know that life will, eventually, become more routine and easier to predict. 

Step 2: Hydrate.

Coffee not only helps me enjoy my mornings, but it also helps me focus. Including your favorite beverage as part of a morning routine will help you actually stick to it.

In addition to something caffeinated like coffee or tea, make sure to drink a full glass of water, too. Water is essential for life, and studies have suggested that consuming a glass of water in the morning can: 

• Improve short and long term health (source)
• Eliminate dehydration, which inhibits focus (source)
• Reduce caloric intake throughout the day (source)

Who wouldn’t want to start the day feeling healthy, alert, and focused? 

Step 3: Find your special place to sit and read. 

As soon as my coffee is poured, I get comfy in my favorite chair with my devotional and planner. This helps me start my day feeling calm, confident, and in control. 

At this point, even if my kids wake up early—they know this is “mom’s quiet time.” Don't bother mom, she's in her chair. So I enjoy my time in that chair for 10 or 15 minutes: I might read my devotional or my Bible, I might enjoy quiet time or talk to God. I have found this exercise to be the best foundation for the rest of a peaceful and productive day. 

Some people use this time to meditate or recite affirmations. However you choose to dedicate your focus, don’t skip this step. You’ll leave this time feeling confident about your day, energized to tackle the week, and more spiritually connected, too. 

If you're looking for a new devotional to start, check out my free "7 Steps to Stop Feeling Discouraged." 

Step 4: Plan your day. 

Now that the mood is set, this is where my planner comes in. Writing things down brings them front and center to your consciousness and awareness. Plus, this step can be fun because it informs how your day can play out. 

If you need a planner, I’m excited to share mine with you: the Start Your Day Planner. It’s a simple five-minute system that helps you start your day as you—and helps you focus on what you need and want to do. Download my planner for free here. 

As you're walking through the Start Your Day planner, you’ll see a spot to journal. If you have a different planner, use the notes section or keep a separate journal. This is where you check in with yourself before you pile on the pressure of the day. I check in with my feelings, my energy, my body, and that informs what my priorities should really be. 

For example, if you’re feeling discouraged or even sick, be more gentle with yourself. Make adjustments to your day and week, call a parent or babysitter for extra help, and cancel meetings if needed. It’s okay to give yourself a break. 

Step 5: Write down something you’re proud of from yesterday.

Did you know research shows that monitoring progress creates motivation and a higher success rate of actually achieving your goals? (Source.) This is why it’s incredibly helpful to write down at least two or three things you’re proud of from the day before. Seeing progress is more meaningful to our brains than money, time off work, words of affirmation, or rewards. Progress begets more progress… and that’s a cycle I want to be in! 

But if we never stop to acknowledge our progress or celebrate our success, we miss out on that natural motivation. We so often focus on what we’re not doing, and that breeds guilt—not motivation. According to the American Psychological Association, your chances of success are more likely if you physically record it.

So, what did you do yesterday? Maybe you accomplished something impressive at work.

Maybe you launched something new in your small business. Or checked some boxes off your to-do list. Maybe you finally let yourself take a nap. Maybe you played with your kids in the backyard. Maybe you hit a new goal in growing your email list. 

Those are all worthy things to be proud of, and to write down. 

As you put this habit into place—starting each morning by documenting what you're proud of—something crazy happens. You realize you're doing better than you think. 

Step #6: Write down what you’re grateful for.

This list is different than what you’re proud of—although, you’re certainly grateful for those wins, too. 

As I’ve made gratitude a daily practice, the things that come to mind are my family members, health, how the Lord provides, my business, my natural love for nature, my home… and this is just scratching the surface. What really happens when I do this each morning is it unlocks many other keys to fulfillment. When you look for gratitude, you find what you’re looking for. 

Step #7: Make a list of priorities.

Life balance isn’t about doing everything for an equal amount of time. It’s about doing the right things at the right time. 

So, what are the right things for you to do today? What are the top three to five things you want to get done? If nothing else gets done, what is most important? Thinking about it that way will force you to put some level of importance to your to-do list. If you don’t assign priority, the list will be 500 items long! 

If you get your priorities done and happen to have extra time and energy left over, you can tackle some other things. But getting these three to five things accomplished should leave you feeling good. 

Not sure what your priorities should be? I created a Goal-Setting Guide to help. And it's free! 

Step 8: Pray or meditate. 

Before I enter my world of chaos, I stay in my favorite chair a moment longer to pray. I pray over what I journaled, my priorities, my family, and over what’s coming up this week. 

That’s it: I end my morning routine with a quiet prayer. 

Hopefully, a theme you’ll see in each of these steps is that they aren’t fancy or terribly time-consuming. I’m not trying to guilt you into a rigorous workout schedule or expensive skincare regimen. 

The biggest way I hope this helps you is that wherever you are this week, be there. As your mind is tempted to wander to all that you “should” be doing, or your hand is tempted to reach for your phone to check what everyone else is doing, deliberately and persistently bring your focus back to what is in front of you: The laughter of family. The smell of cookies. The victory of that sale. The warmth of a fireplace. Those traits you appreciate about your personality. The beauty of every detail in the very moment you are in. 

Wherever you are today—be there.

14 More Ideas to Incorporate into Your Morning Routine: 

1. Send a sweet text message to a loved one. 
2. Take your dog for a walk.
3. Brainstorm your next creative project.
4. Listen to music that makes you happy. 
5. Exercise. 
6. Read a motivational blog.
7. Play Wordle, or a daily crossword puzzle.
8. Do a stretching routine. 
9. Read back on past journals.
10. Listen to my Get Your Hopes Up podcast. 
11. Practice deep breathing. 
12. Eat a healthy breakfast, like yogurt or oatmeal. 
13. Take a cold plunge or cold shower.
14. Learn a new skill on YouTube.

You can listen to my podcast on my morning routine here.