Most people agree having a morning routine is key to having a successful, good feeling day. But nobody really agrees on what a successful morning routine actually is. Sure, productivity experts and holistic health traditions alike seem to think getting up around 5am is best. But I know a lot of successful people whose morning routine isn’t getting up super early. Some people meditate, others journal, some go to the gym – when you start looking into it, you realise what an ideal morning routine looks like is just as personal as what an ideal day, or entire life looks like.
My morning routine shifts with the seasons, as I like to live in tune with them as much as I can. My current Spring morning routine goes something like this:
Get up between 6:30 – 7am (editor’s note – this has NOT been the case for the past few weeks, more like 7:30am), brush teeth, do tongue scraping, dry body brush and get changed into loungewear/exercise clothes. Downstairs for hot water and lemon where I either warm up for a run, or go outside to do morning movements. Then I run, go for a walk or do extended movements/yoga session outside. Make porridge, eat porridge whilst listening to an Abraham Hicks talk. Journal (Morning Pages practice from The Artist’s Way). Maybe pull some Tarot cards for the day, then do French practice, read a book related to my work, assess my to-do list for the day and get started.
I also tend to meditate in the morning, either before or after breakfast. Sometimes I do breathwork, and sometimes I walk later in the day. I also sleep in sometimes, especially at the moment and that’s okay. In order for them to work, our routines need to be flexible.
So that’s me, what about other people?
I asked people to share their morning routine with me over on Instagram and here’s what they said.
@hadgett
Morning….I have 5 warm up movements that I do in the bathroom before showering. Then I do agnisar, uddyana bandha & belly rolling whilst my turmeric, ginger, black pepper, honey & lemon drink brews.
I then go into my yoga space for 30-60mins asana practice ending with kapalbhatti. After breakfast, 5 mins nadi shodana & 10-15 mins meditation. Later in the day 15 mins yoga nidra. No wonder I don’t have much spare time.
@jessicalee.yoga
I used to have a routine but now it’s kinda become a continual weekend routine 😂 trying to get back into one. Think I need to get to bed early to make the shift
@rosenoirdesigns
My routine has definitely shifted since working from home. I’m actually making more time to do things for myself. Usually I’d get up, shower, get to work, and eat a quick snack at my desk before journaling. Now I’m attending morning self-development meetings online with tea, then exercising, showering and journaling before work. It’s kind of that my after work routine has now become my morning routine. I think I’m going to miss it when we go back or I’ll need to start getting up a lot earlier!
@caromoliveira
My morning routine consists of first and foremost a hot hot shower first thing in morning, during the shower i do a body flush/massage to wake up and release my muscles, then some basic trigger pointing on my tightest spots, oil pulling, teeth brushing. Straight onto a nice 30 min stretch, body movement, Wim Hoff breathing after my stretch, then back in the shower for a cold ice shower for 2 minutes or so. That wakes me right up!
@sarahalleyn
My morning routine changes depending on how I’m feeling – but at the very least it starts with breakfast and tea, and includes playing happy songs and dancing in the shower 😊 Yoga, meditation and morning pages all swap in and out at the moment.
@eveandkeel
mine keeps evolving as Audrey grows. Just transitioning to a new one this morning of giving her milk in bed followed by some playtime and cuddles then we all have breakfast downstairs. Not sure I can call it a routine yet as we are on day one.
@northernskyyogaclub
Oo! Am diffuser on with a blend for the day, herb tea, meditation and or run/yoga all before 7am or they don’t happen. Sometimes I will pull a card from a deck. Always start a work day with a clear list of what need to get done. Then smoothie.
An ideal morning routine is a personal thing.
One constant, though, is that people seem to have taken the time to answer this question:
What do I need to do in the morning to set myself up for feeling good throughout the day?
Of course, this comes with knowing ourselves and an element of experiment too. View creating your morning routine as an experiment, play with different pieces until and you find something that fits. Then, re-evaluate it whenever it starts to not feel so good anymore. Especially now, as we navigate very uncertain times, how we feel and what we need to can vary pretty regularly. So, part of our practice needs to be in adapting our routines to respond to this.
Do you have a morning routine? Tell me about it in the comments below! Like this content on routines? Sign up to my newsletter to be the first to hear about my upcoming e-course all about creating morning and evening routines for better health and happiness.
Want to add meditation and yoga to your morning routine experiment? Check out this 15 Minute Morning Yoga and this Short Meditation to Start Your Day over on my YouTube channel.
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