5 Steps to The Ultimate Morning Routine

My morning routine is key to making the most of each day. Having a morning routine is extremely important not only because it sets the tone for the day, but also because it helps to ground in the present right as the day is starting. Staying grounded is one of those hard-to-define phrases that encompasses staying connected to your body, staying present and in the moment (not in the future or the past), and a sense of mindfulness -- taking things just as they are and not holding on to perceptions or assumptions. 

Creating a morning routine that works for you can completely change your life. Before you get overwhelmed with such a high-stakes task, let me tell you the best part: you already have a morning routine!

That’s right. You’ve already done the first and most important step without even realizing it. So, what does your morning routine look like? What are the first 3-5 things you do when you wake up? Whatever those things are, these are the elements of your current morning routine. 

Before worrying about overhauling the entire thing, it’s important to visualize what you’d like your day to look like -- this will give you a better idea of what you need to do to set yourself up to have a great day, whatever that means for you. Do you want to have energy all day? Do you want to avoid anxiety? Does a good day consist of completing tasks without procrastination? Whatever your ideal day looks like, it’s important to focus on the feeling you’d like to have throughout your day, and tailor your morning routine to accomplish that. By building this into the very first part of your day, you lessen the chances that any negative or unwanted feelings and thought patterns will take hold and ruin your day.

Personally, I struggle with anxiety and depression, so grounding practices are really important for me early and often. The sooner I can ground myself in the day, the better I’m bound to feel since grounding keeps me from worrying about the future or dwelling in the past. For me, the most effective grounding practices are:

1. Walking - every morning the very first thing I do (after peeing) is take my dog for a walk around the block. It’s a very slow walk, but it allows me to get into my body before I can get into my head. It also helps to wake me up gently by getting my heart going and oxygen into my lungs.
2. Sun Salutations/Gratitude - after taking my dog out and feeding him, I take a few minutes in front of my big living room window to greet the sun and give thanks. This also works to get my blood pumping and keep my mind clear. On days when it’s harder to express gratitude, I smile while I’m moving through the salutation poses -- it may be a fake smile at first, but by the end, it is absolutely genuine!
3. Affirmations -  as cheesy as they sound, they really work. There’s nothing quite like standing in my bathroom mirror and repeating affirmations out loud to get me feeling empowered and positive.
4. Vitamins & Water - giving my body the nutrients it needs early in the day sets the tone for how I nourish and feed myself for the rest of the day. I take Ritual vitamins, and drink 32 oz of water within the first 90 minutes of my day. Hydrating early supports daily detoxing as well as energy levels, and staves off midday stress headaches.
5. Meditation & Reflecting - I meditate for 10 minutes every morning to quiet down and settle in. After all the movement of walking, sun salutations, and making sure my dog is taken care of, I’ve started to think about what’s coming later in the day. Taking 10 minutes to quiet my mind ensures I enter the day calm and centered. Before I set the timer on my Sounds True app (click here for Android users), I quickly decide on a mantra to repeat while I meditate -- if nothing immediately sparks, I go with “inhale, exhale” and that works just fine. As soon as the 10 minutes are up, I write 3 full pages in a notebook about whatever comes to mind. As soon as the pages are full, I put the notebook away and get on with my day.

These 5 elements of my morning routine are what I’ve found work best for me at this point. My morning routine has changed many times over the years depending on what I need at that point in my life. Just as what your ideal day looks like will change over time, so will your morning routine so there’s no need to try and find the “perfect” routine that you'll stick with forever. Whatever works and makes you feel best right now is the best morning routine, and there’s no rush to figure out what works. 

What does your morning routine look like now? What sets you up for a great day? Let me know in the comments!