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Good morning…routine
Not really. I am not a morning person. Not even at all. Nope, nuh-uh. In fact, my normal morning routine went a little bit like this.
“Beepbeepbeepbeep.” -snooze-
(9 minutes later)
“Beepbeepbeepbeep.” -snooze-
(9 minutes later)
“Beepbeepbeepbeep.” -snooze-
And so on, and so forth…at least 4 more times. In fact, I usually set at least 3 alarms for myself. Hey, I’m just being real.
All the extra snoozing meant my morning was rushed and hurried as I raced to get to work on time and look presentable.
Then, this crazy thing happened. I started working for VIPKID. If you are interested, you can read more about my journey with VIPKID here. But, basically, VIPKID is a company that hires native English speakers to teach English to children in China. Sounds great, right? The only problem is the classes are early. Like really early. In order to even make the side hustle worth it, I had to get up at 5:00 am so I could teach for two hours before getting ready for work.
And it was hard. But, eight months later, I am still doing it. Why? Because it is an excellent side hustle, and I have found that I really enjoy getting up early. Ok, maybe that is a stretch. I don’t like getting up early. I never will, but I do like my morning routine. It makes me feel productive and helps me have a great start to my mornings.
Related: How viPKID Helps me Earn and Extra $800 a Month from Home.
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What is a morning routine?
A morning routine is just what it sounds like. A routine or set of steps you do every morning. The best part of a morning routine is it doesn’t have to be at the exact same time every day. If you wake up at 6:00am on weekdays and 8:00am on weekends, your routine can still look exactly the same. But, a morning routine can also help you begin to wake up earlier and build some consistency from day to day.
Now, you might be backing up right now shaking your head thinking, oh, no, Meghan. This is not for me. Routine? Way too much pressure. But, I promise. It is not. A morning routine should not feel like pressure. It is merely a set of steps your sleepy brain knows to go through every morning to get you moving for you day. No pressure needed. It is more like muscle memory, especially if suffer from zombie brain in the morning like I do.
Why should you have a morning routine?
Studies show that children respond well to routine. But, in my experience, that never really goes away. While adults definitely handle spontaneity better than young children, routine still helps us feel grounded and stable. Routines also help us get things accomplished. So, why exactly should you have a morning routine?
- A morning routine makes it easier to get up.
- An established routine is easy to follow even when you are tired.
- You will get more done in the morning.
- You will be less stressed.
- You will be more likely to eat a healthy breakfast.
- It will be easier to get to work or appointments on time.
- A morning routine allows you to take care of yourself
- A morning routine gives you a positive start to the day.
A morning routine makes it easier to get up.
One side effect of teaching in the mornings is that I started to wake up before my alarm clock. I was shocked. Me, who could hardly drag myself out of bed at 6:50 to get ready for work was waking up before my 5:00 am alarm! Setting my body to a routine helped me be able to wake up with less haze, less yawning, and fewer times hitting the snooze.
When you are getting enough sleep, and you are actively doing things that help your body wake up and start moving in the morning, you start to get into a cycle, a rhythm. This rhythm helps you wake up earlier and get out of bed. I am not going to promise that you will instantly become a morning person, but you will notice yourself waking up and getting out of bed without the blankets trying to absorb you as one of their own.
An established routine is easy to follow even when you are tired.
To be completely honest, I still wake up feeling like a zombie some mornings. If I didn’t get enough sleep or it is overcast and rainy outside or really a lot of other reasons, I will feel tired and drag through the routine I set for myself. But, now that my routine is established, I can follow it with my eyes closed. Literally. I have before.
When you have a set of simple steps that you follow regularly, your body can run through them without any extra help. The monotony of doing the tasks morning after morning sets up a kind of muscle memory for your brain. Even when you are having a hard time focusing, your routine will still get done leaving you time to focus on waking up that brain of yours.
You get more done in the morning.
The saying “early to bed, early to rise, makes you healthy, wealthy, and wise” is not exactly true. Especially since I am not a farmer, and a lot of my business is conducted after dark. However, waking up with a little time to spare in the morning instead of sleeping in until the last possible nanosecond and then rushing to get to work with no makeup and a half-hashed breakfast, does help you get stuff done.
Even with teaching from 5:30-7:30, I would sometimes have time to clear the dishwasher or tidy up the living room before heading to work, with makeup, I might add. I noticed that I was more motivated to get those little chores done before I headed off to work than when I walked through the door at 7:30 after working all day, running errands, and knowing I still needed to rustle up some dinner. Those little 10 minute chores also made me feel better about coming home after work because I knew I could load dinner dishes right into the dishwasher, and I wouldn’t have to pick up Hub’s socks and my crafting mess off the floor.
You will be less stressed.
Who doesn’t want a way to reduce stress? I know I do. Rushed mornings are not a good way to do that. When you start your brain off pumping and rushing to get somewhere, you do not set yourself up for a win. Setting the stage, first thing, for a relaxed, steady paced day is a must. You don’t have to rush with breakneck speed to get things done. Not if you start the day off right.
Give yourself time in the morning to center and get ready for your day mentally and physically. It doesn’t have to be much time. Spending 10 minutes of quiet time, doing a 15 minute workout, or doing 20 minutes of chores will all help you get your day started right. Notice, I didn’t say and. You do not have to jam-pack your morning routine. Choose a few things that are important to you at the start of your day and use them to help yourself.
When you are less stressed in the morning you are:
- Less likely to forget something
- More likely to get to work on time
- More likely to have a productive morning
- More likely to enjoy your day.
Related: Stressed? Try these tips to save your sanity.
You will be more likely to eat a healthy breakfast.
Are you the type of person who grabs a poptart or granola bar on your way out the door? Or, do you prep ahead so you can have a healthy breakfast on the go? Do you fall somewhere in the middle with a bowl of high-fiber cereal? Regardless, when you have a morning routine, you are much more likely to eat a healthy breakfast.
Breakfast should be part of your routine. Whether you are the quick and easy or the full cooked meal type of breakfaster, you have more time to plan for and enjoy your breakfast. Taking time for breakfast, alone, will help you have a healthier day. But, when you have taken the time to plan out your morning, you are also more likely to take care of yourself in other ways. A healthy, delicious, filling breakfast is a prime example of this.
In fact, as you establish a morning routine, I suggest you figure out what some of your favorite, healthy breakfasts are. Having one to look forward to can help you feel more motivated to wake up in the morning. When I go to bed at night now, I noticed myself looking forward to my keto french toast muffins, berries, and cup of tea that I know will be coming early the next day.
It will be easier to get to work on time.
I used to work at a school on the other side of town. It was only about 12 miles from where we lived, but could take a whole 45 minutes to get there. I found out there was a sweet spot. A time I could leave and hit less traffic and fewer lights, shaving off a few minutes of that morning commute. But, if I didn’t leave at the exact time, I would get to work late because I would catch a swell of traffic coming down the main road by our home.
In order to get to work on time, I had to have my morning routine planned down to the minute. I didn’t, of course, and ended up getting to work late a few times before giving up on the sweet spot idea. Looking back now, I realize, a couple tweaks to my morning could have helped me get to work on time every day.
Knowing how your morning is going to go before it even begins helps you to stay focused at a time when your brain is tired and ready to wander. As your routine becomes more established, you get faster as well. Staying focused and getting ready faster will help you save time you didn’t even know was lost to you. You might even notice you have a few minutes to sit and catch your breath before heading out the door to work.
A morning routine allows you to take care of yourself.
Include things that help you be healthier, both physically and mentally, into your routine. Drink a full glass of water in the mornings. Get active and do a quick workout. Take your vitamins. Whatever it is, give yourself that time and care in the morning. You will be more refreshed and motivated for the day ahead.
A morning routine gives you a positive start to the day.
A day can take a lot out of you. Your career, your family, your obligations all call for your time. If you are not careful, they will take every single second away from you leaving very little time for you to purposefully do what you enjoy. Sure, you might waste an hour on Pinterest, or veg out in front of your favorite TV show. But, purposefully taking time for yourself is different. You are engaged in what is happening to you and enjoying every second of your down time because you chose it. You planned for it, and you are focused on what it means to you.
Every morning you have the perfect opportunity to do this. Take a minute to enjoy your coffee, read a book, or watch the sunrise. Taking the time I need in the morning to center, get a few chores done, and enjoy my morning helps me to be
- More productive
- More calm
- Happier
I appreciate so much more about my day. I get rid of the flustered feeling of rushing through the morning. And I get significantly more done in the day because I gave myself a good start.
How long should your morning routine be?
I cannot actually answer that. There is not one definite answer. A morning routine is for you. And you alone. Which means you have to be the one to decide how long it should be. Really, it could be as short as 15 minutes or as long as 3 hours. You have the power.
I suggest starting backwards by figuring out when you need to be at work. If you don’t work, what is the time when you need to be up, energized, and ready for the morning? Once you have your ending time, you can start.
These are the steps you take to figure out how long you need.
- Start with the time you need to be at work.
- Subtract the time needed for your commute.
- Establish the time you have to leave your house.
- Decide what time you want to get up.
The time between when you want to get up and have to leave your house is the time you need for your morning routine. If you want to get more done in the morning, plan to give yourself more time. If you just want to pack a lunch and get ready, plan for a shorter morning routine.
How should you start your morning?
What do you think? Are you ready to try it? If you are still doubtful, I can assure you, I was too. I read many blog posts on how to become a morning person and tried them all. Guess what!? I am still not a morning person. But I can get up early with enough energy to teach from 5:30-3:30 and still run errands, make dinner, and clean my home.
Now my morning routine is the way my brain knows how to wake up. When I skip it, I notice I get far less done and waste much more time. I challenge you to try it out. Set your own morning routine today.
Not sure how? Look for a post coming soon about how to establish your own morning routine.
Do you use a routine in the morning? How has it helped you?
Related: How you should start your morning
