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Establishing a solid morning routine is the best way to set yourself up for success, whether you’re going to work, taking care of the kids, or enjoying a day off.

The way you start each morning sets the tone for the rest of your day. If you start your day negatively or feeling rushed, it’ll probably feel much more stressful than if you have a peaceful morning filled with intention.

Without a morning routine, our days can quickly get away from us. You might spend an unintentional hour checking your phone before getting out of bed, and suddenly your morning is gone and you’re scrambling to make up for lost time.

Doesn’t sound ideal, does it? But I bet for many of you reading this (myself included!), it sounds familiar.
 

The way you start each morning sets the tone for the rest of your day.

 
Imagine instead that you had a simple yet structured morning routine in place, complete with a few easy rituals that ground you and bring you joy, so that by the time you sit down to work or get ready to tackle a few to-do’s, you’re feeling inspired, motivated, and genuinely excited to kick off the day! Ahhh that sounds better already, doesn’t it?!

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But the how is what we’re going to address in this article. And the key to finding your best morning routine is to keep it simple. Our lives are complicated enough! We need to streamline; not add more to our plates.

Enter: your perfect morning routine.
 
 

Try These 5 Tips to Create Your Perfect Morning Routine for a Healthier, Happier, More Organized and Productive You:

 

1. Plan Your Day the Night Before

Wait, so you’re telling me that my morning routine should start the night before? Yep!

Here’s why: when we take a moment (and it doesn’t have to take long) to write down our most important tasks to complete the next day, we free up our minds for a nice peaceful night’s sleep and also set ourselves up for a successful, streamlined morning.

Pro tip: Keep your list of tasks as short as possible – ideally no more than three big ones and three small ones.

If you wake up and then, first cup of coffee still in hand, try to map out what you want to accomplish that day, you may feel a bit scattered, overwhelmed, or uninspired.

You also risk (as I’ve done too many times) checking your email before you get organized, and wind up spending valuable morning hours going through your inbox or doing other less important tasks instead of the most important things to check off your list.

Pro tip: Try to de-prioritize and batch out checking your email to save room for more timely, pressing to-do’s. Instead of checking your email each hour or every time you get a notification, set a time (once or twice a day at most) to check email and resist the urge to do it outside of that allotted window.

Planning your day the night before gives you a jumpstart on your day and allows you space for the rest of your morning rituals so you can fill up before you start to plug in. Which leads us to #2!
 

 
 

2. Create a Custom Morning Ritual

Clair Diaz Ortiz, author of Design Your Day: Be More Productive, Set Better Goals, and Live Life on Purpose, is a firm believer in creating your ideal morning routine. Not my ideal routine, and not hers – yours.

Why? Because everyone’s mornings are different, everyone’s needs are different, and what best serves me may not be what best serves you. However, there are a few common things that we can all pick and choose from to add to our morning rituals:

• Drink warm lemon water as soon as you wake up to flush your system and naturally boost your energy
• Meditate or practice a simple form of breathwork to center your mind
• Journal or read for 15 minutes
• Listen to uplifting music, a podcast, or a book on tape while you get ready
• Write down three things you’re grateful for
• Get outside for a walk!
• Call a loved one or snuggle a loved one (human or furry)
• Light a candle or diffuse essential oils
• Set an intention for the day or repeat an empowering mantra

 
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Whether you do one of these things and slowly add another few, or incorporate several into your regular morning routine, you will notice a positive shift in your mindset and throughout your day.
 

3. Move Your Body

Exercise is an obvious point that’s included in any article about morning routines – but for good reason! I can personally attest to how much better, clearer, and ready I am for my day after a great workout than when I skip it.

The point is to get your heartrate up and ideally break a sweat. Whether you go for a jog (bonus points for getting outside for some Vitamin D!), practice yoga, do a quick resistance band or free weight workout – whatever you like to do – just get it done.

Hey – if all you’re up for that day is turning up the music and dancing around your living room, that’s great too! In fact, dancing is a potent way of shaking up stuck energy in the body, waking us up, and filling us with joy.

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4. Fuel Your Body

You’ve nourished yourself mentally with the above morning rituals, and you’ve nourished yourself with exercise and hydration, so now it’s time to fuel your body with a healthy breakfast. Whether it’s a protein shake filled with your favorite protein, fruits and veggies, or if you opt to cook a nice breakfast, consider this a key part of your morning routine.

The simple act of giving yourself enough time to have a nourishing breakfast (as opposed to rushing to your computer with nothing but a cup of coffee) is a form of self-care! And your body and your brain will thank you.

Craving satisfying and savory? Try This Savory Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl Recipe With Turmeric Granola. Want something more sweet and satiating? Try This Coconut Quinoa Breakfast Bowl Recipe with Figs, Pomegranate, and Pecans. Yummm!
 

 
 

5. “Eat the Frog”

No, I am not telling you to eat an actual frog! But I love this phrase and was blown away the first time I read about this awesome morning routine technique from Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy.

“Eating the frog” is a somewhat gross-sounding saying with a powerful meaning. It means you tackle your most daunting task first so you can get it out of the way, cross it off your list, and feel productive and successful early in your day.

We’ve all had that big project looming over us that we’ve been dreading and putting off, and inevitably as it comes to crunch time, we’re forced to face it and often don’t put in our best when it’s last minute and approached with a less than eager attitude. That doesn’t feel great, right?!

When we flip the script and take control of the situation by eating the proverbial frog, we instead fill our morning with a sense of accomplishment, and by lunch time you’ve already checked off a major to-do. Now that feels great!
 
 

Your Morning Routine Will Set You Up for a Great Day, Every Day

Just like they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, your morning rituals are the most important part of your day. Be kind to your mind and body and set a positive tone that gets you into the right state of mind for the day ahead.

Now you are primed and ready to take on any challenges and opportunities that the day may bring you!

Have other morning rituals you want to incorporate into your new morning routine? Already have a solid morning routine and want to share what’s worked best for you? Please share in the comments below – we love hearing from you!

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