My Morning Routine

I used to think that a morning routine was overrated. Boy was I wrong. I also used to think I could never get onto an actual sleep schedule. I actually just wasn’t trying hard enough.

I’ve suffered from insomnia for a long time, however, now all I need to sleep through the night is a melatonin gummy. I’m out like a light in 30 minutes or less and I sleep pretty much completely through the night. I’m also on a solid sleep schedule that I think has helped me a ton in terms of my quality of sleep. I am typically asleep by 8 pm every night (maybe 9 or 10 pm on the weekends) and I wake up between 3:30 - 4:30 am on the weekdays and around 7 am on the weekends.

My morning routine is most likely going to be vastly different from yours, and that is okay. You want to make a routine that is going to stick. You want to make a morning routine that is going to get you excited to wake up in the morning. This can take time, you might go through a handful or more of morning routines. I’m going to share a general outline of my mornings and the ways it has benefited me. If you want to try it out, feel free! You might end up finding something you like!

3:45 am - Wake Up

I pretty much always set my alarm for 3:30 with the hopes I will actually get out of bed after my first alarm, but I have noticed I like the extra 15 minutes. I have to immediately get out of bed and start moving or else I will not be waking up on time.

3:50 am - Put on workout clothes

I always lay out my workout and work clothes the night before. This makes it easy for me to grab them and get dressed and not have to worry about digging through my dresser for clothes. It also helps me know when I need to do laundry because if I only have one outfit left I know I need to start laundry after my workout.

3:55 am - Start making Chris’ breakfast and lunch

Yes, I make my boyfriends breakfast and lunch pretty much every morning. I do this by choice because it makes me happy that he doesn’t have to worry about breakfast or lunch and that he’s eating good food. It only takes me about 15-20 minutes and I know it makes him happy too. Plus, it gives me some incentive to do the dishes.

4:15 am - Do dishes

I am typically too tired/lazy to do dishes the night before. I would rather get them done in the morning. It makes me feel accomplished first thing in the morning. We usually don’t use too many dishes, so it typically takes me no time at all. Our dishwasher is currently broken so we have to hand wash everything. I like doing dishes so I tend to get to it before my boyfriend can.

4:20 am - Make pre workout

I always have to get my pre-workout in so I feel pumped for my workout no matter what I’m doing.

4:30 am - Fill up water bottle

I have to make sure I fill this up before I start my workout and pretty much as soon as I remember it or else I will not drink any water. I have a horrible memory so I need to make sure I can take my full bottle out to the garage with me.

4:45 am - Start workout

I prefer to workout in the morning. I tend to like to do strength training, cardio or HIIT workouts. If I don’t workout in the morning, it is incredibly difficult for me to workout later. I tend to work until 6 pm during the week and typically I get home, make/eat dinner, and then we go to sleep so it is a real struggle to get my workout in.

6:00 am - End workout

I workout in the garage and the entrance is outside of my front door. Our washer/dryer is also in the garage so sometimes I will take my laundry basket out with me and either start the laundry before or after my workout. This way I can limit the amount of time I am outside in the cold.

6:10 am - Take shower

6:20 am - Make breakfast & coffee

After my shower I will pour myself a cup of coffee, and make breakfast. I tend to go between protein oatmeal, and yogurt and granola. I will usually make it, sit down and either read or put on a show or whatever feels right in the morning. I typically end up cuddling with my dog which is always nice. He’s a small dog and it’s nice to get in some one on one time in the morning after my boyfriend leaves.

6:30 am - Read

I’ve been trying to read 10 pages per day, and I will either read in the morning or right before bed. I tend to be more motivated to read in the morning because I am more awake and it is easier for me to actually comprehend what I am reading. I tend to read self development books and I find that at night I’m just skimming in order to get the gist and get my pages in.

6:45 am - Update journals

I love bullet journals so I like to update them in the morning. As I said before, I don’t typically do too much after work because I get off of work close to bedtime. It is easier for me to update my journals the day after instead of at night. By night time my brain is ready for bed and the melatonin is a-flowing. I don’t want to sit and focus on filling anything out. I am also doing a 6 Month challenge and I have a binder in order to track my progress, so I update this binder in the morning as well. I honestly look forward to updating everything! It’s one of my favorite things to do in the morning.

7:00 am - Get ready for work

I always have my work clothes laid out already, and I typically don’t do my hair or makeup in the morning so honestly it doesn’t take me 20 minutes to get ready. I braid my hair right after my shower and call it good. Most of me getting ready for work consists of loving on my dog, making sure my water bottle is filled up before I leave, and loving on my dog some more. Realistically, if my dog is laying on me, I probably won't get up and start getting ready until about 10 minutes (or less) before I have to leave. He’s just so cute I can’t make him move.

7:20 am - Leave for work

That is my schedule! Like I said before, I’m sure it will look nothing like most people’s morning routines. However, there are a ton of benefits to my routine. I get my workout out of the way, I’m usually almost to my step goal if I walk in the morning. I've started my water intake early and it’s easier to drink my gallon per day, and I don’t feel rushed or hurried. I am truly able to relax, prepare for my day, and plan for anything I need to.

This routine has been edited, tweaked, and completely redone at least 5 times. Probably more. I used to try and stay in bed as long as possible but I find that I actually have more energy when I wake up earlier. The stress levels in my body stay down, I don’t have any anxiety, and I’m able to take a deep breath and enjoy my house and my morning.

I always advocate for morning routines as it helps the rest of your day so much. You can really gather yourself, be in the right headspace, and just enjoy the morning! Anybody can make a morning routine and stick to it. Trust me, if I can, you can!