How to build a morning routine

My life has changed in some amazing ways over the past two years. I went from waking up at 10:00am with an inconsistent workout regimen that I would chip away at, never seeing the results I craved. I had no clear goal to drive me through my day, instead, I was driven by anxiety, unless self sabotage jumped in to grab the wheel, driving around in circles and going nowhere. Now, I’m the fittest I’ve ever been, the most driven and productive I’ve ever been, and my relationships are all supportive and don’t drain me.

What was it that helped me break the cycle once and for all?

My morning routine.

I can confidently say that without carving out time for myself each morning to work on becoming who I wanted to be, I would still be in the same spot, doom-scrolling through Pinterest vision boards and hoping without action.

After a couple of years of trial and error, I’ve experienced a few different variations of my perfect routine. All of them have had these elements:

Hydration

Mouth breathing, dry rooms, and normal bodily processes make it so you wake up slightly dehydrated almost always. That morning headache that makes you want to hit snooze? That is dehydration. Instead of hitting that button for more minutes in bed that won’t actually help your headache, hydrate yourself!

I currently wake up to a big ole glass of salt water. The salt makes my morning headache go away instantly and it makes my whole routine so much easier.

Something to treat yourself

First and foremost, when you’re making life changes, your brain is going to notice you’re leaving your comfort zone, freak out, and resist. So I’d recommend adding something to your routine that you will look forward to. For me, it’s my morning soy latte. I grind the beans fresh and as soon as I smell them it makes not pressing snooze oh so worth it.

Pick something to lift you

I like to practice the WOOP visualization method each morning, but you can do anything from gratitude lists, appreciations, or other techniques- anything to get you excited for your day, the life you’re going to build, and the fact that you’re the one who gets to (and can) build it.

To accompany my WOOP method, I have a look at a Pinterest board I made for myself to remind myself of who I want to be, and a board with the process of getting there (“the work”), to romanticize that vital piece, as well.

Other examples of this include journaling about your dream life, writing a letter to your future self, staring at a physical vision board, affirming yourself in the mirror, writing a love letter to yourself about how capable you are- the possibilities are endless! As long as it gets you excited for going after your goals.

Movement

Your body has been still for 8 (hopefully) hours. Getting your blood flowing will make you feel better, more awake, and energized to start your day. As much as I love exercise, my body does not like sweating first thing in the morning. I opt for yoga, Pilates, gentle stretching, or a chill walk. But if you, personally love a good run at dawn, go for it! That’s great! It can be as calm or as intense as you’d like! Just move.

Something to ground you

Meditation or breath work is a must for this list. It has a load of physical and mental benefits. Meditation can quiet the mind in moments of anxiety, allow space for creative ideas and new perspectives (KEY for growth) to enter the brain, and stick with you throughout the day, increasing your patience and tolerance and getting you in the habit of staying present.

“Patience and tolerance” are huge when you’re trying to better yourself. As mentioned above, the brain will resist all things unfamiliar (outside of your comfort zone). Growth and change are uncomfortable. You’re going to need to learn to tolerate the discomfort if you want the final result.

Being present is also vital for improving. Changing anything entails lots of observations. You need to notice your own patterns before deciding what to tackle to get to your goals and, once deciding on the “what”, you will need to go through a series of trial and error before coming to the method for “how” you will go about tackling it. None of those observations can happen if your head is not in the moment.

A way to organize your day

The thing about goals is that they will remain on your to-do list forever until you decide on a time to work on them. The morning is a great time for this.

I go over my to-do list, habit tracker, and find places for them in my daily schedule to help me not miss anything that day. Not only does going over my plan for the day ensure I have space for everything I want to do and assure I don’t double-book myself, but it also makes starting the day a lot less overwhelming (this could be an ADHD thing more than a neurotypical thing) now that I can see I’ll be able to accomplish everything I want to accomplish.

I hope this post was helpful for you in your quest to become your best version. Be aware that implementing a new routine is not an easy thing to stick to. Add just one element at a time and have grace with yourself when something comes up and your morning isn’t perfect.