It’s time to embrace the idea of getting out of bed before the rest of your family. This morning routine checklist will help you get your day started right.
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Do you feel drained at the end of each day and realize you haven’t accomplished anything you intended to?
Have you considered waking up before your family?
I know, easier said than done. But having some “me” time each morning could be the answer to your problem!
Imagine sitting on the deck with a cup of coffee, listening to the birds chirp while you gather your thoughts and plan out your day in your bullet journal.
Sounds like a page ripped out of a fairy tale that could never happen in real life, right?
Girl, this could be a reality! In fact, this is a reality for so many moms each morning (including me).
Even if you think you’re not a morning person, you may be surprised to find out you can stick to this routine because it makes your day so much better.
We all struggle to get out of our warm cozy bed each morning.
And the thought of waking up to deal with one more temper tantrum from your toddler makes you want to put the pillow over your face and try it again tomorrow.
I get it.
But if you’re consistent with this routine, you’ll be in the perfect mindset every day to handle anything that’s thrown your way.
Quick tip: Pair this morning routine with time blocking to have maximum productivity.
Here are the 9 steps to having the best mornings and setting your day up for success.
1. Make an enticing goal
If you have no reason to get out of bed, it only makes sense that you’ll stay snuggled up in your warm blankets.
So here’s the simple solution to that problem!
Before you go to bed, find something you’ll be so excited to do in the morning that you can jump right out of bed.
If you’re wanting to lose that last 10 stubborn pounds of baby weight, find a 5 am fitness class to go to that you’ve never done.
That’ll be something new and exciting you’ll look forward to doing.
Lay your clothes out the night before and put everything you’ll need by the door so you can grab it and go.
My goal is typically a task for my blog. The night before I may decide that I want to write a blog post before my daughter wakes up.
That encourages me to wake up a couple of hours before her so I can get it done with no distractions.
When you’ve decided on your goal, prepare everything the night before so you can get right to it in the morning.
2. No snoozing
If you have a human alarm clock (aka kids) this one is not a problem.
More than half of Americans hit the snooze button when their alarm clock goes off. And those same people say they still feel tired even after getting a night’s rest.
Although you think getting an extra 10 minutes of sleep may make you feel more rested, it could be doing the opposite.
I’ve noticed that when I sleep in until my daughter wakes up around 8 am I feel more tired because I get out of bed and go straight to mom mode without having that critical time in the morning to gather my thoughts.
Instead, try getting up when your alarm goes off. Lay in bed a few minutes to snap out of your dream.
But once you’ve entered reality, hop out of bed and get your day started.
No lying there scrolling through your phone like a zombie for 20 minutes!
Related: How to be a meal planning pro (even as a beginner)
3. Make your bed
This simple task will make you feel like you’ve accomplished something as soon as your day has started.
Of course, if someone is still in it they may not be happy with you making the bed while they’re trying to sleep.
My husband also works from home so some days he sleeps in and I still get up at our regular time. When I get out of bed I will straighten the blankets on my side without disturbing him.
This is so easy to do that it may seem insignificant. But when you start your day feeling productive, that will set you up for other small accomplishments throughout the day.
4. Sunlight
Every morning you should open the blinds even if the sun isn’t out yet.
As a new mom, seeing the sun helped me cope with baby blues. Sometimes walking on the deck was enough to recharge my battery and give me the strength to make it through the day.
Looking outside even if it’s still dark and hearing the birds chirp or the wind blowing against the leaves can be inspiring.
Use this as motivation to take advantage of the day and make it a great one.
5. Hydrate
Try drinking a cup of ice water or hot tea with lemon and honey every morning before you devour your cup of caffeine.
I understand it’s rare you get to enjoy your cup of coffee while it’s hot, but your body needs to be rehydrated from going hours without having anything to drink.
You can’t function properly if your body doesn’t have the fuel it needs.
Hydrating in the morning is also great for digestion and getting your bowels moving so you may feel less bloated throughout the day.
6. Exercise
This is important to help you wake up and get your blood flowing.
The workout possibilities are endless and easy to access from the comfort of your own home via YouTube.
This means you no longer have to get dressed to go to the gym which is great if you’re still uncomfortable about your postpartum body.
I choose an exercise video on YouTube from either GlowBodyPT or BodyFit by Amy. They both have mommy-friendly workouts for any stage of pregnancy and postpartum.
Exercising is also beneficial if you’re battling any form of depression. Like I mentioned before, I struggled with baby blues and I’m positive working out helped me not have postpartum depression.
When you finish working out you feel so much better about yourself which puts you in a better mood.
You may even notice the days you skip your workout you tend to be more frustrated.
Make exercising a priority even on the days you’re not in the mood. All you need is 21 days to form a new habit.
Related: How To Be Intentional With Your Time To Control Your Life
7. Shower and get dressed
You’ll feel so much better if you’re not hanging out all day in your pajamas.
When you look good you feel good and when you look like crap you feel like crap.
Plus, an undisturbed hot shower is like gold for any mom so why would you want to skip this?
I can’t even count how many times I’ve been in the shower and turned around to see my husband standing there holding our daughter and the dog is sitting by his feet.
They get bored without me.
So go ahead and use that mascara that’s been drying out for the last 3 months.
You could even find a new makeup routine on YouTube that’s going to turn out nothing like the video to add some excitement to your day!
8. Plan your day
Every day I set 3 small specific goals that I want to accomplish.
For today, my goals are to make outlines for my next 4 blog posts, finish one load of laundry, and use my favorite face mask before bed.
Notice how specific and simple my goals are? They’re also from different categories I’ve set up using my time blocking method.
I have a goal from the work category, home life category, and self-care category. This ensures I’m not placing priority on one area of my life while neglecting other areas.
A goal like “clean the house” is too broad and a never-ending task.
You want to set goals that you can look at your work and be happy that you were productive and made time for yourself.
9. Healthy breakfast
Most of us strive to live a healthier lifestyle. By starting the day with a healthy breakfast you’ll feel proud of yourself.
You don’t have to cook breakfast that morning for it to be healthy. Overnight oats are quick and simple to make.
Plus you can make them in batches so you won’t have to worry about cooking breakfast for a few days.
Pinterest is full of healthy recipes and if you follow me I also have recipe boards so you won’t have to do as much searching.
Quick recap…
Having a morning routine will not only be beneficial for you but also for your family.
They’ll appreciate the happier version of you and you’ll be glad you’re able to accomplish tasks throughout the day.
Don’t forget to grab your morning routine checklist (included in the [cp_modal id=”cp_id_188f9″]Productivity Power Pack[/cp_modal]) so you can start this process and develop a healthy habit.
