3 Morning Routines To Create — Depending On How Much Time You Have!

If you’ve set an intention to find [+ stick!] to a morning routine this year — this post is for you! Especially if you don’t consider yourself a morning person… yet ; ).

Finding a great morning routine is no easy feat — especially for those of us who are not *morning people*. I’ve always been someone who loves to sleep in [6 AM workouts have never been my friend] + I constantly find myself hitting *snooze* until the last possible second… leaving me with 10 minutes before I have to be out the door. Nevertheless, I have still developed a *morning* routine that I stick to — even when I hit the snooze button! 

You don’t have to have 2 hours to follow a morning routine — all you really need is 10 minutes! Instead of only building 1 morning routine, I’m going to walk you through building multiple morning routines:

• 10 Minute Morning Routine
• 30 Minute Morning Routine
• As Long As Necessary Morning Routine ; )

Developing a routine that shifts based on how much time you have [whether you jumped out of bed immediately or had to hit snooze a couple of times] helps with identifying the most important parts of your morning + creates something that you can stick to — every day of the week! Utilize these routine to build new habits, find a sense of *calm* before you start your day, + increase productivity. Let’s dive in!

Before you create your 3 morning routines, it’s important to ask yourself about your energy levels, how you’re managing them, + what energizes you. Ask yourself these questions: 

#1] Where do I get my energy form + how can I build that into my morning routine?

If you get your energy from quiet reflection time, you might enjoy journaling or mediation first thing in the morning. If you get your energy from others or external stimuli, you might enjoy texting friends a voice message, loud music, or a workout class .

#2] What are the things that make me feel GREAT in the morning?

Identify things that leave you feeling empowered + ready to take on the day… such as: picking out a cute outfit, crushing a workout, sitting + enjoying coffee, or  reading a book!

The Bare Essentials Routine — Create this routine by identifying 3 things that you *must* do every morning. It should only take about 10 minutes… so there is no reason not to do it [even if you snooze through your alarm]. These are 3 of the most important things that you do in the morning. It can really be simple! My bare essentials routine: 

• Meditate — even if it’s only for 3 minutes, I take a few minutes to breathe + center myself for the day! 
• Wash my face + brush my teeth — this may seem like basic hygiene… but it’s so important that I do these two things! Splashing water on my face immediately wakes me up in the morning. Doing this automatically gives me a burst of energy to make sure I get out the door!
• Pencil my eyebrows — I’m not a huge make-up person, but I am consistent about *penciling* my eyebrows. Years of over-plucking have made them a little patchy, so this is one thing I don’t leave my apartment without doing. It makes me feel more put together + like I can take on anything! 

The In-Between Routine — This one is good for mornings when you wake up a little later or when you want to get out the door a little earlier but don’t have to completely rush. The in-between routine should have the same basis as your bare essentials routines [maybe spending a little bit longer on some of them!] but also add 1-2 more tasks that are good extras for your routine… should take you about 30 minutes! My in-between routine: 

• Meditate — if spending some more time on this, journal! 
• Wash my face + brush my teeth — maybe even put on some extra make-up ; )
• Pencil my eyebrows [duh] 
• Make my bed — TBH the last thing I want to come home to is an unmade bed. I love the look/feel of fresh sheets at night ++ I feel accomplished doing something before I even leave the apartment! 
• Make a quick breakfast — I am not a huge breakfast person, but I do like having a lil’ something something. Whether that’s enjoying granola + yogurt or making a smoothie bowl, I like starting my day with some food that fuels me!

The Ideal Routine — This routine should pull out all the stops + make you feel like you’re ready to change the world. This is great for when you wake up on-time, have late classes, or even on weekends when you want to treat yourself a little more! It should take about an hour [maybe a little more!] + should incorporate all of the things that you want to get out of your AM routine! Although I don’t get to do mine often… here it is! 

• Meditate or journal for 10 minutes 
• Wash my face + brush my teeth 
• Pencil my eyebrows 
• Make my bed 
• Make a quick breakfast or snack 
• Go on a run or workout — complete transparency, this only happens on the weekends. But I love starting my day with a nice run! 
• Playtime with Bruce! My cat loves to play + I hate leaving him in the morning. I love snuggling with him + making him feel special before I go to work. 
• Read my *inspo* emails — I subscribe to a few inspo emails + newsletters [the Daily Stoic, the Skimm, Seth Godin, etc]. I like reading these while I’m at home during the mornings I have plenty of time! 

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There ya have it — my 3 morning routines! These differ for everyone! If you are naturally a morning person, then your *basic* routine might be a little longer or more even complex. Ultimately the most important aspect of creating a morning routine: find what works for you + choose items that will make you excited to wake up every morning!

Questions? Let me know!