Wake Up Call: 10 Steps To The Best Morning Routine

I used to underestimate morning routines. I thought they were celebrity fads or for elite athletes. I was a real night owl, and thought nothing of staying up until the early hours, knowing full well I had work the next day, because ‘an energy drink will fix it’. I would arrive at work stressed and all over the place.

Fast forward to today, I am a morning person. I enjoy the peace, and it has become one of my favorite times of the day. I get to places calm, prepared and happy, all from making a few small changes. The benefits of a morning routine are many, and can have a huge positive impact on your mood throughout the day. In this post we will explore a step by step guide, to help inspire your own morning ritual to make you feel refreshed, energized, and ready to conquer the day!

• Jump to Dos and Dont’s of a good morning routine.
• Jump to 10 Steps

Can You Relate? 

Oversleeping was my norm, because I always stayed up late. I was always late for work, and often forgot items at home. I drank a cup of coffee as soon as I opened my eyes, and would pile on makeup to make me look ‘alive’. I never knew what I was going to wear, and would end up pulling out my whole closet. Breakfast, if you can call it that, was even more coffee, and maybe an overcooked fried egg shoveled into my mouth while running around trying to do other things. It was chaos, and I was the tornado tearing through the apartment destroying everything. As you can imagine, it was equally horrible to come home to all the mess, after a long shift at work. 

The Wake-up Call…

One day, I just got sick of it. I had to have a long hard look at what I was doing with my time before and after work. 

Needless to say it was very unproductive, waking up just in time to hastily get ready and run to work, then getting home and binging a tv series while doom scrolling.

Fresh Start

I started to build new habits slowly, waking up a little earlier to do 5 mins guided meditation and a 9 min yoga sequence, both from YouTube. As soon as I got home I set a timer and tidied up for 20 minutes. At the same time, instead of listening to music or watching something, I switched to listening to motivational content and positive inspiring speakers, while doing tasks at home. I started to feel good relatively quickly, and after some time other people noticed it too. 

Find What Works For You

I tried a LOT of different morning routines, but this routine was where I settled, as it felt the most natural. Minimizing decisions by prepping as much as possible seemed to work best. 

The common practice of meditating first thing, had me falling back asleep, and morning journaling felt weird so I dropped it. 

Tailor your ideal morning routine to what feels right for you, consistency is key 

Dos and Don’ts

DOs: 

• Do wake up in good time, this is supposed to be a calm routine, moving at your own pace.
• Prep breakfast. Even having the oatmeal in the bowl (covered) and ready to add liquid in the morning helps. The less ‘doing’ tasks, the more tranquil the routine.
• Pack your bag the night before.
• Prep your outfit or have an ‘emergency always works basic’ backup outfit in mind, to save you from wardrobe meltdowns.
• Play nice music or positive affirmations while you get ready. I love a good coffee shop vibes or Parisian playlist. Or you can’t go wrong with a pep talk from your favorite motivational speaker. (get them all prepped on a playlist in good time before)
• Extend your routine with a book if you commute, something fun and fictional you will enjoy.

DON’Ts

• Don’t stay up late the night before. Prioritize a good night’s sleep. 
• Don’t be tempted by your social media. NO screen time at all, very important. It can bombard the senses and contribute to decision fatigue, before you have even walked out the door.
• Don’t experiment. No impulse trying ‘that new brow technique’ or anything that could potentially waste precious time and stress you out.
• Don’t check work emails. If there was an emergency that was so critical, they would phone you.
• Don’t feel like you have to stick to the same order, or even start everything at once. Remember small steps, we want it to be a lifestyle habit 😊

My Go To Morning Routine

1. Tongue Scrape 

This practice originated in India and is part of ancient Ayurvedic medicine. It has several benefits including increased oral hygiene, enhanced taste and better overall health. Try it for one week to see😊

2. Drink Water

A good night’s sleep is a lot of hours with no water, so it’s great to rehydrate asap, with the added benefit of the alertness after drinking water, waking you up. 

3. Physical Movement

A 5 min stretch at the start of the day can work wonders, especially if you’re an over-thinker like me. I can wake up and have a million thoughts flood my brain as soon as I open my eyes. But focusing e.g. 10 mins of yoga helps my mental clarity. 

4. Meditation

As with Yoga, meditation serves the same purpose. Pouring into yourself before anyone else at the start of the day. 5 minutes is a good medium. Take more or less depending on how you feel.

5. Skincare Routine

Follow your usual skincare routine. I may use something cooling on my eyes if they still look sleepy.

6. While Skincare Absorbs, Lay Out Prepped Outfit

Try to prepare your outfit the night before. This time is just to lay everything out including accessories, and also to account for any last minute changes due to the weather.

7. Makeup And Healthy Breakfast (With Tea)

Now makeup and breakfast. A little different to the usual morning routine with a banquet breakfast and smoothie. But I generally do not feel like eating that much in the morning. I go for something super simple e.g. boiled egg (pre made), fruit, or greek yogurt, generally one ingredient, basic food. This will be with tea, so I dont over do the caffeine and affect my sleep.

8. Shower, Brush Teeth

Shower NOW you may ask? Yes indeed. I can get in that shower for hours and lose all track of time. Enjoying the warmth and relaxation, not the most sensible habit to have when you need to be somewhere. So this way with my makeup done, it forces me to have a 5 min shower or risk ruining my makeup. 

9. Body Lotion, Hair, Get Dressed

While the lotion absorbs I will do something to my hair. On weekdays I mostly wash my hair at night as my cardio sessions are in the evenings. so I don’t usually bother with anything complex on regular days. Can’t go wrong with a classic bun or ponytail. Then I get dressed, spray a little perfume and I’m out the door. 

10. Leave

By prioritizing a morning routine, you can positively impact the rest of your day and overall well-being. 

Taking that time to pour into yourself before the demands of the day, is a proven way to start on the right foot. Remember to keep things simple, and find what works best for you. The beauty of these morning rituals is that they require no extra cost—just a commitment to the new habit. Start small and gradually build up e.g. begin with a morning stretch a few times a week, and in no time you will have your perfect morning routine.

To further motivate and hold yourself accountable, consider starting a challenge with friends. Share your best morning routine rituals and support each other on this journey toward a more mindful start to the day. Together, we can nurture habits that promote health, happiness, and success.