Creating a morning routine is essential no matter where you are in life.
I’ll admit, I’m an early riser. There is something innate in me that has always been into the concepts of structure and routine for increased productivity and peace.
So, naturally I’m a BIG fan of using a morning routine to get me on the right track to start the day.
But it wasn’t until I was in my late 20’s when I started tweaking my morning routine—what I included in and the order of the tasks—that I figured out what worked best!
Now that I am a new mom in my late 30’s, and a single mom at that, my morning routine has adjusted slightly, but only to include my little man and to ensure his needs are met as well as mine!
On top of being a mother, I am an Operations Director for my company, and in my free time share insights from life and my career through the Reach Wellth blog to help others.
I am busy, but because of the habits and routines I put into practice, I still have time left in the day for me and quality time with my baby, dog, family, and friends.
With more on my plate than ever, it’s essential that I make the most of my 24 hours and it starts first thing with my morning routine.
These are my tips for creating productive habits each day. I’ve included a free morning checklist to follow to help set the framework to create your own.
Benefits of a Morning Routine
Morning routines are how moms can thrive, set boundaries, and most importantly live with intention and for yourself amid your work, kids, responsibilities, and life in general all pulling in every direction for your attention.
Until you create and stick to your own morning routine, you’ll never fully grasp the power or reap its benefits.
Sticking to your morning routine means you are checking off what I’d consider your most important task of the day – your self-care – first thing.
You are literally leaving zero room for interruptions from tending to your needs first, and that alone sets you up for success.
The more consistently you execute your routine, making small adjustments as you go to suit your specific needs, the more you will see the positive impact on every area of your life—from your career to your children, to your health, relationships and so on.
A morning routine will help you stay focused on your goals and minimize the stress and overwhelm that is a very easy state to fall into as a busy, working mom.
Trust me, overwhelm and frustration are my GOTO states when I don’t follow my morning routine!
Building Flexibility into Your Morning Routine
Creating a morning routine can be overwhelming, but adding a child or more to the mix can make it even so.
Caveat:
I don’t want to discourage anyone that is a new or struggling mom! This routine took me a few months to get back into after having my son. Now in his 8th month, he is sleeping through most nights, and that makes it possible for me to follow this routine. Please do not overwhelm yourself by doing this if you’re not there yet. Morning routines are not for newborns. Mothers more than anyone need the rest and to just get through those first few months, even the first year of baby’s life before nailing this. You will get there!
Because this took me a bit of time to get back to once I had my son, I’ll share my morning routine as an example.
The reason this routine works for me is because it’s flexible. The secret is that I don’t actually wake up super early every single day!
Although it’s easier to wake at the same time, the only way I can feasibly “do it all” is to dedicate days to fitness and “sleep in” the rest!
So essentially, the way this works is to pick 2 or 3 days a week to get up earlier and incorporate a workout!
Whatever days I pick, I stick to, so I always know on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, I get up early for a workout by 4:40 am, and the rest of the days of the week, I start at 6am.
This flexibility allows me to stay fit, but also take care of my other priorities.
The goal of a morning routine is to focus your habits and support your best life, not exhaust and overwhelm you.
Maybe getting up before 5am isn’t realistic, but committing to waking up really early two days a week is totally doable.
Consider ways you can build in this flexibility into your routine to meet your needs and still accomplish your goals.
Here is how my morning routine goes!
My Morning Routine as a Single Mom
4:40 am/6:00 am: My Day Starts, State Affirmations
Most days, I don’t even need an alarm for my 6am wake ups. For the days I am working out early, I will set an alarm just in case and I do not hit snooze!
I loathe the snooze button! I wake up as soon as the alarm goes off. Mel Robbins, 5-4-3-2-1 if you must! Studies have shown that it’s better to just get right up.
I go straight to the bathroom to tackle my personal hygiene and put in my contacts and as I’m doing so, in my head I am recommitting to my goal and stating affirmations towards achieving them.
“I am ______________” fill in your future self.
4:50 am/6:10 am: Hydrate
With my mind primed to begin the day, I go to the kitchen to hydrate with at least 8oz of water. Then follow it with a glass of green juice.
The green juice is a backup policy should my hectic schedule impede getting my needed servings of fruits and vegetables for the day. Bonus, it will improve your hair, skin, and nails in a week or two if you keep at it!
Check out an easy beginner green juice recipe to get started on this habit.
5:00-6:30 am: Workout & Get Ready
Moving your body in the morning feels so good when you’re in the habit of doing this early each day.
I love the way exercise before I do anything else makes my body feel, but also how it helps me focus and shifts my mindset to be able to navigate any challenges that come at me throughout the day.
On days I don’t wake early to exercise, I still find ways to move later in the day if I can work it in.
My go-to is a 30-minute circuit with strength training and a bit of cardio and/or abs, but some mornings I opt for yoga or cycling on my Peloton instead.
Exercising for JUST 30 minutes a day that includes strength training 2-3 days a week, plus eating whole foods, is the reason I stay fit at my age.
All in all, it takes about 45-60 minutes to dress, set up and do the workout. Afterwards of course I shower, get dressed and ready.
6:30-7:00 am: Baby Wakes and Eats
I don’t know how to even describe the feeling of getting your self care already out of the way in the morning, so that you can focus all your attention on your precious little’s smiling happy faces when you go to wake them up for the day. It is just THE BEST!
I relish this time because I am not stressed about getting dressed and ready! I can calmly take care of my son and focus on getting his needs met first.
A few encouraging words, a diaper change, and then he nurses. Notice how his morning starts with his needs and looks a lot like mom’s?!
And then we’re off to take care of the dog 😊
7:00-7:15 am: Walk with the Dog
Once my baby is fed and ready, it’s time to take the dog outside for a good 10 to 20-minute walk around the neighborhood.
It is also a great opportunity to get vitamin D, especially for my little at his age who cannot be in direct light.
Sometimes I will listen to a podcast or meditation and others I will just be present, observe my surroundings. and take in the sounds of nature. It is my peace before the chaos of the morning begins.
In the Midwest, I have a little secret… even if the day is projected to be crap, I have found that if I get outside early morning, before 8am, most days I can dodge the rain, clouds, whatever Ohio weather throws at us!
7:15-8:00 am: Daycare & Breakfast
After our walk, it’s time to grab what we need for daycare, get the car packed, get the dog fed. We are not rushing because most of his items were prepped the night before.
Once home, I make a healthy breakfast, like a protein smoothie, grab my coffee and then I’m ready to start my workday!
8:00-10:00 am: Start the (Work) Day
You know what I haven’t mentioned so far in this morning routine!? Checking my phone or email. That’s on purpose!
As soon as I sit down to start my work, I still avoid email. I save the first precious few hours of the workday for my most important tasks.
Since I keep a running to-do list, I usually have an idea of what is the highest priority for the day; I start there.
I like to write my top 1-3 most tasks on a post-it. The frame of mind is that if nothing else but those tasks get done, then they would make the most impact and provide a sense of accomplishment for the day. That’s how you know it’s worth your time to complete.
How to Create an Effective Morning Routine
A morning routine doesn’t mean that you have to wake up extra early. It simply means that you need to set aside whatever time is necessary for you to focus on your needs.
It can include journaling, reading, creative writing. Or it can simply be your basic hygiene to ensure your teeth are brushed and that you have showered so you feel your best when you go into the office or start your work day.
Creating a morning routine that is effective is building something that works for YOU. It should include habits that serve your goals and wellbeing FIRST, so that you can give your best to others.
The more you follow your routine, the easier it will be to knock it out for the day. Eventually, you won’t even have to think about it. It becomes who you are.
And if being a present, healthy parent and living your best life is who you want to be, then incorporating these healthy habits puts you on that path pronto.
5 Things to Consider When Creating Your Morning Routine
Keep these five things in mind when creating your morning routine. Use the Reach Wellth Morning Routine Checklist to help guide you.
1. Set a Consistent Wake up Time
I wake up by 6:00 am every day, unless I am working out.
For early morning workouts, I wake up at 4:40am only two times a week.
This time is so specific because I am such a dork!
I recognized many years ago that my body needs exactly 7 hours and 50 minutes of sleep and naturally wants to fall asleep right at 8:50 pm. Adding just about 8 hours to the time I fall asleep, makes my wake up time 4:40am.
Side note, if you want to find your best bedtime or when you need to sleep based on when you get up, this is the sleep calculator I use. When I use it, I am far less likely to wake up with brain fog.
It’s super important to stick to sleep and wake times for your body. Ultimately, do whatever works for you. You don’t have to be an early bird… though you will beat a lot of traffic!
Whatever you choose, keep it consistent. You need to understand how your morning routine is working and allow your body to adjust before making any changes.
2. Prep for Tomorrow
The secret to a successful morning is starting the night before.
The number one way to guarantee a stress-free morning? Prep as much as you can the night before.
Pack lunches, prep baby food, label bottles, set out workout clothes. What small tasks can you do, to set yourself up for success in the morning? This is another way of showing yourself love.
Trust me, set aside 15-30 minutes a night to do this and you will feel SO good in the mornings. So good that it will motivate you to continue prepping for the day ahead.
3. Plan Your Morning at Night
At the end of the workday, I write down tomorrow’s tasks. Then, as part of my bedtime routine, I journal to reflect on how the day went. How I feel, what went well, what I could improve.
Then I visualize how my day will go, even walking through some of the tasks I plan to accomplish.
This actually lets your subconscious go to work overnight while you sleep.
No joke, sometimes you wake up with the answer. It also primes your brain so that when you wake, you wont lose time pondering what you need to do… You will just get up and get to it!
Incorporate Your Self Care
Make sure you’ve got something to prime your mind for possibility and positive thinking. Whether it’s yoga, meditation, affirmations, a podcast or reading, pick what’s working for you and dedicate time to do it.
Drink your water to wake up your gut. Drink your greens to give your body nutrients. Move your body for feel good endorphins and natural waking.
You deserve at least 20 minutes for yourself a day, more like 1-2 hours minimum. Even on busy days, it will create a habit of making sure you’ve done something good for yourself each day.
4. Set Your Top 1-3 Priorities
Focus on the top 1-3 most important tasks to complete from your to-do list each day.
Doing so will make your days more manageable and thus motivated to keep going. It will help you avoid being overwhelmed by your never-ending to-do list likely full of busy work and unimportant tasks that will distract you.
Cross one of them off first thing when you start your day. Coincidentally, you’ll have less “work” to check off, but in the long run, you’ll get more done.
5. Eat a Healthy Breakfast
Nothing fuels your brain and day better than a healthy breakfast. Even making decisions can cause fatigue. So, a sugary coffee or breakfast just won’t cut it for a productive day.
Consider planning out what you’re going to make in the morning so you’ll have something delicious to look forward to enjoying after talking your needs.
Opt for whole foods and a breakfast with protein and fiber like Easy Avocado Toast or my Go-To Green Smoothie Recipes to keep you satisfied longer.
Give Yourself Time and Grace to Practice and Prefect Your Morning Routine
If you’re not sure where to start, pick one thing from this checklist to do consistently for a week.
To change your wake-up time, do so slowly, waking up just 15 minutes earlier after a few days until you reach your ideal wake time.
Use all these tips to create the morning routine that supports your best life!
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