My Mindful Morning Routine

A photo of a field daisies with morning dew on them. The sun is rising behind them.

Photo by Aaron Burden (@aaronburden) via Unsplash.

Hello, mindful friends! Today, we’re talking about morning routines because who doesn’t love a good morning routine? It has taken me years to create a morning routine that works for me, and just when I think I’ve perfected it, it goes up in flames. JK, it doesn’t really go up in flames. My morning routine is so important to me because, without it, I’m like a chicken with her head cut off. It is the one thing I must do to unlock the rest of my day. And if I can’t get to my morning routine for whatever reason, I give myself the grace to try again tomorrow.

When I first became a social media manager and strategist, I felt pressured to be online 24/7. My stress and anxiety affected my mental health and relationship, and I had a tough time disconnecting and being present. Learning to be mindful of my screen time required discipline, so I experimented with leaving my phone in my purse on vibrate after work. Soon after, I automatically set the Do Not Disturb feature on my iPhone to turn on from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. automatically daily, and I turned off notifications from all my apps except messages, phone calls, and emergency alerts.

This mindful routine worked wonders for my mental health. The pressure and guilt I felt for not being online all the time and my work-related stress and anxiety have lessened. Today, I don’t need to practice it as much, but there are seasons when I need it and return to it.

Now that I work from home full-time, setting boundaries around my work and home life is even more important. Below are the six things I do before starting my day.

My Mindful Morning Routine

I don’t check my phone. One of the things I found most helpful in the mornings is restraining myself from using my phone. Scrolling on my phone first thing in the morning is like going through a black hole. It’s hard to stop, and it distresses my brain. If I don’t have to charge my phone overnight, I place it in my dresser drawer while I sleep. If I have to charge my phone, I will place it in my dresser drawer as soon as I wake up. The mantra “out of sight, out of mind” works well for me. If I stay off my phone in the morning, I have a more intentional day versus feeling distracted and like I’m missing out on things online.
Drink a cup of water. The first thing I do when I wake up is drink water to rehydrate my body. I read in a magazine once that your body loses about 200ml of water per night if you sleep up to eight hours a night as I do. I think we all know how difficult it is to remember to drink water throughout the day, so doing something as simple as drinking water as soon as I wake up is an easy act of self-care that keeps my body alert and healthy. I find it helpful to fill my tumbler with water before bed so that the water is already there when I wake up, which makes it easier for me. I used to tease my mom for making a cup of water to take with her to bed, and now I do the same thing. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, lol.
Morning self-care routine. After I drink my water, I do my morning self-care routine, like using the toilet, brushing my teeth, rinsing my face without face wash, getting ready for my workout, and taking my daily vitamins. One of the things I’m trying to improve is getting ahead of the things that put me behind. For example, most mornings, I struggle to find my workout clothes, which makes us late to drop my husband off at work. So I’ve been putting my workout clothes out the night before, so I spend less time looking for them in the morning. It’s still a habit in progress, but it’s been working well for me.
After I drop my husband off at work, I’ll come home and work out using my Apple Fitness+ subscription. I love Apple Fitness+ because there’s a workout for everyone on that app. I’ve downloaded and paid for many fitness apps in the past, and Apple Fitness+ is the first app I tried where the coaches’ mindset is about overall health & well-being (how you feel) and less about losing weight (how you look).
This is what my daily workout schedule looks like most mornings:
- Monday: Dance (my favorite dance trainer is Jhon with the Latin Grooves playlists) + Mindful Cooldown.
- Tuesday: Strength (my favorite strength coach is Kim or Sam) + Mindful Cooldown.
- Wednesday: HIIT (my favorite HIIT coach is Jamie-Ray or Kim + Mindful Cooldown.
- Thursday: Strength + Mindful Cooldown.
- Friday: Dance + Mindful Cooldown.
The schedule above changes depending on how I feel that morning or week. For example, during my menstrual cycle, I do less lifting and HIIT and more restorative workouts like Dance, Mindful Cooldown, or Meditation. After I work out, I eat breakfast, tidy up around the apartment, shower, and get ready for the day if I’m extra sweaty or need to look presentable for a work meeting.
Related: Why I Don’t Wash My Face In the Mornings
Tidy up my apartment. I usually do this after my workout before I get ready for the day. Tidying up includes putting the clean dishes away, wiping down my kitchen counters, vacuuming if the floors need that, and putting away anything my husband left out while he was getting ready for work. I find it difficult to work from home, knowing things are messy/out of place.
Make and eat breakfast. I’m one of those people that cannot function without breakfast, and I could care less about coffee because I need food to manage my energy and day. *In Thor’s voice,* “This mortal form has grown weak, and I need sustenance.” (Virtual bestie points if you love Marvel movies.)
Start work. It’s about 8:30 a.m. when I finally start work. Since I need my phone for my work as a social media manager and strategist, this is about when I look at it for the first time in the day. I never feel like I missed out on anything, and I feel calm and ready to smash the day.