How to Create a Morning Routine to Set You Up for Success

Creating a morning routine to start your day off right is essential to being productive and having a great day. Waking up early and reclaiming your mornings is all about taking back your power and owning the day. It’s about you running the day and deciding how the day will go. Don’t let the day run you. 

We’ve all had those days where we want to stay in bed a little longer hoping that a few extra minutes of shut-eye will give us the extra boost of energy we need. We hit the snooze button one too many times only to wake up at the last minute, scrambling to rush out the door. We get up frantic and in a hurry, anxious to get started with our morning, and try not to be late.

Or perhaps your kids are your alarm clock and they wake up crying and yelling. They’re hungry for breakfast and need to be changed. They need your full attention… NOW. Of course, they don’t want to wait for you to wake up. The morning has started and it’s already off to a rough start.

Start the Morning on Your Own Terms

Getting up before your kids and family will give you some time to yourself. Instead of waking up to your kids crying and screaming for breakfast because they’re hungry, you get to wake up to some peace and quiet. The morning is yours and you get to decide what to do with it.  

There are numerous benefits to getting up before your kids:

1. You get to enjoy the calmness of the morning before your kids stir up chaos
2. You get some quiet time to yourself before you have to take care of everyone else
3. You get to enjoy your coffee while it’s hot. Yummm…
4. You get an opportunity to fill your cup before filling everyone else’s cup
5. You get a chance to prepare for the day without your kids nagging at you

What if I’m Not Sleeping Well Through The Night?

It might be difficult for some moms to wake up early if they’re struggling to get enough sleep through the night. Depending on how old your kids are and what season of motherhood you’re in, getting a full night’s sleep may not be happening for you.

Some mothers might nott get enough sleep because:

1. Babies aren’t sleeping through the night
2. Kids are still wetting the bed
3. Insomnia, sleep problems, or anxiety may be keeping you from falling asleep
4. You stay up late because you just want a moment to yourself to unwind

If you want to get a head start on your day but you’re having trouble getting a full night’s rest, then you made need to plan ahead. You may need to go to bed earlier so that you get enough hours of sleep and are able to get an early start on your day. An evening routine can help you unwind at night and sleep on time.

How Early Do I Need to Get Up for My Morning Routine?

You don’t need to necessarily get up an hour or two before your kids. How much earlier you want to get up in the mornings will depend entirely on you. It all depends on what you want to include in your morning routine. Only you can decide how much time you need to get ready in the morning and prepare for the day. Getting up 15 minutes before your kids may just be all the time that you need.

Do what works best for you. The best time to wake up before your kids is the amount of time it allows you to get ready for the day so that you have a peaceful, calm, and productive day.

How You Start Your Morning Will Set the Tone For the Rest Of the Day

A quiet and calm morning routine will promote a more empathetic, patient, and prepared mom. The calmness and peace that you feel when you have a moment to yourself and to prepare for the day will be the best trade-off to hitting the snooze button and sleeping in. You will have to try it to see what I mean.

Having a consistent morning routine will set you up for success.

Time to Wake Up

If you’re anything like me, you need time to wake up. It’s not like I wake up booming with energy and ready to go. Sure, our toddlers may be. As soon as my toddlers open their eyes, they jump up and down on the bed and are ready to dash out the door to go and play with their toys. 

I, on the hand, need some time to wake my mind and body up. Getting up before your kids will give you time to really wake up. It gives you time to remember what day it is, write your to-do list, and prepare for the day ahead. 

You can write your to-do list the night before and reexamine it the following morning too. Writing a to-do list will give you an outline of what needs to get accomplished throughout the day. It will help you stay organized and manage your time. You will feel a sense of gratification and satisfaction as you cross things off your to-do list. 

Time to Yourself

Waking up in the mornings before everyone else will give you time for yourself. As a mom, you’re busy constantly giving to your kids and to everyone else. By having some time to yourself, you can recharge and do something for yourself.

As soon as my two boys wake up, I’m constantly running back and forth between feeding them, playing with them, cleaning up after them, and changing them. I’m so busy. I don’t have time for myself. 

By getting up earlier in the morning, I’ve had time to myself to do a few things that I enjoy like drink my coffee while it’s hot, plan out my day, and read a book. I love reading and it’s hard to read a book with kids all over you. My mind is sharpest in the mornings and I enjoy reading and getting work done in the morning. 

Time to Do What You Want

If you enjoy reading, exercising, or journaling, take time to do that. Use this quiet time for yourself doing something you enjoy. Don’t turn on your phone and mindlessly scroll through social media or turn on the news right away. You want to really choose what you’re listening to and what images you’re seeing when you start the day. If you turn on the news and you hear something negative or horrifying, it may put you in a state of angst for the rest of the day. Do something that you want that will relax but also energize you for the day.

Set Your Intentions 

The mornings can often set the tone for the day. How many of us have woken up on the wrong side of the bed and have determined that this is going to be a tough day before it has even started? By waking up earlier, you get a few moments to yourself to set your intentions for the day. You can say a prayer, repeat positive affirmations, or meditate.

Prepare for the Day

Waking up early in the morning will give you extra time to prepare for the day. You get a chance to prepare breakfast, the kid’s snacks, and lunch before they wake up and start nagging at you. It allows you to get things done smoothly without your kids at your feet demanding your immediate attention.

Get Dressed

If you’re a stay-at-home mom or you work from home, it’s easy to lounge around in your pajamas because they’re comfortable, and let’s face it- no one’s going to see you. But being in your pajamas all day has a very lazy feel to it. I associate pajamas with relaxing and being able to put my feet up.

When you change out of your pajamas and into something else, it changes your mindset and prepares you for the day. You can change into comfortable workout clothes or leggings and a loose shirt if that works for you. Just change out of your clothes from the night before and into something new and fresh.

I’ve found that I feel better when I change out of my pajamas and into some comfortable athletic clothes. I just put on something that matches and is comfortable to chase after my boys in. I’ll usually choose an outfit that is cute and comfortable move around in. When you look good, you feel good. And when you feel better about yourself, you have more confidence to tackle your day. 

Enjoy Your Hot Coffee

I love coffee. Who doesn’t? The aroma of fresh coffee is so exhilarating to me. I love coffee and one of the things that I miss after having kids is enjoying my coffee while it’s hot. 

I’m sure all moms have been through the process of having to rewarm their coffee time and time again. Your coffee is fresh and hot, you take a sip, your kids are fighting over their toys, you go over and break up the fight, and by the time you come back to your coffee- it’s cold. You rewarm the coffee in the microwave, it’s hot again and you take another sip, now your kids need a snack and so you put your coffee down, grab them some bananas with peanut butter and by the time you come back, your coffee is cold again. 

One of the perks of waking up before my kids is that I can enjoy my first cup of coffee while it’s still hot. I really do enjoy it otherwise I wouldn’t be writing about it. 

Starting your Morning Routine 

There are numerous ways you can start your morning routine. You’ll find that some people meditate, read, journal, exercise, take cold showers, and do a number of things to start their day. Try to incorporate different things into your morning routine to see what makes you feel good and what works for you. You just need to establish a morning routine that works for you and that is something you can keep doing.

My morning routine starts at 5:40 am every morning. I never set my alarm clock to go off at 5:40 am but my body just automatically wakes up at that time. I wake up and once I’m up, I’m up. I’ll get out of bed and I start my day with my morning skincare routine. I find it pointless to lay in bed and do nothing when there’s a laundry list of things to do once the day is started. 

I make my coffee, make the bed and get the house ready for my kids. After I’m done, I listen to a motivational podcast to start my morning. I love listening to motivational podcasts for 10 minutes in the morning because they are so positive and inspirational. I truly believe that what we listen to and put into our brains is important for our mental and spiritual health and so I make it a point to only listen to stuff that is good for my mental health. Whatever I’m listening to will set the tone for the day. 

Listen to Positive Podcasts

There are many other motivational podcasts that are longer than 10 minutes but I’ve found that 10 minutes is all that I can afford in the morning. While I listen, I don’t do anything else. I sit there very intentionally and I listen to the message. I consider this to be my lesson for the day and I listen with my whole heart. 

Afterward, I will journal for about 5-10 minutes and then I will write 3 things that I am thankful for. 

Create a Morning Routine That Makes You Feel Good

Establishing a peaceful and calm morning routine sets the tone for your day. It helps you become a more productive and proactive person. You run the day and decide how the day is going to go. Not the other way around. You get to be a proactive person versus a reactive person responding to life’s challenges. 

You don’t need to get up an hour early tomorrow, run 3 miles, meditate and make yourself a green smoothie. You don’t need to be a super mom. You’re already a great mom. That’s not what I’m telling you to do. What am encouraging is for you to establish a morning routine that works for you. Whether that’s 10 minutes, 15 minutes, or an hour. Do what works for you and is sustainable. You want to establish a morning routine that makes you feel good and that you can continue doing as a habit.

Start Small

Start waking up 10 minutes earlier than everyone else and start with a simple routine like setting your intentions for the day with a prayer or positive affirmations followed by some stretching and writing a quick to-do list. Wake up 10 minutes earlier for two weeks. After you see how good it makes you feel and how much smoother your day runs, increase the time to wake up 15 or 20 minutes earlier. Keep doing that until you’ve established the perfect morning routine that works for you. 

I’m encouraging you to establish a routine that works for you and that will make you feel better. Having a morning routine and having my own me time has made me more prepared for the day and made me patient. I filled my cup before having to fill everyone else’s. It really does work. But you have to give it a try. You have to do it to see what I’m talking about. 

The whole purpose of having a morning routine is to give time for yourself, help your mornings run smoother, give you the confidence to take on the day, and help establish you to become a more productive person. You want to take charge of the day and start the morning on your own terms. Own the day and don’t let the day own you. 

If you need help creating an evening routine, read here for tips and tricks to unwind and make the best evening routine that works for you.

I hope you find a morning routine that works for you. Let me know in the comments below what you enjoy doing in the morning.