4 Steps to Creating a Morning Routine that Works for You

Chances are, you already have a morning routine, whether or not it’s one that’s currently working for you.

I’d recommend starting with reflection on what your mornings currently look like, and why you want a change.

Maybe you wake up 10 minutes before you need to be out the door, leaving just enough time for a coffee and quick pass of your hairbrush. Spend enough time on social media and it’ll leaving you thinking you’re doing mornings all wrong.

Shouldn’t you be up 2 hours before you alarm, shifting into a workout right after you drink cold lemon water and get through a 12-step skincare regimen?

Only if you want to.

first, consider: do you really need a change in your morning routine?

A routine is just something that you do in a similar way over and over. Whatever you’re reliably doing in the mornings right now is already your morning routine. And if it works for you…well, if it ain’t broke.

But, chances are, if you’re reading this post, you’re looking for some sort of revamp. In that case, keep reading!

step 1: assess how much time you have in the morning…and the night before

The morning you want and the morning you have may be limited by time. If you work better at night or you need to be up late for another reason, then that’s what works for you. So, maybe you do sleep in a little more and keep your morning routine short, but effective.

If you want to wake up early and have more time before work/school/life responsibilities, first decide if you can go to bed early enough to get enough sleep. If so, then maybe you are ready to wake up earlier and get to life’ing!

Step 2: list out what you have to do, and what you want to do

What you have to get done in the mornings - getting dressed, eating breakfast, feeding the dog - obviously needs to get done first.

How much time do you have left over after the must-dos? This is where you can start with a list of what you want to get done - reading, meditating, making the bed, exercising, doing your hair or makeup, or whatever else you envision for your perfect morning.

step 3: Remember that even the influencers don’t do the same things every morning

My favorite social media influencers are the ones that film morning routines and admit that the video aesthetics are not indicative of their everyday lives. I appreciate when those influencers say “not every morning is like this.” It’s an important reminder that what we see of others is usually only what they have orchestrated for us to see.

step 4: be flexible, and make changes as you go

As a physical therapist, the two most common phrases I say to my students are, “It depends” and “Get comfortable with the gray area.” Both are indicators that not much in life is ‘all or none’ or ‘black and white.’ We have all the metaphors over in the rehab world…

Try out the components of a morning routine you’ve always wanted. Then, assess what is or is not working for you (give it a week or two to figure out the impact your morning routine is having on your physical and mental well-being) and make edits to the routine until you find some variations that you like.

Even if you’re someone who documents their mornings on social media, there is no one but you who will know exactly what your mornings look and feel like. So, don’t worry about what you think you should be doing and focus in on what actually makes you feel good and helps you get things done.