5 Stress-Free Tips to Create a Simple Morning Routine
As I’m typing this, I’m sitting in a Scooters coffee shop doing one of my favorite things: People watching.
Oh, don’t act like you don’t do it, too! (But seriously, no judging here. It’s just plain fun.😊)
As I watch people come and go, I’ve noticed that no two coffee orders have been the same. I also can’t help but pick up bits and pieces of a conversation a few tables over at what appears to be a business meeting between two women. I wonder what their story is… what brought them into the coffee shop today.
In all of this, I just can’t help but realize how different we all are, ya know?
I know you clicked on this article to read about morning routines, so I promise I’ll make this full circle now. ☺️
My point is, not one single person is exactly like another. So what makes us think that a morning routine that works for someone else should also work for us? (See how I brought that around? Eh? 😉)
Listen, I’ve read a bajillion articles on how morning routines can bring success. I fully believe in the science of it; of how starting your day intenionally can set you up for a positive day ahead.
What becomes overwhelming is that everyone has their own opinion about what what makes a successful morning routine a success.
I think a morning routine is personal and something you should create just for you! I believe your morning routine should work FOR you, not against you. It should set you up for a smooth day and increase your joy and energy levels. It should NOT feel like work or leave you feeling drained.
If you’re looking for a simple morning routine that works for you instead of leaving you feeling less-than, I have a few tips that can help:
1. Ignore your phone.
This feels like the best place to start when looking for a simple morning routine. So, please do not pass “Go” and do not collect $200 until we discuss this crucial point, ok? Good deal.😊
Please know that waking up and reaching for your phone won’t bring you the kind of joy you think it will. From personal experience, I can tell you that picking up my phone first thing in the morning makes me feel:
- Behind. When all I see are unread emails, missed notifications, and social media comparison mind-tricks first thing in the morning, it can make me feel like I’m not enough. And who wants to start their day feeling like they’re not enough? (Also, I hope you know the truth: YOU ARE ENOUGH so don’t fall for that lie!)
- Unhopeful. I personally struggle with the news sometimes. Yes, I want to know about the weather. Yes, I want to be aware of what’s going on in the world around me. But MAN. There is some depressing stuff out there! And this is totally a topic for another time, but I think the media has a flair for the dramatic.
My point is, ignoring your phone first thing in the morning can protect your mindset.
I’ve learned that I’m abundantly more creative, energetic, and clear-headed when I can keep whatever’s going on in the world at bay.
I know the temptation to pick up your phone first thing every morning is a REAL thing, but I want to challenge you to refrain from opening any apps just yet.
One thing that’s helped me is to turn off all of my notifications. I only receive phone calls and text notifications. That’s it. The rest just stay out there until I’m ready for them. This helps tremendously in the temptation to scroll my phone first thing in the morning! It’s like a jedi mind trick. If I don’t see the little red bubble, I’m WAY less inclined to even open the app. (And I’ll take all the shortcut/mind tricks I can!)
In almost every case (emergencies aside), nothing that happened overnight can’t wait one more hour! The texts will still be there. The DM’s will still be there. And I’d be willing to bet that your work email will still be there, too.😊
2. Wake up before the kiddos.
If you’ve read any of my other posts, then you know how I feel about this topic.
I think I talk about it a lot because I believe in the magic of kid-free moments in the morning. Yes, I love my kids. Yes, I want to spend time with them (obviously)! But also, I’m a better mama when I take a hot second to collect my thoughts before the morning begins.
You can read more about getting up before the kiddos in this post, but please hear me when I say that ANY amount of time works here! You don’t have to get up an hour before your kiddos do. It can simply be 10 minutes. Just enough time to embrace a quiet moment while the coffee brews is sometimes all you need.
3. Write down 5 things your grateful for from the last 24 hours.
When it comes to a simple morning routine, I try to refrain from creating a bunch of “to do’s” that make my morning feel overwhelming. But I can’t NOT include this one. It single-handedly helps me form a positive outlook on the day.
You don’t need a special journal or file on your computer. Just grab any old notebook from the Target aisle and get writing! The goal is to think of super simple things that happened only over the past 24 hours. It’s easy to keep it generic, but once you start looking for the small, daily ways God’s blessing you, you’ll be seeing them all day long. For example, here were my 5 from this morning:
- Watching Colton at his first T-Ball game of the season.
- Sunshine on my face and warm temps! (Holla!)
- Smooth morning getting out the door with the kiddos. (Mamas, if you know, you know.)
- Taco night at the dinner table with our whole fam.
- Texas chocolate sheet cake for dessert. (Again, if you know you know.😊)
Some mornings, the blessings will be easier to see and write down than others. Some mornings I have to do a little digging because the day before just wasn’t the greatest. But those tiny blessings are always there. Sometimes they’re hidden. Sometimes they’re obvious. Either way, I’ve found this 2 minute exercise has the power to shift my mindset by focusing on the positive. Look for the blessings and you’ll find them. Promise.❤️
4. Do something that fills up your cup.
Here’s where we can weed out a lot of the things that end up on our “should do” morning routine list.
And here’s what I mean by a “should do” list: If you do a quick Google search on morning routines, you’ll find a lot of articles telling you to do #allthethings. I’ve done this myself and it’s left me feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. How can I possibly exercise, journal, read, open my Bible, write, research, drink all the water, stretch, and shower every single morning? AIN’T NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT.
So, I’m here to tell you, you don’t have to do it all. As I’ve mentioned, the LAST thing we want to do here is create a morning routine that feels like work! We’re looking for simple and life-filling, not heavy and overwhelming. You with me? If so, my suggestion is to pick just ONE thing that fills up your cup and include that one thing into your morning routine.
You don’t even have to do the same one thing every morning! Maybe on Monday’s you exercise, Tuesday’s you journal, and Wednesday’s you dive into devotional. Maybe you oversleep one morning (because #life) and you just take your cup of coffee in silence as the one thing that fills up your cup.
If you’re looking for a simple morning routine, my best advice is to pick just one thing that brings you joy. One thing that reminds you that you are YOU. And the day ahead of you is a gift.
5. Take five minutes to review your calendar/to do list for the day.
Sometimes (Read: Often!) I feel overwhelmed with our busy schedule. Who is taking who, where? What time do the kids need to be picked up today? What do we have going on tonight? And in this busy month of June, I also find myself asking how many dang PB & J’s I need to make so we have something to eat before we have to be to a ballfield by 5:15. 🥵
So, one thing I’ve learned that really helps me is to just take every 24 hour period as it comes. If I take a minute or two to review just the day I have in front of me, it helps me feel more organized and prepared, without the feelings of overwhelm and too-much-ness.
Try this one for yourself. Take a minute or two in your simple morning routine to look at JUST the day ahead. What absolutely needs to get done and what can wait?
(As a bonus tip, you can also check out this post where I mention how I only pick 3 real things to do each day which helps me to alleviate anxiety! I also use these super simple planners from Simplified, if you’re looking for a tool to help you.)
Wrapping Up.
There you have it. 5 tips to help you create a super simple morning routine. I know that mornings can be hard to get through sometimes. I’ve been there. (Hello, newborn stage😳), but I also know how awesome I feel when I’m able to collect my thoughts before the day begins.
***OVER TO YOU: I hope you take a tip or two to try for yourself tomorrow morning! Which one would you try first? Let me know in the comments below!
