In need of a productive morning routine? Here, I share 10 insanely good tips with you so you can have the most productive mornings of your life.
You know those mornings: You snooze your alarm more times than you can count, and by the time you drag yourself out of bed, you only have 30 minutes to get out the door. You rush through the necessities (because there’s no time for anything extra) and by the time you get to the main part of your day, you feel frazzled and unaccomplished. It’s time to change that. With these productivity tips, you can hack your mornings to the point where you’re checking off all the boxes and then some. Here’s how to establish a productive morning routine:
1. Wake up at the same time every day.
I know, I’ve heard this one a million times myself, too. Honestly, it’s something I struggle with since I’m a chronic snoozer. My days are infinitely more productive when I wake up with my alarm rather than against it. It’s tough, but getting up immediately really sets the momentum for the day. I have an alarm that goes off on my phone, as well as a physical alarm clock across the room that I have to get out of bed to turn off. It’s like having layers of security to follow through with my productive morning routine.
2. Take care of your dental hygiene right away.
You know how a lot of people make their bed first thing in the morning to feel accomplished? Taking care of dental hygiene is my version of that. (Don’t worry about making the bed just yet — we’ll get to that later.) As soon as I turn my alarms off, I shuffle out to the bathroom and get to brushing. Not only does it give you that sense of accomplishment, but you also are starting your day with that fresh, clean feeling — and what’s better than that?
3. Rehydrate your body.
After your teeth are squeaky clean and your morning breath has been vanquished, head to your kitchen for some water. Whether you gulp down a glass right then and there or fill up your reusable bottle for the day, drinking water first thing in the morning is essential. It blew my mind when I heard that we wake up dehydrated. It’s one of those things that we don’t think about a lot but totally makes sense — if you’re not drinking anything for around 8 hours, then you’re definitely in need of some hydration.
4. Open all the blinds and curtains.
This is a huge one, especially if you work from home. Letting the light in and seeing the outside world is so important for our mental and physical health. It only takes a few minutes and “wakes” up your home for the day.
5. Get in some form of exercise.
Getting movement in so early not only wakes your entire body up, but it ensures that you’ve done your exercise for the day. It’s one thing to say you’ll workout when you’ve finished your work day, but it’s another thing to actually do it. Some ideas include going for a walk around your neighborhood, hitting the gym for a strength-training session, or following along with a fitness video on YouTube. If you prefer to do your workouts in the afternoon or evening, consider doing some stretches or even a little yoga in the morning — it could provide you with an extra boost of energy!
6. Eat a filling breakfast.
You know what they say — breakfast is the most important meal of the day! I have found that prioritizing a high-protein breakfast is key to staying full until lunch. You could make eggs and some sort of breakfast meat each morning, or make something easy like overnight oats. If you’re not huge on breakfast, a protein bar is a great option.
7. Get fully ready for the day.
Whatever this means to you, whether it’s just washing your face or taking an extensive shower followed up by a full glam session, make sure you build in plenty of time for this! I know I’ve had days where I’ve only given myself a few minutes to get ready and leave the house with messy hair thrown up in a clip and no makeup on. To me, that signifies to myself that I had a rushed, hectic morning and makes me feel blah the rest of the day. Think about the “getting ready” steps that make you feel confident and commit to making them happen every morning. When you feel your best, you are much more likely to stay in productive mode.
8. Tidy up your space.
You can probably guess what I’m going to say next, but make your bed! I hate finding my bed unmade and uninviting at the end of the day and knowing it’s nobody’s fault but my own. I recommend doing this after you’re fully ready because it gives your bed some time to air out after you’ve been sleeping in it all night. Tidying up your space could also entail decluttering your vanity of all your hair and makeup products, putting breakfast dishes in the sink, etc. A decluttered space leads to a decluttered mind.
9. Complete one chore you’ll thank yourself later for.
Checking one simple chore off your list that sets you up for success later in the day is a must. Think of it as giving a gift to yourself that you get to appreciate later on. Some ideas include throwing in a load of laundry, taking out the trash, or putting away clean dishes. This way, you’re removing a potential roadblock for a productive evening.
10. Review your plan for the day.
Whether you’re a night-before planner or like to write your to-do list out each day, this is the last step in your productive morning routine. It aligns you with your schedule, reminding you of appointments, meetings, errands, and more. It also mentally prepares you to knock out all your tasks for the day. Once you’ve reached this step, you have completed your productive morning routine and are ready to face the day!
EXAMPLE: MY PRODUCTIVE MORNING ROUTINE
This is the current productive morning routine I follow when I want to have a super successful day.
Wake up at 6:30am. This is the time that I can easily wake up at, no matter if it’s a weekday or weekend.
Splash face with water and take care of my dental hygiene. A rinse with cold water helps me to open my eyes fully. I floss and brush my teeth, scrape my tongue to get rid of my morning breath and finish it all off with my favorite mouthwash.
Get in workout clothes and fill up water bottle. It doesn’t always happen, but I usually try to lay out my workout outfit the night before. You’ll find me wearing my Hokas each morning and rehydrating with the help of my Owala.
Go for a walk or go to the gym. I’m on a schedule where I go to gym a few afternoons with my best friend. On those mornings, I like to walk in my neighborhood or go on my treadmill, depending on the weather. On off days, I like to go the gym in the mornings with my husband where we focus on strength training together.
Eat breakfast. I’ve been meal prepping this ham frittata for myself lately. All I have to do is pop a slice into my microwave and top with hot sauce. There are some mornings though where the thought of breakfast gives me the ick, so on those days I just opt for a protein bar and call it good.
Wash face and get ready. I don’t get sweaty during my morning workouts, so showering at night still works fine for me. After popping on my robe, I wash my face and do all my skincare. The “get ready” part consists of putting on makeup, touching up my hair, and getting dressed. It only takes me 30 minutes to complete this part of my routine, start to finish.
Make bed and tidy bathroom/bedroom. Usually my husband will help me make the bed, and he’s also on blind and curtain opening duty in our house since he’s tall and it’s not a struggle for him. (He’s the best.) I always make sure to tidy up the bathroom and bedroom of any products I’ve left out in the wake of getting ready.
Empty dish rack and dishwasher. This is my non-negotiable morning chore that I always thank myself later for. As much as I love cooking, I have to hype myself up most nights to make dinner. All I need to see is a full dish rack in order to give up and order takeout instead. Putting everything back in its rightful place is the ultimate gift I can give to myself in the mornings. There’s nothing more beautiful or motivating to me than a clean, organized kitchen.
Morning quiet time. I sit down to read one passage from inward by Yung Pueblo for inspiration. After that, I read over my to-do list, since I typically like to make it the night before. Once I’m aligned with my plan, I’m ready to start the day!
RELATED: Want to keep the momentum of your productive morning going? Check out my blog post Daily Routine Checklist | 5 Reasons It’s A Must to learn how to create super helpful checklists!
Meal prepping is one of the best ways to ensure a productive morning routine. My blog post 3 Awesome Reasons To Have A Meal Prep Routine (+ How To Get Started!) walks you through it!
This blog post was all about creating a productive morning routine.
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