Your Morning Routine —
How to Create a Short and Realistic Morning Routine to Improve Your Day
I know! You’re probably thinking… here we go, another morning routine hack that doesn’t work. You’re not wrong (kind of, sort of).
Let’s start here! How motivated are we when we come across a morning routine (probably a video) that looks promising? Let’s just say it starts with a pretty girl caressing an alarm clock while she’s simultaneously waking up slowly! She then walks into her bathroom, brushes her teeth, and has a very extended skincare routine with all the best products. She then does her hair. Next, we can expect a kitchen scene with all the morning feels. At this point, all the esthetics are popping off the screen. The nude coffee cup is filled with either coffee, matcha, tea, or hot water with lemon if she’s fancy. Then the nude frying pan is used for avocado toast. She moves on to her journaling/study time. You can even hear calming music playing in the background. Lastly, she grabs her favorite Pilates workout set and off she goes into the sunrise.
I know because I watch and love them too.
What Actually Happens
Feeling motivated, you set an expectation and create your own morning routine. The morning comes and maybe you’re able to get through your entire routine. Then the next day comes and you might have another successful morning. Uh Oh! Day 3 rolls around and you can barely get out of bed. You probably don’t even think twice about the routine you put together, but more about the extra sleep that you would like to have.
Being a mom can take away from set schedules or routines. Especially if you’re a fairly new mom like myself. There is almost no such thing when you have a young baby. They are on their time all the time.
What Actually Works
Don’t ditch the morning routine! It’s what you need. It’s what will make you feel better getting through a full day of uncontrollables. I understand that as moms, our schedules all look different. Some moms work and some stay at home, but we all deserve a little tender love and self-care. If your child(ren) are older, this probably doesn’t apply to you as much. You’re more than likely living out the dream of new moms! However, if you’re also finding that you are on limited time, hear me out.
Your morning routine should be tailored for a typical morning in your life.
Create a general routine (start to finish) that lasts between 5-10 minutes.
Type it in your phone in list format and then check it off as you go.
Add dates in which you decide to commit to your routine. I recommend at least one week for a challenge.
Why it Actually Works
Setting your morning routine for your typical morning gives you a wiggle room to actually allocate time in the morning to complete it. It doesn’t involve a set time like most 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. routines. This allows for convenience and commitment. Failing to meet such strict times might promote discouragement.
Your routine can be romanticized but it should only last about 5-10 minutes. This ensures that it’s actually achievable each morning and that you can remain consistent.
Creating a checklist adds to the feeling of accomplishment while also making sure you don’t forget any steps. You might think it’s easy to remember the simple things, but being a mom includes forgetting to put on deodorant or asking yourself, “did I brush my teeth this morning?”
My checklist used to create my morning routine.
Adding dates is optional (I guess all of this is). Setting a commitment of about a week will set the challenge for you to put yourself first in the morning. Even if you have to do your routine after feeding your child, you’re making sure that you’re setting the tone for that day. I know we’re all in different circumstances here. Some moms are home and some moms work, but we all owe it to ourselves to take care of ourselves.
Think about it like this… there is psychology around making the bed in the morning. It sends a message to the mind that sleep is valuable and you’re actively making it a priority. Your morning routine will provide the same benefit for you!