Over the years I’ve developed a morning routine that has become so habitual that I don’t really have to think about it, and actually feel weird if I skip some of it.
This is not a prescription for what every person should do. It’s an example of what a morning routine might contain to start your day off in the right direction. Always follow your gut as to what works best for you.
MAKE THE BED
I fought this one for decades. I was certain that I simply wasn’t a make-your-bed-in-the-morning kind of gal. However, one of my favorite things when I’m on vacation is coming back to the hotel room with a made bed, and, if they have turn-down service, it makes my toes curl.
So, why wouldn’t I do this for myself at home?
I started by saying it was a 7-day experiment. It went well, and didn’t take much time or effort so I turned it into a 30-day experiment. Years later I still make my bed, not because someone told me I’m supposed to, but because I love how my bedroom feels when the bed is made and love crawling into a made bed at night.
I did indulge in a comforter set that I find to be beautiful and brings the whole room together. Seven decorative pillows later, I have a bed I love instead of tolerate.
HYDRATE
Obviously, while you’re sleeping you aren’t drinking anything so, you wake up dehydrated. Dehydration causes you to be lethargic, constipated, to have dry lips, and can lead to things like kidney issues and urinary tract infections.
Doesn’t sound like fun, right?
Drink water. Simple solution. I prefer room temperature water unless it’s a hot summer day, so I keep a glass or bottle of water next to my bed that I drink first thing in the morning.
A general rule to go by is divide your weight in half and drink that number in ounces each day. For example: If you weigh 180lbs, half of that is 90 so 90oz is your daily goal to drink.
WASH MY FACE
I became diligent about washing my face every morning when I ran yet another experiment to see if it actually made a difference, and it did. I’m prone to acne at my hairline and cystic acne on my chin. After a week of washing my face daily the blemishes I had healed, and over the course of the next few months the breakouts continued to reduce.
The reason regular washing of the face is so helpful is that we are being bombarded all day with all kinds of pollutants, bacteria, and dirt that clog up your pores. Washing your face at least once a day helps sterilize your pores, keeping infections (as in blemishes) from occurring.
MOISTURIZE
I did not take moisturizing seriously until I was in my 30’s. Now it’s a must.
Every morning, and most evenings, I moisturize from stem to stern, top to bottom. After washing my face, I have a whole regimen I go through to pamper it and keep it soft and supple. Then I get the rest of my body: arms, legs, torso. I will even sometimes put a thick moisturizer like Aquaphor on my feet before putting socks on to keep my feet from scaling up.
Along with moisturizing, do an exfoliation of your body at least once a week, and of your face (these are different products!) no more than twice a week, to remove dead skin cells.
BRUSH AND FLOSS
I have always brushed my teeth in the morning as I hate “fuzzy” teeth and abhor bad breath.
Flossing was a different story (why do so many of us fight the daily flossing?). I would get to it maybe once a week, or if I had scratched the roof of my mouth and it was swollen, I found flossing to aid in faster healing.
Then I had a dental emergency while vacationing in the Caribbean, and narrowly missed getting a tooth pulled when I got home. Luckily it appeared I probably got something stuck up in my gums that caused an infection that the antibiotic wiped out.
Since then, I have flossed every day. Hitting rock bottom can be one heck of a motivator.
MOVE
This was something I adopted during the quarantine in 2020. I had previously only worked out on my days off. During quarantine I got in the habit, with the help of a workout buddy with whom I texted each morning, of getting in some form of movement every morning.
While I’m now back to going to the yoga and pilates studios once a week, I still feel that little bit of extra movement every morning keeps my strength up, and my joints mobile.
I’m not perfect. I have days that I have more or less energy than other days. I have mornings where I need that extra 30 minutes of sleep (or a cat has setup camp on my chest and I’m stuck).
But I do try to get in 10-45 minutes of some sort of movement in. Depending on the day and my inclination that could include: yoga, walking, planks, weights, or stationary bike.
CHORES
There are only two chores that are a must every day. I might get other things done, but I call those bonuses.
Dishes
At night I run the dishwasher, and in the morning, I empty it. After the dishes are wrangled, I wipe down my sink, counters, and stove, then step back and admire the order that the day is starting with, because it will be chaos again by the evening!
Laundry
I try to get a load of laundry done every day so that it doesn’t pile up and become overwhelming. It doesn’t always work like that, but I have my goals I work toward.
I do make sure that any laundry that got washed is tossed into the dryer before bed so that it’s ready to be folded the next morning. There are only two of us so it’s about a ten-minute task and so worth it!
MAKE A PLAN
Taking five minutes to sit down and think about what has to happen today and what it would be nice to have happen today starts me off on a mindful and intentional foot.
I’m not saying I don’t stray from the plan now and then and often regret that straying (still not perfect!). I’m saying creating a plan is the most likely way for me to stay on target and know what is a priority and what can wait.
I prefer writing the day’s plan on a white board that sits next to my chair in my home office. It’s wonderfully satisfying to wipe a task off once it’s completed!
CREATE YOUR ROUTINE
It took me time to build this routine, and it may change as I change, but I’ve gotten to a place where I’m covering the basics and it feels good.
Routines can take from one to three months to settle into habits. Longer if you keep starting and stopping. Don’t give up. It will be worth it in the end.
And if you need some help getting your routine figured out or addressing your resistance to creating a routine, Integrative Life Coaching with me can help identify barriers and create solutions quickly.