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Before having children, I would have never thought of myself as a morning person. That all changed when I had tiny humans counting on me to take care of them, regardless of how tired I was.

Now that my kids are a little older, I still find my most productive time to be in the morning. After teaching all day and always having someplace to go once I get back home, I really don’t have the energy or motivation to get a lot done in the evening other than prepare for the following day.

There are a lot of posts out there about creating a morning routine. The important thing to consider is finding one that will work for YOU. Avoid feeling overwhelmed by it all by implementing a morning routine in small steps. Start with what you can accomplish easily and use that to build momentum towards completing the remainder of your morning routine.

Before you start on your quest to becoming a morning person (or at least pretending to be), take some time to figure out your “why”. Why is it you want to wake up with a morning routine? What do you hope to accomplish with more time? Are you hoping to reduce stress and anxiety by creating more time in the morning to get things done? Are you working on a side hustle that needs your focused attention? Do you need more time to yourself when no one else is awake?

So what is your “why”? Once you figure it out, you’ll find the motivation you need to get in a morning routine and crush your goals.

So you don’t miss a step (or have to remember), sign-up to receive emails at the bottom of this post and download your free Morning Routine printable.

Start with Gratitude

I like to start my day by giving thanks for all that I have. My family. My health. The opportunity to have another day. Gratitude looks different for everyone and giving thanks can take many forms. Doing this simple act helps to keep priorities in line. It’s easy to stress over deadlines, work-related issues, kids and everything else in your life. Giving thanks puts the focus on the positive things happening in your life.

Here are a few ways you may choose to start your day with gratitude:

• Use a phone app. My favorite is called Daily Bible Inspirations and it includes a daily Bible verse, a place to journal, a devotion and the opportunity to share with others. Click here if you’d like to learn more.
• Journal – Keeping a journal on your nightstand will make remembering to write out your thoughts and all that you are thankful for just within arms reach. Grab that pen and paper before your feet even touch the ground.
• Pray – You need nothing more than the thoughts in your head to pray. You can pray anywhere, anytime. No planning ahead required.

Drink-Up

Start your day with a glass of warm lemon water. There are many health benefits to drinking this simple beverage, including giving your immune system a boost, balancing your body’s pH, helping your stomach break down food, protecting you against skin damage and more.

Feel free to enjoy your cup of coffee or tea as well, only wait until after you finish the lemon water. The warm lemon water gives my body a boost, the coffee gives my mind (and mood) a boost.

Interested in finding out more about the benefits of drinking lemon water? Click here to read on. Don’t be surprised though that coffee also has many health benefits. Surprised? Click here to read more. In addition, tea (black tea specifically) also has amazing health benefits, click here to read more.

Prioritize Your Day

As a full-time working mom, I don’t have the time or energy to do everything that needs to be done. To conquer that overwhelming feeling of never having enough time in the day, I make a list. I prioritize what absolutely has to be done before the end of the day and do those items on my list first. Anything else that gets accomplished is icing on the cake.

Finishing-up a photo book that needs to be delivered in time for the holidays is prioritized over grabbing those last-minute gifts.

By prioritizing your day, you stay focused and motivated to finish what needs to be done without trying to do it all. If you enjoy marking items off your “To Do” list as much as I do, you may enjoy using these Coffee-Lover To-Do lists or this Personal Planner. 

Do Something Just for YOU

Doing something just for you should be the easiest part of your morning routine. It is however, one of the hardest. It’s hard because it’s the ONE THING you can put aside because it doesn’t have to be done. Just because it doesn’t have to be done doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be. Quite the contrary. It’s important because it may be the one single thing you do all day for no one other than yourself. How many times a day do you think about your own needs? Probably not a lot. There are many days my needs fall at the bottom of the list, even below the dog.

Doing something for yourself can be whatever you want it to be. Go for a run. Take a walk. Meditate. Read a chapter in your new novel. Write. Look out the window and allow yourself time to just breath. Drink a second cup of coffee in your pajamas.

Don’t skip this step. It’ll help get you through whatever is ahead of you. Give yourself the time to truly enjoy a few minutes of your morning. That difficult conversation with a co-worker, family drama, traffic…all if it will be easier to handle if you’ve been able to fill your own bucket.

Nourish Your Body

Preparing and eating a healthy breakfast doesn’t have to take as long as you might think. Simple changes to your routine can make this part of your morning routine a breeze. Plan out your breakfast for the week (or one day at a time if that’s how you roll) and get what you can ready the night before. Smoothies are easily prepped and stored in the freezer if done a few days in advance or in the fridge if prepared the night before. My favorite smoothie is a green smoothie, you can find the recipe here.

I love oatmeal and I enjoy making steel cut oats overnight in my small crockpot. There are plenty of recipes on Pinterest, including this simple one from Lee Funke @ Fit Foodie Finds or this one from Marjory @ The Dinner-Mom. Add your own favorite toppings and you’ve got a winner, especially on these cold winter mornings when you need something to warm you up (at least if you live in the Midwest).

Other breakfast ideas include overnight breakfast casseroles and breakfast sandwiches you can make-ahead and freeze until you need them. My favorite casserole is one I’ve been making for years and has become a holiday tradition on Thanksgiving and Christmas morning. This make-ahead overnight breakfast casserole has eggs, sausage, bread and cheese and can be easily modified to suit your taste. Find the recipe here. For simple breakfast sandwich ideas, check-out these ideas from Lauren Allen @ Tastes Better From Scratch and Jamie @ Jamie Cooks it Up.

Here’s to Happier and More Productive Mornings!

I hope that you find these suggestions helpful as you start your New Year off in the best way possible. Sign-up below to receive emails and download your free Morning Routine Checklist.

I know I’m going to try every day to make it the best day yet.

Thanks for stopping by!