The Secret to Crafting a Morning Routine You’ll Actually Stick to

If you’re not a morning person, waking up for work and feeling ready to start your day can be a hard task to tackle, especially when working from home. It can be tempting to snooze the alarm until 10 minutes before your first meeting because, well, you can. But a tired, rushed, and drowsy you is not showing up as your best self. It’s really just asking for you to have an overwhelming day. But when you give yourself ample time in the morning and start your day by doing something you actually enjoy, you set yourself for success.

Today, the words “morning routine” get thrown around a lot, but what does it really mean? The truth is, a morning routine can look completely different for everyone. One person’s morning routine may be a workout class and a stop at a coffee shop. Another person’s morning routine may be meditation and journaling. Whatever it may be for you, the one thing you need to remember is you should enjoy it! Follow our 5 S’s to craft a pre-work morning routine that you’ll actually stick to!

SLEEP

Ironically, the most crucial part of your morning routine is what you do the night before. Getting enough sleep is imperative to setting yourself up for a successful morning. Sticking to a bedtime, ideally at the same time every night, will help your body get used to a routine and prepare you to wind down for a restful night of sleep. Aim to get 7-9 hours of sleep every night. Feeling well-rested will make your morning routine 10x easier.

SUNSHINE

Just like your bedtime, it’s best to try to wake up at the same time every day to help set your circadian rhythm. Your body’s first indicator that it’s time to wake up is sunlight. If your home allows, make opening up a window the first thing you do after getting out of bed in the morning. Stand in the light and let the sun shine on your face. If your home has a porch or a balcony, even better! Having this quiet moment to yourself can easily become your favorite part of the day.

Another way to incorporate sunshine into your morning routine is adding in outdoor activity. This could be tying your morning moment on your balcony into a 15 minute meditation session, or staying outside to drink your coffee. It could also be a 30 minute walk around the city to get fresh air and movement. Whether it’s 1 minute in front of your window or 30 minutes outside, getting vitamin D is the best way to start your day.

SMILE

This is our favorite part of the 5 S’s and consists of three components. These can be as quick or as long as your schedule allows based on what you want to get out of your mornings.

Easy win, easy smile: Pick one thing that you do every single morning to continue to implement into your routine. This could be making your bed, brushing your teeth, drinking 16 oz of water, etc. Having something easy to check off your list will help you feel accomplished every day.

Harder win, bigger smile: Next, pick a new habit you want to implement that you have been struggling with. The goal is to add it into your schedule directly after your easy win. This will create muscle memory and pair the two habits together, eventually making this new habit a lot less “hard”. For example, if you want to meditate in the mornings, set a goal to go to your meditation spot directly after brushing your teeth, and do not let yourself get distracted in between.

Genuine happiness: Think of something that brings you immense joy. Maybe it’s reading a book, watching your favorite show, or blasting music and dancing around the house. Think of anything and everything that brings a smile to your face. Choose an activity to add to your mornings that will make you excited and set the tone for the rest of the day to be a great one. This will probably be your biggest motivation.

SCHEDULE

Now that you have your habits outlined, it’s time to make a schedule. Start from the time you need to get ready for the day and work backwards. Figure out how long you need for each one of your smile habits and count back the hour(s). This will give you your wake up time. Count back 7-9 hours to set a bedtime. If you feel that your bedtime is unrealistic, take a second look at your routine and look for spots you can cut down until you feel that it is manageable. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself before you even begin.

STICK TO IT

Get excited to enjoy your mornings and remind yourself that this is what you want! The biggest challenge can be hitting snooze in the morning, but this is where your desire to have a great day needs to outweigh your instant gratification of laying in bed. Do whatever you need to get up to that first alarm — set your phone across the room or keep your shades drawn so the sunlight fills your room in the morning. If you can nail down getting roughly 8 hours of sleep and not snoozing, you will be able to have the morning routine you’ll finally stick to and enjoy!