My Simple Morning Routine

Need simple morning routine ideas and self-care ideas? This is a productive morning routine for moms or anyone who needs some productivity hacks. These home life hacks will make your day more meaningful and mindful!

Life is crazy, stressful and seems to just fly by. Juggling responsibilities at work and at home can be overwhelming. Little stresses throughout the day can have a huge impact on my mood. This is especially bad when it impacts my mood and patience with my kids. This is why I implemented a simple morning routine that has truly had a positive impact on my life.

Over a year ago I read the book The Miracle Morning: The Non-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform your Life – Before 8am by Hal Elrod. My husband actually introduced me to the book. He said he started implementing the Miracle Morning and was shocked by the impact it had on his day. 

I won’t get into the specifics of the book (but I highly recommend reading it!), but I will discuss my specific morning routine and what I’ve found works best for me. It is not the same as the Miracle Morning, but shares some elements. 

My miracle morning takes 30 minutes and involves the following:

1. Yoga/Stretch – 10 min
2. Meditation – 5 min
3. Gratitudes – 5 min
4. Planning – 10 min

Now, you may be thinking “30 minutes, I’d much rather sleep for 30 minutes longer.” This was a hurdle to get over, but I promise it’s worth it. Eventually your body adjusts to the new schedule and you’ll find yourself wanting to go to sleep a little earlier to ensure you get enough rest. 

I’ll go into each step in more detail:

#1 – Yoga/Stretch

I’ve found that starting my simple morning routine off with some light yoga/stretching routines really helps wake up my body. Something about doing this right when you wake up feels amazing! When I’m done, I feel significantly more awake and ready to tackle the day.

#2 – Meditation

Next, is meditation. This is definitely something I’m still working on, but it really does help clear the mind and makes it so you start the day with a clean slate. Try searching for short 5-10 minute meditation videos on youtube if you need some inspiration. I also love to use the Calm app, it’s full of short meditation and they add new ones every day.

#3 – Gratitudes

I like to write out 3 things I’m thankful for every day. For me, keeping these front of mind helps make the small stressful situations you encounter during the day feel so significant. I also find that writing them every day really pushes you to get creative and think of even the small things you’re grateful for.

#4 – Planning

This is probably my favorite part of my simple morning routine. I am such a planner at heart. I love having dedicated time each morning to think through what I need to do during the day. This is a great time to revisit my goals for the week or month and make sure that I’m taking steps to complete those goals. I find that I am much more likely to take these steps if I’m seeing them on paper each and every day.

That’s it! Once I’m done with these 4 steps, I feel awake, refreshed and focused. I find that my overall mood is much better throughout the day as well. I’m more present with my kids and I can handle problems that arise with a much better attitude. 

Other elements to consider adding:

1. Heavier exercising (running, walking, weight lifting, cycling, etc.). Maybe even consider getting some fresh air outside!
2. Repeating affirmations
3. Visualizing your goals
4. Drinking coffee/tea

The moral of the story is: do whatever sets you up for a successful day. This will be different for everyone. Customizing your morning to fit your specific needs will only help it to be more effective. Give it a try!

If you’re looking for more life hacks, check out this one to get some laundry inspiration!