How to Create a Morning Routine You Can Actually Stick To

Wouldn’t it be nice to start the day without running late because you snoozed the alarm too many times? Or without getting stressed out because you scrolled too long on social media, watched the news, or read a frustrating email?

Instead of continuing these bad habits, doesn’t it sound nice to work towards having a morning routine that initiates a calm, happy, and positive day? Believe it or not, you are capable of becoming a better morning person and starting your day with a routine that sets you up for success.

It doesn’t even matter if you’re not a morning person right now. I never considered myself one either, but I still figured out how to perfect my morning routine and now it feels good to wake up a little bit earlier. There are still days when I might struggle, but that’s life.

I want to help you train yourself to wake up earlier and have mornings that you enjoy. So, how do you create a morning routine that you can actually stick to?

In this post, I’m sharing my process on how to become a morning person and create a morning routine that works for your lifestyle.

Not everything that worked for me will work for you, so it is important to understand that this will be a work in progress. My morning routine changes based on what I need mentally and physically and the same will happen for you. Let’s get started!

How to Create a Morning Routine You Can Actually Stick To

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Step 1: Pick a Date and Start with just 5 Minutes

The only way to make a change is to act on it, so take the first step and pick a start date for your new morning routine. It’s better to start it immediately so you don’t have time to delay or even think about it. Don’t get too technical either, it doesn’t have to be on the first of the month, on a Monday or New Year’s Day. Forget all of that and just pick a day that you can promise to give an extra 5 minutes of your morning to.

Next, choose one small activity for your new routine. It should be something really easy to do. For example, you could meditate for 3 minutes, stretch for 5 minutes, drink a glass of water, wash your face, or read 2 pages.

Once you’ve determined your start date and activity, set your alarm clock 5 minutes earlier than normal, and start your new morning routine! Continue this schedule of waking up just 5 minutes earlier than normal as you go through the next steps of the process.

Step 2: Choose Your Tools for the Best Morning

To have the most success in creating your morning routine I recommend using the HabitNest Morning Sidekick journal and reading the Miracle Morning book.

The journal will be your daily guide and tracking system and the book will be your inspiration, motivation, and also help you build a solid system. You can start both at the same time, but if you don’t want to, at least start with the journal. Later on, you can get the book and incorporate reading it into your daily routine.

You can also start preparing yourself for waking up earlier. The first 30 to 60 days will be the hardest, but once you get through that it will become natural. Here are some resources and tips to help you work towards becoming a morning person:

• Get the Calm app. Not only is this app great for morning meditations, but it’s also great for using sleep sounds to fall asleep faster.
• Get a journal. Journaling can reduce stress and anxiety and is a great way to clear your mind to help you fall asleep.
• Put your phone far away. Try not to use your phone an hour before bedtime. Also, put it far away from you so it’s not easy to snooze the alarm in the morning.
• Try a sunrise alarm. Try using a sunrise alarm clock, which simulates a natural sunrise, helping you wake up easier.
• Get the Alarmy app. This app requires you to do specific tasks before shutting off. For example, I set up mine to require I take a photo of the kitchen before turning off.
• Drink a glass of water. Before you go to bed, leave a full glass of water on your nightstand and drink it as soon as you wake up.
• Move your body. Movement is the best way to wake up, and stay up. Try incorporating some stretching, yoga, pilates, or another light exercise into your morning routine.

Step 3: Choose Your Morning Activities

Once you’ve read the first section of the morning routine journal, you’ll start implementing the tips you learned as you plan the big day of your new routine. Keep in mind that it won’t be perfect, and it doesn’t have to be. Morning routines will constantly evolve depending on what you want and need at that time. The goal is to fill your morning with things that bring you joy, peace, happiness, and make you feel good.

Pick 5 simple things to add to your morning routine. Here’s an example of what mine were on the first day:

• Drink a glass of water
• 3-minute meditation
• 5-minute stretch
• Pick a new book to read
• Read 2 pages of that new book

As you can see, these things are all 5 minutes or less. I even included something I was going to do anyway, which is to drink water. For the first few weeks, mix things up by trying small things that are easy to do. The best morning routine for success is the one that you actually accomplish.

Here are some morning routine examples:

• Listen to a podcast. Listen to a motivating or uplifting podcast. Subscribe to a few and add new episodes to your list so you don’t have to make any decisions in the morning.
• Do an easy workout routine. You’ll immediately feel energized if you start your morning with some light exercise or stretching. Find your favorite yoga or pilates teacher on YouTube or just create your own routine.
• Practice gratitude. Using a gratitude journal to write down what you are grateful for every morning will help you feel at peace.
• Start a bullet journal. Creating fun bullet journal pages can help relieve stress and anxiety. Check Pinterest for all kinds of page layout ideas.
• Make the bed. This one small thing makes a big difference.
• Do something you love. If you have a lot of extra time in the morning, start with something you love. That’s the best motivator to wake up early!
• Complete the hardest task first. If you’re mastering your morning routine, take it up a notch and finish the hardest task of the day first. You will feel so light and free for the rest of the day!

Step 4: Implement Your New Morning Routine

Using the HabitNest journal, you will plan your mornings the night before. Take a few minutes before bed to complete the journal entry for the following morning, that way you have fewer decisions to make when you wake up.

Once you pick your activities, figure out how much earlier you need to wake up and set your alarm for that time. You can work on waking up even earlier once you get used to your new morning routine.

Step 5: Customize Your Morning Routine

As you move through the weeks using the Morning Sidekick journal and Miracle Morning as a guide, try new things to see what works the best for you. The idea is to build the momentum of starting a morning routine and then adjust it to fit your needs.

Remember that change doesn’t happen overnight and you’ll have to be patient. As long as you are taking steps towards improving your morning you will start noticing a difference. Sometimes it’s the littlest things that make the biggest difference!

I would love to hear your success or struggles with keeping a morning routine. Drop me a comment to let me know what works or doesn’t work for you!