5 Secrets To A Better, More Productive Morning

If you’ve been looking for some morning routine ideas to start having a more productive morning, then you’ve come to the right place!

It seems like everyone is telling us to have a productive morning by waking up at 5am and getting all our to-do lists done before the sun rises. And I’m not saying I haven’t fallen victim to this hustle-and-grind morning culture (because I totally have)…

But what does it mean to really have productive mornings that set you up for successful days? Is there no such thing as a relaxing slow morning anymore?

I get it and I believe that everything in life should have balance— especially your mornings! So here are some ideas to find a morning routine that works for you (without sacrificing all your sanity!).

This post is all about productive mornings.

Productive Morning

The most important part of effectively starting— and sticking with— a routine is to customize it to what you want.

Consider what your goals are, what you like to do, when you feel most energized during the day, etc.

If you know you’re already an early bird vs a night owl, you may be more motivated to start earlier and dig into that to-do list. Whereas if you’re a night person, you might feel more productive a little later in the morning.

Whether you want to have a softer start to the morning or you’re ready to rumble, you can still have a productive morning.

Remember, it’s all about what works best (and will stick best) for you.

How to start a morning routine?

There’s an age-old saying that a successful morning starts the night before and I couldn’t agree more.

Listen up folks, YOU NEED TO PRIORITIZE SLEEP. That’s a non-negotiable that can not, I repeat can NOT, be tossed to the side.

If you’re not making an honest effort to get quality sleep then it doesn’t really matter how early you wake up, what tasks you complete, etc. because you won’t be able to sustain that routine.

So truthfully, your morning routine starts the night before with a good night’s sleep. Once you’re making that a priority, then you’re ready to hone in on the actual morning piece.

{PRINTABLE: THE EASIEST MORNING ROUTINE CHECKLIST TO OWN YOUR DAY}

Depending on what your goals are and what you’re trying to incorporate into your daily life, your morning may look different.

If you’re prioritizing your health, you may be motivated to drink water, get a workout in, or stretch.

Or if you’re putting an emphasis on a side hustle, your morning might be full of completing tasks for that job, time blocking, creating a product/post, etc.

What works for someone else might not speak to your goals and work for you. When you’re figuring out your morning routine, you should be especially mindful of this.

If you’ve ever watched your favorite influencer reveal their morning routines, I totally get it. You might feel compelled to start ice-rolling your face and meditate.

And I’m not saying that you shouldn’t… use these suggestions as jumping-off points! Understand why they might do those activities and ask yourself if that’s something aligned with what you want. Because there are truly millions of great things you could do in the morning, but you only have so much time.

You need to figure out what is most important to you and what moves you toward what you want.

What are some productive things to do in the morning?

Some morning routine ideas are:

Making your bed
A skincare routine
Stretching
Meditating
Working out
Making a to-do list and creating a schedule for the day
Reading a book
Journaling
Writing gratitudes
Listening to a podcast
Doing quick chores (lightly organizing your work space, doing the dishes, decluttering and tidying, etc.)
Watching the sunrise
Showering/personal hygiene
Eating breakfast

{PRINTABLE: THE EASIEST MORNING ROUTINE CHECKLIST TO OWN YOUR DAY}

Five secrets to better more productive mornings—

1. Quality sleep the night before

If you didn’t get the gist of this before, I’ll reiterate it now: you need quality sleep if you ever want your productive routine to stick.

When you don’t prioritize your rest, you may get lucky and have a couple of productive mornings but it isn’t sustainable.

To consistently wake up refreshed and ready to tackle your morning, you really do start the night before.

2. Creating a routine that resonates with your desires

If you’re following the morning routine of your favorite influencers without a greater Why behind it, then it will likely not stick. You need to understand what your morning routine is doing for you and why it matters for you to commit.

You will not always be motivated to wake up and get going on your routine which is why it needs to align with what you want.

3. Allow for flexibility

Understanding that you won’t always be motivated is crucial to give yourself breathing room.

Yes, sometimes we need to flow into that robot mode and just get it done. However, there are some days that you can use a slow morning routine to still feel productive and give yourself some grace.

Allowing yourself to have a primary morning routine for when you’re in goals-alignment mode AS WELL AS a secondary morning routine for when you need extra love will ensure you’re prioritizing yourself above all else.

4. Know what you’re trying to accomplish

This goes with secret #2 but if you don’t know what you’re working towards then you’re likely going in circles.

Be honest with yourself about what your goals REALLY are. They aren’t for anyone else but yourself so if you’re happy with X and want to improve on Y then do that.

For example, if everyone else seems to be concerned with their side hustles but you want to prioritize your health, then do that. Seriously.

Don’t feel guilted into “working on” what is currently trending because if it’s not actually something you want then you’re taking time away from working on something actually important to you.

Moral of the story: be wary about following blindly.

5. You can always change it

In case you needed to hear this, you can always change course and tweak or completely demolish your routines. Nothing is set in stone and if something isn’t working then don’t be afraid to make changes.

Yes, you should give your new routine some time to allow it to actually become a routine. However, you’ll know if there are parts that just aren’t working. And then you owe it to yourself to create a better fit for you.

After all, your morning is YOUR morning.

This post was all about productive mornings.