15 Morning Routine Ideas to Start the Day in High Spirits (with Handy Checklists)

What Is a Good Morning Routine?

A good morning routine helps you improve your productivity, and we don’t refer solely to the morning activities (e.g., leaving for work on time, taking the kids to school on time, etc.). How you start your day influences your productivity throughout the entire day. Furthermore, a good morning routine should make you feel energized, focused, calm, joyful, and in good health. It should set the stage for the best version of yourself, having the best day they can imagine. Considering that the morning routine lasts 60 minutes at the most (more if you are a very early bird) and much of it is predefined by must-do activities, the pressure is on.

How to Create a Morning Routine?

Creating a morning routine has three pillars: habit stacking, streamlining, and flexibility. Habit stacking involves combining things you want to do with things you already do to make the habit stick. For example, brushing your teeth and getting dressed are already part of your mornings. You can use this time to listen to a podcast you’ve always wanted to listen to, repeat a mantra, or take in some sunshine.

Streamlining refers to doing in advance whatever can improve your mornings. For example, you can prepare overnight oats the evening before to ensure you have the breakfast ready in seconds. Or you can arrange the kids’ outfits and yours the day before. Or you can create a playlist for your morning yoga to avoid spending time looking for the right soundtrack at 6 AM.

Flexibility is a key component of a successful morning routine. It's about accepting that change is inevitable and embracing it with compassion, rather than resisting it. Adjust your morning routine until you find what suits you best, and remember that it's okay if some mornings are different from others. The key is to get back on track whenever possible.

A good night's sleep is foundational for a positive morning routine. Establishing a consistent sleep schedule, creating a relaxing bedtime routine, and ensuring a comfortable sleep environment are key. A well-rested body and mind will set the stage for a productive and fulfilling day.

15 Morning Routine Ideas

As we are all different and want different outcomes from our morning routines, we’ve come up with 15 ideas you can mix and match however you like. Allow yourself to find your morning flow and avoid comparisons. If your gym friend exercises on an empty stomach, it doesn’t mean you have to do it, too. If your colleague practices yoga in the morning and you prefer to practice in the evening or not at all, it’s fine. Pat yourself on the back for finding your way and your customized, excellent, quirky morning routine.

1. Morning Routine for a Productive Day

Several tips have been proven to enhance productivity. They are simple and don’t take much of your precious morning time. Your morning routine for a productive day should include:

• Wake up without pressing the snooze button. Sleep cycles last between 30 and 45 minutes. If you interrupt the cycle, as you probably do when pressing the snooze button, you wake up fuzzy, dizzy, and unrested (although you had enough overnight sleep).
• Expose yourself to natural light as soon as you wake up. It will help you wake up faster and clear your mind.
• Drink some water. Like sunshine, water helps you wake up faster, clears your mind, and prepares your body for the new day.
• Avoid caffeine until mid-morning. Our bodies are programmed to be active in the morning hours, so we really don’t need the caffeine boost. Having a cup of coffee a bit later in the day will keep you focused and energized throughout the workday.

2. Morning Routine for Efficiency

In our busy lives, being efficient both in our professional and personal time is a must. A good morning routine provides the discipline you need to stay focused and get things done. Here are a few ideas to include in your morning routine for more efficiency:

• Prioritize your tasks, and we mean all of them. Your morning routine should include writing the task list with to-dos that need to be done, as well as those that help you stay positive, self-regulate, and improve your overall well-being. With this action, you will feel organized and efficient and start your day on the right foot.
• Prepare in advance for the day ahead. You may want to lay out your gym outfit to ensure you find time to exercise, prepare your breakfast the night before, or arrange for a shared drive to pick you up at a certain hour.
• Make your bed. Your mom was right. Making your bed in the morning improves your discipline, provides a clean space that boosts creativity, and helps you return to a tidy home in the evening.
• Eat the frog. It means doing the most daunting task on your to-do list first. If getting the kids ready for school means chaos, do that first thing in the morning. If taking out the trash is your nemesis, do that first. It creates momentum, helps you avoid procrastination and missing deadlines, and gives you a small reward first thing in the morning.

3. Morning Routine for Successful People

You may be surprised to learn that successful individuals prioritize their well-being. They don’t rush to read their emails before sunrise, nor think about important meetings during breakfast. Instead, their morning routines include:

• A short walk in nature. It’s a way of exposing yourself to natural light, telling your body to wake up, clearing your mind, and engaging in a low-level fitness activity all in one.
• Eat breakfast with the family. The social component of eating is undeniable. Studies are proving that eating together makes us eat more mindfully, improves digestion, boosts metabolism, and provides all the good brain chemicals.
• It’s a way of clearing your mind, slowing down, curating your thoughts, and being present. It enhances creativity and innovation.
• Use the dead time in your morning routine to learn something new. Perhaps you listen to a podcast or audiobook while preparing for work or commuting to work. Maybe you read a book on the train. Anything that improves your mental health helps.

4. Morning Routine for Improved Focus

Do you often struggle to multitask effectively? Don’t worry, you are not alone. No one can really multitask, but we continue trying. Therefore, we have some ideas about what to include in your morning routine for better focus and successful single-tasking.

• Create a to-do list, either on paper or using a digital app. It will give your day a fresh start, calm you down, help you plan your day better, and provide some structure. It helps to assign priorities to each item on the list.
• Use the journal to record the things you are grateful for, your goals or milestones, or anything else that comes to mind. It may be emotions, thoughts, wishes, or ideas.
• Create a ritual. Rituals are predefined sequences of activities that provide us with the structure we need to remain present and connected. How about a tea-making and serving ritual? Or a series of exercises? Or reading one page from a book?

5. Morning Routine for a Healthy Start

Your body is what keeps you moving throughout the day. You rely on its internal processes for everything, which means taking care of your body in the morning should be a routine. Based on what your body requires at a particular moment in time, try to include at least one of the following ideas in your morning routine:

• Breathing exercises. Breathing deeply and purposefully reduces stress and anxiety, clears your mind, helps your heart condition, relaxes the muscles, and gives you energy.
• Workout. It doesn’t have to be going to the gym, long sessions, or instructed workouts. We know you don’t have time for these. But you have time for a quick 5-minute or 10-minute HIIT workout, a Pilates session, or a run around the block.
• Eat a hearty breakfast. It doesn’t have to be a big breakfast, but a smart one. Include lots of protein, good carbohydrates, and a few fruits or veggies. There are numerous ways to create a healthy breakfast that you will enjoy eating.
• Drink water first, coffee later. It’s beneficial for productivity and focus, as well as for your gut health and metabolism.

6. Physical Morning Routine

If you want to exercise more and add a few physical activities to your morning routine, these ideas are for you. Keep in mind that men and women have different needs. Age and fitness level matter too. So, adapt your morning routine to an inch as everything can make you or break you (literally).

• Breakfast time. Ladies, you’d better eat before the workout. Something high in protein is ideal. Gents, you are better off eating after the workout.
• Morning walks. If you have 20 minutes or so to spare or have the privilege of working within walking distance of your home, consider adding a morning walk to your routine. It’s probably the best thing you can do for your body, mind, and soul.
• Workouts. Do a gym workout if you can manage it, but don’t disregard at-home workouts. Fifteen minutes of high-intensity cardio, strength, or stretching exercise go a long way.

7. 30-minute Morning Routine

We understand how busy life can be and how many tasks accumulate in the morning. If you only have 30 minutes from waking up until leaving the house, here is what you can do, minute by minute:

• 0 – 5 minutes: Wake up (no snooze in), 3-minute yoga or stretching, drink a glass of water
• 5 – 10 minutes: Make your bed
• 10 – 20 minutes: Bathroom routine
• 20 – 25 minutes: Eat the breakfast you prepared the night before
• 25 – 30 minutes: Get dressed and leave the house

8. 60-minute Morning Routine

If you have some time in the morning or can get up earlier to gain an extra 30 minutes, you’re in luck. A 60-minute morning routine is ideal and won’t leave you feeling rushed. Here is what you can do in one hour:

• 0 – 5 minutes: Wake up (no snooze in), 3-minute yoga or stretching, drink a glass of water
• 5 – 10 minutes: Make your bed
• 10 – 25 minutes: Bathroom routine, maybe include listening to the radio and moving your body
• 25 – 40 minutes: Eat breakfast and have a cup of tea or coffee near the window or on the balcony (natural light, remember!)
• 40 – 55 minutes: Exercise or walk
• 50 – 60 minutes: Get dressed and leave the house

9. Spiritual Morning Routine

For spiritual individuals and those seeking to respond to their emotions rather than react to them, the morning routine is the ideal opportunity to set the tone for the entire day. Furthermore, you can repeat the same steps at night, before going to bed. Here are some ideas for you:

• Write in the journal. You don’t have to be a religious or even a spiritual person to recognize the benefits of journaling. Gratitude, purpose, calmness, and serenity are just a few of them.
• Meditate. Again, meditation is a practice you can personalize and take with you everywhere you go. It’s like having your mentor in your pocket. There are also great apps for guided meditation. Headspace and Calm are just 2 to get you started.
• Connect with nature. It may be going for a walk, watering the houseplants, taking a minute to look out the window, playing with a pet, or having tea on the balcony. Reduce the distance between you and nature in any way possible.
• Read. If you're a religious person, think about reading from the Bible, or from other spirituality books that you relate with.
• Socialize. Share a ride to work, send a message to someone dear, enjoy breakfast with your family, do anything that provides you with the company of others. However, avoid social media. We are seeking in-person socialization here.

10. The Scientific Morning Routine

So far, we’ve allowed ourselves to consider what would be nice, healthy, or doable. How about what is scientifically proven to improve ourselves and the day ahead? Here are some scientific ideas for your morning routines:

• Wake up without pressing the snooze button. To help you with this, experts say it’s a good idea to place the alarm clock in a different room or a less accessible space (e.g., under the bed).
• Drink water before anything else. It helps you wake up faster, improves gut health, and prepares the body for a day full of energy.
• Make your bed. It opens up your space and clears your mind. A cluttered space doesn’t help anyone.
• Have a cold shower. Experts say it’s beneficial for energy, muscles, circulation, the heart, brain, focus, and many other aspects. However, if you are a woman, you may want to alternate cold and hot water. Read about the caveats of cold showers for women.
• HIIT training. It’s short, efficient, and motivational. Anyone can work out for 5 minutes, right? Experts say it is highly beneficial to muscles and joints.
• Drink coffee later in the day. Let the natural energy of the human body take you through the first hours of the morning, and have your coffee around noon. It will help you stay focused and reduce your caffeine intake.
• Avoid screens as soon as you wake up. Instead, expose yourself to natural light for a smooth and energetic wake-up call. It regulates the circadian cycle.

11. Morning Routine for Mental Wellbeing

The morning routine is a great way to make small changes that benefit not only your entire day ahead but also your life. Mornings are the ideal time to focus on reducing stress, anxiety, and negative thoughts. They are suitable for setting up the pace for the day and life. Here are the ideas to get you started:

• Breathing patterns for slowing down the breath and reducing stress, such as the box breathing pattern (breathe in for four seconds, hold for four seconds, breathe out for four seconds, hold for four seconds).
• Engage in routines as long and intense as you like, such as dancing to your favorite song, a 5-minute HIIT workout, a 30-minute yoga session, or a 15-minute brisk walk, and so on.
• Positive affirmations are short, affirmative sentences that put you in a good mood and motivate you.
• Find something you are grateful for or look forward to. We are prone to see the negative in our lives, but rest assured, the positive is in there too. Look for it!

12. Calm Morning Routine

If all you want is to regain calm and maintain it throughout the day, the morning routine can help you set up the stage. The most efficient ideas for a calm-inducing morning routine are the following:

• Exposure to nature has been proven to reduce stress and calm the nerves. If you have ever heard of forest therapy, you know why. Walk the dog. Our brains are programmed to relax in the calming presence of our natural environment.
• Meditation slows down your breathing, calms the mind, and helps you process your thoughts more helpfully. It enables you to be more mindful of what happens both inside and outside you, and respond instead of reacting to stimuli.
• Allow yourself sufficient time to attend to morning chores. Try to wake up a bit earlier without affecting your sleep quality. Allowing you enough time to attend to everything that needs to be done in the morning will help you remain calm, maintain a slower pace, and effortlessly cope with unexpected events.

13. Ashton Hall’s Morning Routine

If you want a physical morning routine and seek help from former athlete and current influencer Ashton Hall, you are in for a treat (and not necessarily a healthy one). His morning routine went viral, but not everyone considers it reasonable, doable, or recommended. Here is what he does in the morning:

• Wakes up before sunrise.
• Bathroom routine.
• Plunges his face into ice-cold water with lemon juice.
• Swims and trains for 30 minutes with a mix of cardio and strength workouts.
• Eats a banana and rubs the peel on his face for skin health.
• Eats breakfast.

14. Mel Robbins’ Morning Routine

Mel Robbins is a public speaker, author, and podcaster renowned for her straightforward approach to living a better life. Her intuitive tools also apply to her morning routine. Here is what Mel Robbins does in the morning:

• She wakes up without pressing the snooze button. To motivate herself to get up, she uses her 5-4-3-2-1 rule, which involves counting from 5 to 1 and then getting up, regardless of the circumstances.
• She makes her bed to self-suggest, avoiding procrastination and boosting discipline.
• She high-fives herself in the bathroom mirror to boost confidence, self-love, and positive reinforcement.
• She drinks water before anything else for gut health and mental performance.
• She lays out the workout clothes the night before to help her avoid being lazy in the morning.
• She exposes herself to natural light, whether it’s a sunny or freezing day. No phone before breakfast.

15. Andrew Huberman's Morning Routine

Andrew Huberman, neuroscientist and tenured professor, has a more scientific approach to morning routine. Dr Huberman aims to optimize performance, build healthy habits, enhance well-being, and foster a positive outlook. His morning routine includes:

• 10 minutes of exposure to sunlight
• Water intake 90 – 120 minutes before caffeine intake
• Working out for 30 – 60 minutes, alternating between weights and cardio training
• Mindful work for 90 minutes in a distraction-free environment.

Two Checklists to Get You Going

Establishing a successful morning routine can be challenging. It takes a few weeks to form a habit and even longer to establish an entire routine. So, at least in the beginning, you are allowed to rely on checklists, apps, reminders, and journals. These are our favorite checklists, versatile and easily adaptable to any routine:

Checklist #1

1. Don’t hit the snooze button!
2. Have a glass of water.
3. Have you checked the weather outside? (aka natural light exposure)
4. Please, make your bed.
5. No phones or other screens before breakfast.
6. Move your body!
7. Mindful work: breathing, meditating, journaling, positive affirmations, etc.
8. Breakfast
9. Plan your day.
10. Eat the frog.

Checklist #2

1. 5-4-3-2-1 wake up!
2. Bathroom duties and a high five / smile / positive affirmation
3. Have a glass of water.
4. Tidy up the room.
5. Have breakfast and/or a cup of tea outside.
6. Short, fast, and intense workout!
7. Take a walk or a walking meditation.
8. Read or listen to something interesting.
9. Prepare for work/school.
10. Enjoy your commute.

Final Thoughts

A good morning routine sets the tone for your entire day, improves productivity, brings positivity, and helps you maintain balance. Experiment with our ideas and build a routine that resonates with your lifestyle and goals. Remember, it must be personal, simple, consistent, and joyful. It must address both work and duties, as well as self-being and health. So, allow the time and energy to take care of yourself.