How to Create a Morning Routine (that actually works)

Do you ever hear about other people’s morning routines and feel the instant guilt or shame creep in because you’ve tried to create or start a morning routine countless times, but you can never seem to stick to it?

And you can’t figure out why?

how to create a morning routine for improved mental health

You’re certainly not alone.

The people that have morning routines don’t have some magical power that you don’t.

They’ve just learned how to create a routine that works for them.

Below I’m sharing my tips on how to create a morning routine that actually works for you. One that doesn’t control you or make you feel guilty or shameful.

Let’s jump in!

How to Create a Morning Routine Tailored to You

Switch up the Time Frame

I know what you’re thinking… “Um, Lindsey.. this is how to create a morning routine.” And I hear you, but if you’re not a morning person or you’re busy in the morning and can’t fit it in, then why not work it in during the afternoon.

The afternoon is usually when people are hitting that low energy slump, so this could be a great time for you to re-energize yourself and hit the refresh button with one of your practices.

Only Do What You Enjoy

Please, please please stop doing a morning routine that other people love.

Just because someone is waking up at 5 am, meditating, going on a run, coming back and journaling for 46 minutes, and reading 19 pages of an inspiring book, doesn’t mean you have to do those things too.

Honestly, if those things sound terrible to you, how long do you really think you'll stick with it?

Be Flexible

Know that you don’t “have to” stick to your morning routine. You’re not failing at a morning routine if you miss a day or you simply opt-out for however many days.

By creating a little more flexibility around this practice, you’ll minimize those guilty feelings.

Try out one thing in the morning, and pay attention to what happened throughout the day - were you more productive, did it help you focus more clearly?

If so, you may find that you want to do it again for a few more days and then reassess.

Nothing with your morning routine needs to be set in stone. You don’t have to feel like you’re locked into this rigid routine with a “you have to do this or else…” mentality.

There are no rules, just guidelines and you get to create them.

Check-in With Yourself

Ask yourself what you need that day. Does your mind feel scattered and foggy? Maybe meditation will help.

Does your body feel stiff and achy? A nice stretch, a walk, or some type of movement could be just what you need. Check out the best online workouts for inspiration.

A meditation every single day may not be what you need. When you’re checking in with yourself, it becomes more of a practice of self-care and less of a chore.

Let Go of Perfectionism

Ahhh perfectionism…what a buzz kill. Even though we all know perfectionism doesn’t exist, why do we try so hard to achieve it?

This is something I am constantly working on, but a little saying that I like is, “Done is better than perfect”. And it’s so true. Sometimes just doing the damn thing feels so good, even though it may not be perfect in your mind (no one else will notice).

Perfectionism creates rigidity and steals the joy that having a morning routine creates in the first place.

Explore Different Practices

You may find that you don’t actually enjoy doing the same thing over and over each morning (or afternoon). Maybe you feel that repetition is boring, and you like to switch things up.

Also, because we rarely wake up on the ‘right’ side of the bed every single day, what we want varies from day to day.

Instead of journaling every day, you may find that some days your hand won’t write as fast as your thoughts and you want to talk it out, whether that’s with a friend or recording a voice memo.