My Morning Routine

I’ve never been a morning person and have always struggled with waking up early. In college, I’d stay up all night re-watching Friends and snooze every single one of my alarms in the morning. Even my friends knew if we had breakfast or workout plans at 8:30 am that I would likely be late or not show up at all! However, since starting grad school, I’ve made more of an effort to avoid frantically rushing out the door with just a granola bar in hand. One thing that helped me enjoy waking up early was creating a morning routine. I never thought I’d love to wake up early, or ever considered that doing so would give me more time for myself. Having a morning routine sets the tone for the rest of my day. It helps me feel organized, motivated, calm, and confident. By adopting a morning routine I've been able replace some of my poor habits with healthier ones as you’ll soon read! Here’s what my morning routine looks like:

Wake Up at a Consistent Time

Maintaining a consistent waketime is shown to be essential for optimal sleep and overall emotional wellbeing. I have the hardest time with this one mostly because my day-to-day schedule looks very different! Some days I have clinicals where I need to be out the door by 6:30 am and other days I’m working from home and don’t start my day till 9 am. On days where I'm working remotely, I try to wake up at the same time I would if I were going to work but, it's so tempting to just sleep in. The first step to waking up at the same time every day is going to bed at the same time every night. This consistent bedtime schedule reinforces our body's natural sleep-wake cycle, thus improving our sleep (I’ll be talking more about sleep hygiene in another post, stay tuned). While I try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, some days I just need an extra hour (or two) — it's a work in progress.

Avoid Looking at My Phone

At first, it was so difficult for me to fight the urge to reach for my phone in the morning. I felt that I had to check my texts, emails, or Instagram right away. In doing so, I was so focused on what I missed while I was asleep, rather than looking forward to the day ahead. The reality is that nothing is ever that important that couldn’t wait another hour. Also, I noticed that every time I used my phone in the morning, I’d end up getting a terrible headache that would cause me to feel so irritable and distressed all day. I’ve since replaced this habit with a gratitude practice in which I take a moment to look outside my bedroom window and appreciate the beautiful sunrise or the city skyline. It’s no surprise that after stopping this habit of scrolling through my phone first thing in the morning that my headaches disappeared and my mood improved!

Skincare Routine

Next, after brushing my teeth, I do my skincare routine. My skincare routine is simple and only consists of four steps – cleanse, brighten, tone, and moisturize. Since I have very sensitive skin, I usually avoid experimenting with new products and use the same ones in my routine that I’ve found work best for me. I use Cetaphil Facial Cleanser for cleansing, Ole Henricksen Vitamin C Serum and Biossance Squalane & Marine Algae Eye Cream for brightening, Lancôme Tonique Confort Comforting Rehydrating Toner for toning, and Aveeno for moisturizing. What I love most about a skincare routine is being able to see the external and internal benefits immediately. Not only does my skincare routine make my skin clearer or softer, but it also helps me feel happier and calmer. The routine of taking time every morning to care for my body is something I look forward to. It’s almost like a mediative process where I am alone and fully present in my routine.

Make the Bed

Every morning, no matter what, I take a few minutes to make my bed! It might seem trivial but making the bed can actually reduce stress levels. Growing up my mom always told me, whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability. This is relevant even when making the bed. I find happiness in perfectly stacking our decorative pillows, or symmetrically folding the throw blanket, or evenly softening the creases of our duvet all to create a beautiful and cozy living space. Making the bed means starting my day with a small sense of accomplishment. There’s something about a clean home that helps me feel less cluttered and more calm and productive! It’s now become a sweet morning ritual I share with my husband.

Drink Coffee & Pray/Meditate

Drinking my coffee is my absolute favorite time of the day. It’s the time that I am the most mindful. After making a cup of coffee using our Nespresso machine, I usually sit on the couch and mindfully drink my coffee. For instance, I feel the warmth of my mug or smell the rich aromas of the coffee. After drinking my coffee, I spend some time in prayer and meditation. Whether it's listening to Christian music, reading my bible, journaling, or praying— faith has always been something that has grounded me. Starting my day with prayer encourages me to be more kind, gracious, loving, or forgiving throughout my day.

Make my To-Do List

The last step in my morning routine is making or reviewing my “to-do list” for the day. Here's a few planners that I love, Blue Sky Buzz Planner and Blue Sky Monthly Planner. I usually break down my to-do list by “Weekly Tasks” and “High Priority Tasks” so I always know what to prioritize that day. I also designate certain days of the week for different tasks. For instance, Mondays and Tuesdays are for clinicals and graduate school work, and Wednesdays and Thursdays are for personal life responsibilities. This helps me to manage my time and to not feel too overwhelmed with tasks! Other things that help me tackle my to-do list is breaking down bigger tasks into smaller tasks, creating hard deadlines, and tracking progress. After creating this list, I get started with my day! There’s nothing more satisfying than crossing off something from your to-do list that you accomplished! Am I right??

So, there it is, my morning routine! These are habits that I aim to do every day and sometimes I don’t get to them all! While I try to be consistent with my routine, I also try to be flexible. There are days where I just don’t want to wake up at 7 am or days where I skip my skincare routine altogether. The importance here is not what you are doing, but how you are doing it. Being mindful or aware of the present moment throughout any routine can help you experience a calmness that will set a positive tone for your entire day. It’s also important to not only consider things we can add into our routine, but also the poor habits to stop.

What does your morning routine look like! Let me know in the comments below!

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