Can your self-care morning routine affect how you wake up and your productivity throughout the day?
The answer is Yes! And maybe you’re wondering how to have a self-care morning routine. So you don’t have to wake up by the alarm’s bustling tone, hop out of bed, straight to dressing up for work and return home after a “long work day”.
And you have dinner, go back to bed, and repeat.
If your life is anything close to this, you must feel overwhelmed and need a mental break.
I completely understand if you say you don’t have time or are so busy to take a break and have a self-care morning routine.
Maybe you’re worried that a self-care morning routine takes time, and having to tick off everything in a morning routine checklist is overwhelming.
But the truth is, a self-care morning routine doesn’t have to feel overwhelming, and you can wake up naturally and spend the first few minutes of your day focusing on yourself.
So you can feel better and be your best, productive self.
A little story: I’d wake up at 9-10 am before learning the importance of a morning routine.
Because I’d stay up late into the night and spend about an hour or two in the morning on social media before jumping to my laptop, this led to burnout, bad head space, and a lack of productivity during the day.
First, you’ll note that:
- I went to bed late at that time
- Wake up late daily
- had no morning routine or self-care morning routine
And I began asking myself, how can I be better? Because my bad routine began affecting my productivity and accountability in business.
Since I work from home and run a small business, I’m my boss, meaning no salary is coming if I don’t work better.
However, a simple tweak in my routine transformed my life, and now, I wake up early, sleep better, be more productive, and build a system around my business.
So, if you feel stuck right now, I completely understand you because I’ve been there, and that’s why I’m sharing the exact daily self-care morning routine checklist.
So you can skip the overwhelming, avoid getting burnt from jumping right into your day and create a healthier and better morning lifestyle.
What is a Good Self-Care Morning Routine?
A good self care morning routine is a morning routine that promotes wellness and mindfulness and sets you up for productivity for the rest of the day.
It includes various emotional, physical, and mental steps that help you to become your best self for the rest of the day.
Whether taking coffee, meditating, praying, reading, yoga or journaling helps fire you up for productivity.
A good self-care morning routine takes you from feeling overwhelmed and burnt out to feeling “Hmm, I can take on the world today”.
An early morning self-care routine sets up your morning and the tone for the entire day.
This blog post is a checklist for a self care morning routine.
However, a perfect morning self care routine begins the night before.
And to be consistent with your new daily self care routine, you need to practice the following;
Prep Before Starting Selfcare Morning Routine
- keep your phone away and go to bed early
- don’t stop up late, have a bed sleep time and stick to it
- plan your day the night before
- set a time re to wake up daily
Now you know that your self-care morning routine starts the night before.
Therefore without further ado, here is a list of surefire 20 surefire self care morning routine ideas. So you can be your best self and take charge of your day.
20 Surefire Self Care Morning Routine Ideas for Maximum productivity
1 | Wake up Early and Naturally
The benefits of starting your day early can never be overemphasized, as you’ll have enough time to start your day correctly.
Waking up early is good, but waking up naturally without the blaring sound of the alarm is Perfect.
I hate waking up using alarms as it makes me grumpy, and most times, my head hurts from waking up forcefully.
So, I learned to train my body to wake up within a particular time daily.
And this waking-up routine starts with when and how I go to bed the night before. This is why how and when you sleep is essential.
Therefore, to develop a natural waking-up habit;
- go to bed early, and
- have at least 8 hours of good rest,
- set your tone for the next day by writing out your to-do list; this subconsciously trains the mind
Although, when trying to build this natural sleeping habit, you may feel anxious about waking up late for work or missing an important meeting.
You can try a less annoying and gentle wake-up light alarm clock. Remember to get out of bed and avoid snoozing your alarm.
A simple trick; when I don’t feel like leaving bed in the morning. I count from 1-5 and leave the bed at the count of 5.
2 | Set a Time to Get out of Bed and Make your Bed
For some people, some of their morning routines are done in bed.
For example, praying, reading, journaling, planning, etc.
However, you want to spend less time in bed to be productive. So you don’t plunge deep into laziness.
So, set a timer, and leave the bed once that time is over.
I spend 30 – 40 minutes daily in bed after waking up, which is when I read my bible, pray, journal, and spend some quiet time alone.
I also break down these activities into 10 minutes, after which I get up and make my bed.
Although, for you, this may not be your routine. This blog post is just a self-care morning routine checklist. You can tweak it however you like.
3 | Pray
Is prayer part of your daily activities? Then pray.
This is a good self-care routine; nothing beats waking up daily and knowing that you’re connected to your source.
For some people, practicing their day-to-day spiritual lifestyle helps to set the day right and be productive, and this works perfectly for me.
4 | Drink Lemon Water and Hydrate Yourself
A beauty self care routine without water? You need water to be healthy and glow, and the benefits of drinking lemon water are enormous.
I always keep a bottle of water beside my bed, so when I wake, I can easily drink water without leaving my bed.
And I even keep a bottle beside my desk whenever I work.
So, get a bottle and fill it up with water. If you stay in bed.
Additionally, a simple hack for preparing your lemon water, so you can have it immediately after you wake up.
Set out time to prep your lemon water the night before and leave it where you can easily access it when you wake up.
And if you’re serious about adding lots of water to your morning routine, consider this WATER BOTTLE. It’s motivating and a game changer.
5 | Set a Timer and Put your phone away
Your phone and social media can be a huge distraction when building a good morning routine.
Putting your phone away stops you from scrolling from post to post and page to page. Eventually, you save valuable minutes and hours of your morning.
Here are some tips for helping you put your phone away in the morning
- Put the phone far away or turn it off and set a timer, after which you can pick up your phone.
- Be intentional about what you want; this helps you build discipline.
- Try not to need a phone for your morning routine.
For example, instead of using an online journaling app on a mobile phone, try journaling with a hardcopy journal, have your devotion offline, or use an app blocker.
While having a self care morning routine is essential for a surefire day, it shouldn’t be overwhelming. You don’t have to spend valuable time of your day only on a morning routine.
You should set time aside when your activities will be over, and you switch to your daily activities or go to work.
Setting a time when you’ll switch to your daily activity is important, especially if you’re a small business owner.
For example, I start working at 8 am and wrap up all morning activities before 8 am daily.
6 | Practice Journaling
Journaling is one of the best self care morning routine ideas.
Journaling can affect and shape how you think and see life, productivity, habits, and general approach to life. If you practice intentional journaling.
Kindly note: Self care isn’t about physical looks. It also involves your mental and emotional well-being, which is where journaling comes in.
If you’re unsure where to start, start using journal prompts for self-love, self-growth, self-discovery, etc.
Another journaling style that is beneficial for self care routine is gratitude journaling.
Gratitude journaling can help you see the gray areas in your life and help you appreciate yourself better.
7 | Review Your Goals and Vision Board
Reviewing my goals and looking at my vision board every day is one habit I’m still building after learning that we can derail from our goals when we don’t keep our goals in sight.
So, while taking a hot cup of tea, water, coffee, or your favorite drink, take a few minutes to look at your goals and vision board.
Being reminded of your daily goals and dreams helps fuel your drive for productivity.
After all, the main goal of a morning Self care routine is to fuel you to have a productive day.
8 | Practice and Recite Positive Affirmations
Practicing and affirming positive things about yourself, work life, family, business and health is a great way to clear your mind of negativity and position yourself for improvements.
And if you have something that brings you a lot of negative energy, start affirming them daily and watch your life transform.
9 | Enjoy a Cup of Coffee or Tea
Are you a coffee lover or a tea lover? Does taking coffee or tea helps you feel better and like you can take on anything?
My friend Houna will only start her day with a cup of coffee. While I, on the other hand, can’t start my day without a cup of lemon water.
And when I can’t have lemon water, I prefer a cold cup of Soree drink.
However, for you, it may be coffee or tea or maybe a cup of your favorite drink or smoothie. Whatever drink makes you feel energized, do take it.
10 | Read a Chapter of a Book
If you are yet to add reading a chapter of a book to your morning self care routine, you’re missing out on starting your day with a fresh mind and perspective.
Additionally, I recommend reading nonfictional books that revolve around habits and lifestyles you’re trying to build.
For example, read personal development books about productivity if you are trying to become more productive.
The same goes for building your finance, becoming debt free, or living a healthy habit.
11 | Listen to your Favorite Podcast or Audio Book
Nowadays, podcasts and audiobooks are so popular, and you can take advantage of these for your personal development.
For example, listening to a podcast about an area of your life that you want to change.
Moreover, unlike reading books that require your attention 100%, you can listen to podcasts or audiobooks while driving to work, exercising, showering, or making breakfast.
Listening to podcasts or audiobooks is one self-care morning routine idea you can easily add to your routine without bothering about how much time you delegate.
Listening to podcasts on areas of my life or business I want to work on has been a game changer.
Lately, my favorite podcasts are about self-improvement, building niche sites, and entrepreneurship.
12 | Stretch and Exercise for 30 – 45 minutes
Exercising daily is beneficial, and if you spend your day at your desk like me, then exercising and stretching should be in your daily routine.
However, For some, exercising early in the morning fuels and energizes them for the day’s activities.
While for some others like me (LOL), exercising early in the morning leaves me tired and fatigued.
So, I moved exercising from my morning routine to my evening routine.
And this helps me use my most productive and most energetic time of the day (morning) to complete necessary tasks when it comes to working.
This simple change is helping me stay productive and do the things that matter efficiently.
Moreover, exercising is more physical than mental work. I can easily drag myself to exercise at any time of the day.
Therefore, as individuals, you must understand yourself and your body and avoid jumping on trends because everyone is doing it.
Your morning routine is supposed to bring the fire and spark in you, not make you feel exhausted.
13 | Include Body Care in your Self Care Morning Routine
Self-care is about you; self-care includes physical, emotional, and mental well-being. So, what’s a self-care morning routine without body care?
I regret not starting skin care early. For the longest time, I didn’t consider adding skincare to my daily self care routine, and if you’re doing the same thing, you need to take care of your skin.
Truly, you don’t have to spend valuable time of your morning in the bathroom doing skincare. When 5-10 minutes daily every morning is enough for you to do your skincare.
So, if you don’t know where to start, here is a simple skincare routine to follow every morning
- Wash your face gently with water
- Cleanse your Face
- Exfoliate and remove dead cells that dull the surface of your skin
- Moisturize and protect your skin
- Use a Lip Balm
14 | Have a Quiet Time and Meditate
Every morning, I spend at least 5 minutes in bed or the bathtub, where I do nothing but have my “me time“. During these 5 minutes, I relax, evaluate, and catch my breath.
This “me time” I spend alone is for taking a moment to breathe and find total peace every day.
So, if you can squeeze out five minutes of silence and peace for yourself daily in this busy world where the hustle and bustle never ends, your mental health will appreciate you for it.
15 | Reflect and Picture Your Day
Reflecting and picturing how you want your day to go is one self care morning routine idea that can help you start your day in the right mood and even energize you for the day.
While reflecting and picturing your day, you can listen and blast to your favorite songs or playlists that set you in the mood for the day.
16 | Enjoy Your Favorite Cup of Drink
Having your favorite cup of drink is one easy way to pamper yourself in the morning. What other way to energize yourself if not drink what you love?
So, make your favorite cup of drink before going to work or in your car while driving.
Sometimes, purchase them on your way to work. It doesn’t matter how you get your favorite drink. But what matters is that you treat and pamper yourself daily.
17 | Check your Bank Balance
At this time in the morning, you can put on your phone and check what’s necessary, like your account balance and what you spent the day before. Check your emails and catch up on the essential things for the day.
If we’re being realistic, we can only partially avoid our phones through the morning because most things we do daily are digitalized, like apps for tracking our income and expenses, to-do list, etc.
18 | Make a Healthy Breakfast
Having a healthy breakfast is one important morning Self care routine idea people play down on.
Because they’re in haste to go to work or don’t know what to eat.
And that’s why you should plan what you’ll eat and wear the day before.
So you spend less time thinking about what to eat and wear.
Or you eventually have the greasiest meal for breakfast, especially if you’re trying to be healthy and fit.
19 | Check Your To-do list and Prioritize
Checking your to-do list and prioritizing what’s important as you start your day is an essential self care morning routine you should practice.
Prioritizing what’s important helps you start your day on the right foot and makes you even more organized.
So you start your day knowing what to do rather than feeling confused and overwhelmed.
And, this is why planning your day the night or the day before is essential.
20 | Beat the Morning Rush
Daily, we get stuck in the rut of the morning rush yet don’t recognize these patterns.
And I can tell you for free if you’re always rushing every morning. You’ll end up burnt out and anxious.
So, dedicate time to everything and don’t waste too much time doing all these just because you want to practice self-care.
In fact, I’ll advise you to pick out and practice what’s best for you in this self-care morning routine checklist. You don’t have to do everything on this list every morning.
You can choose some and dedicate time for them daily or mix things up every day.
Hence, the most important thing in having a morning self care routine is that you’re consistent and intentional about your Self-care and mental space.
Best Self Care Morning Routine Frequently Asked Questions;
How Do I Start Self Care Daily?
Self-care involves your mental, physical, and emotional well-being, and adding some self-care activities to your daily life is essential.
To start self care daily, you can include some self care morning activities and have a self-care night routine that you’re consistent with.
Honestly, it doesn’t have to be complex or feel overwhelming.
Simple activities like stretching, spending a few minutes journaling, meditating, walking your pet, jogging, or listening to an impactful podcast can change your life.’
The most important thing here is being consistent and intentional.
What are 10 Good Habits in the Morning?
Habits are relative. However, some good morning self care routines that you can implement and won’t feel overwhelming include;
- Praying
- Meditating
- Reading a chapter of a book
- Spending 5-10 minutes of “me” time alone without distractions
- Practicing body care
- Listening to podcasts or audiobooks
- Having your favorite drink
- Taking Tea or Coffee
- Journaling for 5 minutes
- Reflecting and picturing your goals
- Exercising, going for a walk, run, or stretching
Finally, the purpose of a self care morning routine is to fuel you to be productive and your best self throughout the day.
A self care morning routine is not meant to be overwhelming or draining.
Therefore, if your self care morning routine makes you feel exhausted, you need to evaluate the activities you practice in the morning.
So, what’s your perfect morning self-care routine? How do you feel after your self care morning routine?
