Morning Routine

5 changes i made to my morning routine and the impact they’ve had

I am in a season that isn’t really my favorite right now. It’s tiring and there isn’t much reward to be seen. It’s been easy to lack discipline and just make it through each day without too much intentionality or structure other than getting to work and leaving work. I started to think about about my morning routine and how it was affecting the rest of my day and decided some changes needed to be made. Here are five changes I implemented and have been living for the last two months that have produced more joy, peace, and kindness in my life and just a better attitude in general.

1. I got an alarm clock {yep, a real one} and set it for the same time Monday-Friday.

I have used my phone as an alarm for years, but scrolling through social media and checking emails became the next step after turning the alarm off. I also started waking up at 4:30 every morning Monday-Friday. This was super hard at first, but now my body is so used to it that even on weekends I’m up early. My twelve dollar Target alarm clock is cute and simple and makes change number two possible.

2. I stopped scrolling.

As I mentioned earlier, I had a scrolling problem. As soon as my phone was in my hands in the morning I was distracted by Instagram, Facebook, emails, texts, and whatever else I felt the need to check on before getting out of bed. I knew this wasn’t the best way to start my day, but not until I listened to The Refined Collective Podcast Episode 43 and heard a challenging sermon did I really think about how much the first thing I see and do can affect me. Do I want the anxieties of the world or the truth of God’s word to be the first information I receive in the morning? The answer was obvious, so I stopped scrolling. I plug my phone in on the other side of my room thirty minutes before I go to bed, and I don’t unlock it until my bed is made, I’ve spent time with the Lord, and I’m dressed and ready to go.

3. I started making my bed.

This might not seem like such a big deal, but there is something about making my bed that calms me and gives me some peace. I believe that the more organized our spaces are, the more organized our brains are. I feel more ready for the day when I leave my room with my bed made and I feel more able to rest when I come home to a made bed.

4. I made a place to spend time with the Lord every morning.

Spending time with the Lord through His word and prayer is the most important part of my morning routine, but doing numbers one through three first really helps me focus better during this time. I have always desired and tried to sit with the Lord each morning, but because I didn’t have an established morning routine it didn’t always happen. I would snooze my phone when the alarm went off, scroll for 15-20 minutes before even getting out of bed, and then rush to get dressed and out the door on time leaving my quiet time rushed or forgotten. I decided getting downstairs to the couch would cause too much opportunity for distraction and staying in my bed would tempt me to fall asleep. I needed a cozy spot in my room that would encourage what I wanted/needed to accomplish. I carried a chair from my living room up to my bedroom, found a basket to keep my bible, journal, and devotion book in, and set up a little stool with some books and a candle to add to the coziness. Now when I read my bible my mind hasn’t been fogged up by my phone, my bed is made, and I am ready to fill my mind with truth.

5. I started working out.

The most drastic change to my morning routine is that I started working out at 5:30am throughout the week. Everything else has to be done each morning before I leave to workout because I only have time to wash my face and get dressed when I get home before I have to leave for work. Working out in the mornings has done much more than just helped my day go better. It has filled me with confidence and shown me that when I am consistent with something change happens.

I hope this has encouraged you and maybe even challenged you to think about your morning routine! Our mornings inform the rest of our day, so spend your mornings with intention.