Creating a morning routine will jumpstart your day in the right direction. Creating and accomplishing good habits will develop that morning routine and will help you prepare for your day and get through your morning startup. Here are 8 morning routine ideas to help you establish your best morning routine.

Go to bed and wake up the same time each day, including weekends

Your morning routine should start with getting up at the same time each day. This will establish a consistent pattern of sleep that your body becomes accustomed to and relies on.

Set an alarm if you need to and do not hit the snooze. Using the snooze puts your body into a perpetual sleep-wake pattern with very short spurts, which makes you even more tired. Put your alarm on the other side of your bedroom.

After awhile you will probably no longer need to set an alarm. Your body will become accustomed to your wake-up time and you will probably automatically wake up on your own.

Give yourself something to look forward to each day

Nothing will provide a boost to your morning routine better than having something to look forward to. Every night before bed try to think of something fun to do the next day. This will give you something to look forward to each morning when you get up. It doesn’t have to be big. Maybe it is taking the dog for a walk on a new route or a walk by something that makes you happy.

Drink water before drinking coffee or tea

Hydration gives you energy and a good morning boost to your morning routine. You are dehydrated when you wake up after sleeping all night, but coffee and tea are not very hydrating. Drink at least one tall glass of water first thing each morning to hydrate yourself. This will give you an energy boost and set your day off quickly. I’m not giving up my coffee each morning, just getting a good cup of water first to start the day off right. This may not seem big, but it is a solid morning routine idea and is what I do as part of my best morning routine.

If you eat breakfast, eat protein for breakfast

If you eat breakfast, eat something substantial that will stick to your ribs during the morning. Eggs, sausage, bacon, Greek yogurt, and oatmeal are good sources of protein. Good sources of protein should be the foundation to any breakfast and a staple of your morning routine.

Toast, bagels, and most cereal provide shallow carbs that boost your sugar intake and burn out quickly.

Do some kind of movement or exercise

It is important that you do some movement early in your morning routine. You don’t necessarily need to do a full-blown exercise routine, although that is best, but do something to stretch your body to open up your body from your still night’s sleep.

Doing some yoga or other stretching will get all the creaks out and help you feel better not only in your movement throughout your day but also help if you have a job sitting all day.

Avoid phone time

The average person spends 5-6 hours a day on their phone doing non-work-related things. Avoid personal phone time first thing in the morning. Don’t start looking through your phone while still in bed or making it a part of your morning routine. It is far too easy to check on your social media and get lost in there for an hour. You are spending what is probably your most productive time of your day on the least productive things.

Give yourself plenty of time before work

Some people like to get up with just enough time to get ready and fly out the door.  I am definitely not one of them. I prefer to wake up early enough to greet my day and casually do my morning routine. For me this reduces the stress of rushing to get everything done and ready. Something I don’t need or want first thing in the morning.

Prioritizing your most critical tasks at the time when you are most effective

Accomplish your most important tasks at your most attentive, energetic time of your day. For some people it is first thing in the morning, others it is late morning or some other time of the day. Do your most important work at your best time of your day.

Your morning routine

All these habits together form a morning routine that provides structure to the start of your day and helps you get a running start. Try some positive affirmations to start your day off right too.

With just a little planning, you can create your best morning routine and notice changes in your morning right away. I hope that you find these morning routine ideas helpful and they work as good for you as they do for me.