7 Easy Tips for a Minimalist Mindful Morning Routine
Do you struggle with getting out of bed in the morning? If you end up hitting the snooze button and feeling groggy way into the day you will want to read this article!
I am going to show you exactly how you can create the perfect minimalist morning routine that works for you. You will finally feel uplifted and rested and no, you won’t have to wake up at 5 am.
I’ll also share with you what I really do in the morning to feel awake and energized instead of moody all day, so keep reading! (Or go to my mindful morning routine here)
Table of Contents
1. It starts the day before
We hear so much about morning rituals for success, happiness, or productivity that we forget about the evening! A good morning routine sets the tone for the entire day but starts the day before.
I’ve talked before about the importance of an evening routine as it is where you set yourself up for success in the morning. You know the feeling when you had planned a morning workout, only to go to bed too late and go back to sleep when your alarm rings? I have done this so many times. I have found that sticking to my evening routine and my bedtime was essential to avoid this situation.
A few tips here:
Get enough sleep: I usually wake up around 7:30 am these days and plan to be in bed reading a good book or relaxing by 10:30 pm.
Avoid sleep disruptors: alcohol, caffeine, and very heavy meals can all cause you to not sleep the best and feel SO tired in the morning. Approach them mindfully and listen to your body.
Prioritize yourself: sure it feels good to keep scrolling in your bed, but you’ll feel even better when you wake up rested and in a good mood. Don’t let the last thing you see before going to bed be your phone.
2. Do not look at your phone
I just told you to not look at your phone at night, which is harder than it seems. Well, don’t look at your phone first thing in the morning either. Getting all these notifications and seemingly urgent emails adds stress to your life. Anything that happened during the night can wait a few hours.
Since doing that I find that I start my day on a better note, far from the stress of the news or my inbox. Even texting friends or checking your socials can have a negative impact and prevent you from having an uplifting morning.
3. Don’t snooze
It can be tempting to sleep just a bit more if you don’t feel rested upon waking up, but actually hitting the snooze button is the easiest way to mess up your whole day:
You aren’t getting more rest as a sleep cycle is around 90 minutes vs 10 minutes for a snooze cycle.
Waking up is already hard, doing it several times in a row can make you feel even worse
If you sleep next to a partner, it can be seriously annoying and mess up their sleep cycles as well
Here are a few strategies I enjoy to resist the urge to hit the snooze button:
Put my phone far away
Get up right away
Turn on the lights
Drink water
Get an actual alarm clock
And of course, get enough sleep!
4. Get others involved
Getting your loved-ones involved is the best way to make sure you’ll stick to it and have fun creating a routine that you enjoy!
Mindful family morning routine:
A working mom morning routine (or dad!) will of course look a bit different than a kid’s morning routine but you can find simple activities you can do together. For example, saying one thing you’re grateful for while all together at the breakfast table can be really uplifting.
Couples morning routine ideas:
It is one of the best times to appreciate your partner, whether you’re taking 5 more minutes to cuddle in bed, waking up a bit earlier to surprise them with their favorite breakfast, or working out together.
Living alone? You can also use this time of the day to connect with others, like while taking an online class as a part of your morning yoga routine with your BFF or meditating at the same time.
5. Choose your mindful rituals
There are so many fun mindful activities to choose from!
Here are a few ideas for creating a morning routine:
Gratitude: it is such a powerful practice that will bring good vibes to your day!
Morning Mindfulness Meditation: 5 minutes can change your day and help you get rid of anxiety.
Breakfast: hey, I get it, not everyone enjoys breakfast! If you do, make sure you make it an intentional event with nourishing foods that uplift you.
Movement: It is one of the best ways to feel fully awake in the morning.
Hydrate: Your body needs it! Don’t let coffee be your only drink in the morning. This is the key to a healthy morning routine.
Self-care: maybe it’s just showering with your favorite soap, or you have a 9-step skincare routine. Taking a bit of time to feel good in your own skin always feels awesome!
Use your brain: watch an interesting class, read a book.
Journaling: get your thoughts in order
Spiritual morning routine: the morning is a good time to connect to your spiritual side
6. Switch it up depending on your needs but keep a few non-negotiables
Your morning habits will change based on your feelings, the season, at what time you wake up, who you’re with, if it’s the weekend, if you’re at home... Let that be ok and honor your needs as the best morning routine is the one you can actually stick to and adapt to how you feel!
Keep a few non-negotiables that are guaranteed to make you feel good. Also, if you want to accomplish something or take up a new habit, it is easier to do it first thing after waking up as you’ll feel like you’re already having a great day!
Here is my current minimalist morning routine:
Wake up, sit on my bed right away (otherwise I feel groggy)
Currently, we are a host family for a rescue cat, so he comes on the bed and starts purring while I pet him
I tongue scrape and drink water
I move my body either through yoga or the Sweat App. If I use the Sweat app, I make sure I stretch and breathe deeply afterward.
I do Gua Sha on my face while watching a 15-minute masterclass
And that’s all! When my partner is with me he often makes breakfast and coffee for us and I replace the master-class with talking to him. When I feel I need it, I add a bit of journaling after my workout.
The non-negotiables here are tongue scraping, drinking water, moving my body, and massaging my face with my Gua Sha. Maybe yours are different, take some time to experiment!
7. Start small and let go of judgment
Be kind to yourself! Sure, we all see online these examples of millionaires morning routines or CEO morning routines, but no one is actually doing that every single day! So start small, no need to wake up early and do a two-hour morning workout routine, unless you actually enjoy this. The best morning rituals are the ones that work for you.
On my side, there are of course some days where I just stay in bed feeling tired while I struggle to open my eyes and that’s ok! I don’t feel it, I don’t do it!
I know that my healthy morning rituals are here to make me feel good and that’s what makes the difference between having a strong morning routine and always skipping it!
Also, don’t forget to consider what you consume and the impact it has on you: the news, coffee, food, your inbox or feed all influence you in a way. Choose what you let in your life!
I hope you enjoyed reading this article! You now have the keys to create your own successful morning routine (you know, the one you can keep with!) and jumpstart your day. While having a productive morning routine is great, don’t forget that taking time for yourself will make you feel better in the long-run, so don’t try to do too much at once!