Happy Friday, friends! I just finished reading Amy Schmittauer Landino’s new book, Good Morning, Good Life. I subscribed to Amy’s YouTube channel shortly after I moved back to California and have followed her work ever since; I love her sense of humor, her style, and her words of wisdom. Her videos are all about encouraging you to “go after the life YOU want.” In her recent book, she argues that setting yourself up for a good morning gets you one step closer to that ideal life. If you’re interested in an in-depth guidance about how to craft your own morning routine, I think her book is an amazing resource. 

In today’s post, I share my morning routine with you because I wholeheartedly agree with Amy. Since developing my own morning routine (almost two years ago), I honestly feel happier and more energized to reach for my goals and take on each day. For me, maintaining a morning routine is mainly about prioritizing my mental health; it is about starting each day with as much time and space as possible to really think about how I feel, what I want, and what I need to do to get there. Mornings are my “me-time”, a sacred time for me to do what I need to do to start the day with a smile. 

I love sleep as much as I love coffee. Okay, maybe not that much, but I do value and appreciate rest. If there’s one thing you should take away from this post, it’s this: do not sacrifice sleep for a morning routine; a good morning routine is only good when you are well rested. I sleep anywhere from 8 to 9 hours a night. Waking up earlier means I also go to bed earlier. Catch me under my covers by 8 or 8:30pm so that I am fast asleep by 9pm. I know. This sounds crazy early but I make sure I get enough sleep so that I can wake up at 5:45 or 6am every weekday. Doing this radically changed my life for the better. I wake up that early because my morning routine takes about 1.5 to 2 hours. This may sound like a long time but given that I spend 8+ hours each day writing, working, running errands, and trying to live a life I am proud of without having a breakdown, my morning routine is worth every minute.

My morning routine consists of eight elements, let’s call them “The Great Eight”. Your morning routine can look different according to your life and your needs. I hope my morning routine inspires you to build and sustain one that is right for you.

The Great Eight 

1. Hydrate 

I keep cup of water next to my bed at night, in case I get thirsty. In the morning, I wake up and head to the kitchen to refill the cup with fresh water. I immediately start boiling water for a cup of hot tea. As the water boils, I go to the bathroom to wash my face, brush my teeth, and put on some face cream (fun stuff). Though I don’t jump into the shower right away, I do like to wash my face as soon as possible to really start waking up. Water is awesome and it is the element that truly gets my day going. After I prepare my cup of tea, I sit down, take a sip and get ready to write in my journal. 

2. Journal

After trying out several writing prompts and practices, I think I finally found a journaling template/outline that works for me! I’d written it all down for this post but I think it’s important enough to be its own post. I’ll share the specifics of my journaling practice next week :)

3. Plan 

After I journal, I like to get into a more task-oriented mindset. I used to incorporate planning into my journal but my fiancé recently bought me Rachel Hollis’ new Priority Planner so I’ve been using that instead (they’re currently out of stock but if you’re interested in that specific planner, follow Rachel Hollis or her Start Today brand page to find out when they come back). 

In this planner, I fill in an empowering belief or quote of the day, such as “You are enough just as you are.”—Meghan Markle. I then write down my top three tasks and jot down a quick overview of what I need to complete these tasks & how much time I should devote to them. This planner also reminds me to try to check off what Rachel Hollis calls a 5 To Thrive list:

• Wake up an hour earlier

• Workout for 30 minutes

• Drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water 

• Practice daily gratitude

• Give up one category of food 

4. Pray and Read Devotionals 

My favorite daily devotionals are Streams in the Desert and Jesus Calling. I have physical copies of these books but when I learned that they were also available as apps, I downloaded them for easy access. These devotionals help me quiet my anxieties about the day ahead. I read them after I journal and plan out my day because prayer and reading help keep me grounded. Reading and prayer also quiet my mind and get me into a calmer mindset, ready to meditate. 

5. Meditate

This one was the toughest to incorporate. I think part of what made it so difficult for me was that I don’t have formal instruction in meditating. Meditating always felt like this awesome yet intimidating practice until I just decided to give it a try. I’ve used the Calm app for over a year now and it has been SO helpful. The app has meditation sessions that are as short as 3 minutes! The “Daily Calm” series is usually 10 minutes long. This is the perfect length for my mornings. Each 10 minute session shares a unique theme or lesson which keeps the practice interesting; no 10 minutes is ever the same.

6. Move 

Depending on the day, I go to the gym or do some exercises at home. If it’s a gym day, I don’t shower before I leave the house (because I’ll shower after the gym lol). On a gym day, I head to Orangetheory Fitness for a 60 minute class. If I don’t have a gym session scheduled, I’ll still try some core exercises at home. I have a “Mini Morning Workout” Spotify playlist that really pumps me up (lots of Beyoncé “Homecoming” songs)!

7. Get Ready 

After my workout, I shower, change, and put my makeup on :) Last year, I started listening to audio books or podcasts while doing my makeup and it is my favorite thing! I love learning something new or listening to empowering content while I get ready. Sometimes it’s nice to listen to music while I get ready, but by this point in my morning routine, I feel it is time to start getting into a more conversational headspace. Soon after I get ready, I’ll be checking e-mail, going to meetings, or simply interacting with the world around me so I like to get my brain thinking. My current listen is Brendon Burchard’s High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become that Way

8. Eat

Good food & coffee make for a great morning! If it isn’t a gym day and I’m still home, I make breakfast and coffee before heading out. If it is a gym day, I always reward myself with coffee and a breakfast burrito after my workout :) Having breakfast is the last thing I do before I feel fully ready to take on the day. 

Maintaining a Morning Routine

That’s it! I start every week day with these eight practices. Every morning is a privilege that I don’t take for granted. Of course, sometimes life happens and my morning routine changes or has to get thrown out the window. The key is to aim for consistency, to maintain it as much as I can, even on days when I’d rather sleep in or reach for my phone to see what’s new on insta. On those days, I do my best to do like Mel Robbins’ suggests: say, “5, 4, 3, 2, 1” and get up! I know I feel infinitely better and more capable to take on the day after my morning routine.

What is your morning routine? If you don’t have one yet, take the weekend to think about what you want your mornings to look like, how can you make time to make your mornings work for you? Remember: there is magic in the mundane. The small things often make all the difference. You have the power to make your mornings matter, because you matter and you deserve to start the day with a smile.

Con cariño,

Jenesis