Why a Morning Routine?

To one extent or another, we all have a morning routine. Some of us start out by hitting snooze on our clocks or phones a few times, eventually rolling over, and checking social media for an hour. Others turn off their alarms, get out of bed, and make a cup of coffee. Still others have to prepare meals, get their spouses and children up, and then rush out the door.

The question isn't so much about if you have a morning routine but rather if it is intentional or not. Some of us fall into a bad routine, but others deliberately choose. I would argue that a deliberate routine is far better than an unorganized or unchosen one.

But why is that? When you live your life intentionally, it provides structure and order. You have purpose, and you have direction. You will feel more fulfilled when you accomplish the things you set out to do, and the best way to do all of that is to start your day with a clear plan or a routine.

Choosing a Routine

Everyone will have different priorities and needs. If you live alone, you'll have more flexibility. If you are married, have kids, or even have elderly parents to look after, you'll need to choose differently.

But one of the easiest things everyone can do is to choose a time to get up. While it may feel nice to sleep in, choosing a particular time to rise everyday will help you to live intentionally and provide a certain rhythm to your life.

You don't need to get up at 4AM to do so, but getting up 'early' (whatever that means to you) will provide you more opportunity to do what you need to do. So, I always recommend setting an alarm 'early' and trying not to hit snooze too often.

After that, your own particular life circumstances will dictate how you organize your routine. If possible though, try to fit in a few minutes for some light exercise (walking, stretching, etc.); quiet time for prayer, reflection, or journaling; and prepare food for the day. If you can do all of these things before booting up your phone or computer, that would be even better.

Once you have your 3-5+ things you want to do every morning, consider writing them down somewhere. Yes, write your routine on paper. It will be a firmer commitment to your routine that way. Then, put that piece of paper where you'll actually see it every morning. Maybe the bathroom mirror, on the fridge, or even next to the phone and computer on your desk. Look at your list upon waking, and try it out for at least 1-2 weeks.

After trying out your routine for a week or two, sit down, read through your routine, and take an honest assessment. Is this working for you? Or is it not? Maybe some elements are easier (a morning walk) than others (waking up at 6AM). So, go through and see what you want to keep and what you want to change. Maybe you find that you don't like taking a walk but would prefer to do some other exercise, like taichi. No problem. Cut out the walking, add in the taichi, and write up your new list.

Rinse, and repeat. It's really that simple. If you can stick to a 2-week trial period, do this twice your first month. After that, you should already be set moving forward. Then, do your routine reflection once a month after that to see if there are any smaller areas to improve. After a month or two of your new morning routine, you may want to make tiny changes, like adjusting your waking time by 30 minutes or by adding in another habit, like journaling or doing morning affirmations in the mirror.

My Morning Routine

With COVID-19 closures, working from home, and lockdowns in my part of Thailand, things have changed a bit. For years, I'd get up early, shower, make a breakfast and lunch to take to the office, and then rush off (before sunrise) to catch a bus.

These days though, life has changed a lot. Much to my embarrassment, I don't use an alarm these days but have found that I naturally rise about 6AM. That's not too bad, but I feel a bit lazy, not getting up on a set schedule like before. Maybe I can do a bit better in this area.

Upon rising though, I usually get a sip of water, use the washroom, and then say my morning prayers. As a Catholic, it's important to start my day by speaking with God and asking the saints to join me in prayer throughout the day. I also remember my family members and friends, who have asked me to pray for them.

Thereafter, I will go for a walk just outside my home. Because of lockdowns, it's discouraged to leave one's home, but I find it hard to be stuck indoors all the time. We're supposed to wear masks if we're going out into the neighbourhood, so sometimes I just walk back and forth right in front of my home. It's not as great as going for a long walk, but a short, 20 or 30-minute walk near my house is good enough for now.

Depending on the day, I'll just walk quietly with my thoughts. Other times, I'll bring along my headphones and listen to an audiobook or podcast. In the future, I might write a piece about some of my favourite podcasts and why I think others should try them out too.

Finally, I come inside and make some coffee or tea. Today was a coffee day. I used some Thai coffee beans, ground them fresh, and then used a moka pot (a special Italian coffee pot). The coffee is similar to espresso but not quite as strong. Whether coffee or tea, I enjoy the ritual of slowly preparing a hot beverage. It's almost meditative and provides a calm start to the day.

In case you're curious, I'd like to share a few photos of my coffee beans, the grinder (which I bought during a trip to Korea), and the finished product:

After making my hot beverage, I typically check my messages, reply to e-mail, and catch up with a few friends. Today, I checked messages and then spent time putting together this routine article that I had floating around in my head!

Is there room for improvement? For sure! I used to be better about taking notes in my bullet journal or writing out longer form journal entries on my computer, and this is something I hope to get back to doing as well. Taking that extra time for reflection is really great, and it helps to organize my thoughts before things get too busy.

Your Routine

So now, I'm curious to hear about your routine. What do you do every morning? Did you just fall into a set of habits? Or do you do something more intentional like I do?

And if you could make a new routine, what would it look like?