To me, my morning routine is more than just checking off tasks I need to do to get my day started. It’s become a ritual that I look forward to every single day. Ever since I can remember, I’ve enjoyed taking my time in the morning. Even when I was in school, I would give myself enough time in the morning to get ready, eat breakfast and do anything else I wanted to do, before I had to leave my house. These days this means I usually wake up a few hours before I need to log on for the day.
Feeling rushed in the morning has always given me anxiety, so if I purposefully put myself in that situation, I know that will negatively impact how the rest of my day goes. In that case, I can’t just say that I got up on the wrong side of the bed if I have control over it. The way I see it, when it comes down to it, the way you wake up in the morning sets the tone for your day. The less chaos, the more you can ease into your day. If you tend to wake up 10 minutes before you need to rush out the door, that’s probably not the ideal way to get up in the morning. You might argue that it works for you, but is that routine actually doing you a favour?
In the past 18 months, I’m sure many of our routines changed quite a bit. Having to adjust my routine once I started to work from home full-time was one of the most challenging experiences for me. I’m a creature of habit and really missed all the things that made up my morning routine. However, with time, I adapted a new routine that worked for me.
Let’s break down how I adapted a new morning routine to make me feel motivated.
movement
Before: One of my favourite things about working in downtown Toronto is the hustle and bustle of the city. Before I started working from home full-time, I got my fair share of steps in everyday as I walked to and from Union Station to the office. My walk to the office every morning energized me, providing me with a bit of exercise to start my day.
Now: Anyone who works from home knows that you have to be more intentional about taking breaks and getting up. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck in your chair all day! Since I was no longer commuting to the office, rather than going straight to work in my home office, I decided I wanted to kick off my days with stretching by incorporating yoga into my morning routine. It’s been well over 18 months now and I can proudly say I haven’t missed a day of morning yoga! I may be doing less walking these days working from home, but yoga in the morning has provided an enjoyable way for me to get some movement in my day, while also helping me calm my mind.
Breakfast
Breakfast is by far my favourite meal of the day.
Before: Even though I had to get up earlier when I worked in the office, I still made it a priority to eat breakfast before I left my house. While I ate, I usually watched a morning show for some entertainment and to get caught up on top headlines.
Now: When it comes to breakfast, I can’t say much has really changed in this part of my routine. If anything, I take my breakfast even more seriously. I think it’s important to take time in the morning to properly fuel your body to start your day. For me, that means spending a bit more time to create a balanced meal. My go-to is usually oatmeal with fruit or eggs and toast along with a delicious smoothie. Sometimes if I’m feeling a little extra, I’ll also make pancakes or waffles for a treat. Last, but not least, the final thing that gets me excited for the day is coffee in my favourite mug!
Get ready for the day
Clothes: I love to express myself through my style.
Before: Prior to working from home full-time, every night before I went to bed, I would filter through my closet to curate an outfit for work the next morning. Getting myself organized this way helped me save time in the morning, so I could easily get dressed and go. I always felt put-together and that made me feel confident.
Now: These days, like many people, I haven’t really shown my office wear any love, as I’ve been mainly living in comfy loungewear. Regardless, one of the lessons I’ve learned is that it’s still important to ‘get dressed’ for the day. I may not be rocking blazers on the daily, but the act of changing out of pyjamas shifts my mindset. My daily uniform has become matching sets of sweatshirts and joggers. Not only do I feel comfortable and cute in a matching set, but I actually do feel motivated to work, which I think is key.
Makeup: Similar to clothes, I also love to express myself through my makeup.
Before: I’ve always enjoyed the process of getting ready and my signature winged eyeliner is no exception! Do what makes you feel good right? What I enjoyed most was watching YouTube or listening to a podcast or audiobook, while I put on my makeup. I didn’t see it as a chore, but more so a ritual to get me motivated for the day.
Now: At first, when I started working from home, I did feel a lack of motivation when it came to makeup. I just didn’t feel like there was a point in getting ready this way. As time went on, however, I started to miss the ritual I had of applying my makeup. With a bit of mascara and my favourite winged liner, I started feeling like myself again. Once again, I think the act of doing something I enjoyed helped me not only change my mood, but provided me with some sense of normalcy that I missed.
Plan for your day
If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I’m obsessed with making lists. I love to plan, which not only helps me stay organized in my personal life, but in my career as a project manager as well.
Before: As part of my routine every morning, I made it a habit to dedicate some time to make a to-do list for the day. I used a simple notebook to list all the tasks I needed to do, and then prioritize them for the day. This method was simple and efficient.
Now: I decided to step up my game when it came to planning once I designed my own templates. The concept of lists for me expanded beyond things I needed to do. I started to incorporate aspects that prompted me to identify things that brought me joy along the way, which have ultimately brought more colour to my days.
If you’re looking for a bit of inspiration when it comes to your own to-do lists, check out my free custom templates below that you can use digitally or print. Check out my Toolkit for other resources to help you stay organized as well!
find your source of inspo for the day
One of the final steps to my routine is to find a source of inspiration for the day.
Before: I mentioned above that I watched YouTube or listened to a podcast or audio book, while I was getting ready to go to work. One of the important things to note is that I was intentional about the content I absorbed. I made sure that whatever I was listening to was something I not only enjoyed, but brought value in my life in some way. I also got my source of inspiration during my commute as I took the train to work everyday. I usually spent this time reading or listening to music. Whether I was doing my makeup or commuting to work, this ‘me’ time provided me with an opportunity to do something I enjoyed.
Now: Although I do still make it a habit to listen to podcasts in the morning, I’ve also found something else that really inspires me for the day. I started reading The Daily Stoic every morning. I love the idea of reading something motivational to start off my day, and this book makes it easy with how everything is laid out. I highly recommend it if you’re into that sort of thing. If you’re interested in other books & positive content check out my favourites here.
One final thing I want to note is that we all have good days and bad. Even though I talk about how important I think a morning routine is, sometimes, it doesn’t matter if you have the best intentions in the morning, you might still have a blah day, and that’s 100% okay. Ultimately, I think we should all do what makes us feel good, and for me that just happens to be having a morning routine.