Okay so, I know what you’re going to say ‘I’m not a morning person’, ‘I don’t have time to do all this in the morning’, or just ‘This doesn’t work for me’, and I get it, I am just like you. I’m not a morning person, and I hate having to wake up. But after having read everywhere that a morning routine was the secret for success (well, not exactly but let’s keep going), I decided to give it a try. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t manage to do it every single day… (Really not, ask my husband!) But I can feel the difference when I do follow this routine, and I feel like I could go on for hours and hours!

These days, everything goes so fast, from social media to news to trends. It is entirely reasonable to feel overwhelmed and to want to ‘take a break’. Well, the good news is: one of the best ways to do so is to follow a morning routine! When you have so much to deal with, your brain is more than happy not to have to think of how to organise a chaotic morning; it’s in our nature. We love routine. We love familiarity, and we love to feel secure behind a well-established system. So let me share with you the steps I follow when I manage to wake up on time! Here are my secrets for an effective morning routine.

Disable the ‘Snooze’ feature

This one is probably one of the most effective tips on the list. I didn’t know until recently that it was even possible to disable the ‘Snooze’ option; but once I did, it changed the way I wake up. Let’s be honest, what’s the point of putting off the alarm for ten minutes, and ten more minutes, over and over again, until it’s too late and you have to rush all around the house? You are already up, and you won’t actually manage to sleep again because… (you know, the alarm is going off again in 10 minutes!). I genuinely believe it makes me even more tired when I fight against the alarm.When I was younger, my mom used to tell me to just get rid of the alarm altogether and wake up naturally. And I admire people who do that, but I’m just honest: without the alarm, I’ll still be sleeping at 9:00, so… Let’s just have it to ring once, and get up! (It’s a fair compromise!)

Pray, Be grateful

My next step is to pray. I genuinely believe that the morning is the best time of the day to work on our spirituality and to reconnect with God. I use my morning routine to be grateful, enjoy the new opportunities given to me, enjoy the beauty of a new day, and be thankful.

I take my time before anything else (sometimes, even before I open my eyes) to admire the beauty of life and everything I can do with this new chance of a day that is given to me. Daily devotion, gratitude log, Bible reading and positive thoughts of the day: I’m set for a good day. Honestly, when I don’t do that, I tend to be much less patient, much more irritable, and just generally more negative. It allows me to start the day in the right mindset.

Stay away from your phone

I know, I know, it’s tempting, even before doing anything else, to start scrolling down our screens, checking emails, looking at all the notifications and all this digital overwhelm, but don’t! Don’t do it! Just enjoy the few ‘digital-free’ hours of your morning routine. We know very well that once we start checking our emails and checking our notifications, we won’t go back to the same peaceful state. Don’t focus on anything but yourself quite yet. It’s like a mini digital-detox, and it’s good for your brain!

Take some ‘me’ time

Next step, take some quality time for yourself. Once you step out of the house, or you start checking your emails and your phone, it’s going to be all about others until it’s finally time to go back to bed. And how are you going to help others to the best of your abilities if you feel left out or you feel that you haven’t had what you needed to operate? So whatever it is that you do in the morning, whether it’s exercising, listening to a podcast, reading a few blog articles, reading a chapter of your current book, or treating yourself with a huge healthy breakfast, enjoy your time and treat yourself!

Have a shower

I know there are different schools of thoughts for this one, there is the ‘morning shower’ clan’, the ‘evening shower’ gang and however many more opinions about it. Well, I personally need to take a shower to feel energised and start my day properly. It helps me to wake up, it helps me feel like I’m taking care of myself, and give all my sense the signal that it’s a new day! I see my morning shower as a way to show respect to myself and others: I’m actually putting effort into preparing myself for me AND for everybody out there. So when you see me, please note that I got ready for you. I’m ready for the best, I’m ready to slay the day.

Plan your day

Planning is one of my ‘things’, it’s one of the things I do too much actually. I love planning and ai can go on for hours, until I realise I spent so much time planning,I didn’t actually achieve anything (what’s the point of a plan, if you’re not taking action?). I tend to overthink and to want everything planned perfectly before I do anything; needless to say, It doesn’t work..! But when done properly and in a balanced manner, planning is a great way of making things happen. When you plan, you visualise what you want for your day, what you want to achieve and how you want to achieve it, you’re halfway there! Of course no plan is perfect and a lot can happen in a day; but when you have a clear plan, you know where you’re heading and you don’t have to try and make sense out of a chaotic day. That’s the difference between ‘you making things happen’ and ‘you letting things happen to you’.

Dress for your goals

I don’t believe in ‘fake it until you make it’. It’s a lie, both to others and to you. There is no shame in starting wherever you are and doing your best to improve yourself. So no, don’t fake it. However, you need to dress for whatever goals you want to accomplish today. You have an important meeting? Dress appropriately and make sure you feel confident in what you’re wearing. Don’t go and wear something too tight, too formal or too ‘not you’, just because you’re trying hard. If you’re uncomfortable, it’ll be more than obvious to others.

Side note for all the auto entrepreneurs and business owners out there: if your goal is not to go back to bed, don’t keep your nightwear on. I know it’s tempting because it’s just you, at home, with your laptop, but I can assure you it makes a difference in your mindset. The same way I take my shower to give my body the signal that a new day is starting and it’s time to wake up, I make sure I put on something professional enough for my body and my mind to recognise that it’s not bedtime anymore. Of course, still casual (I’m at home with literally nobody!), but something nice enough that looks like I’m working.

Ultimately, wear what you feel is the best option for you, keeping in mind your daily tasks, your goals, your ethics and your values.

And that’s it! That’s the morning routine I (try to) follow, and it transforms the way I go through the day. I feel spiritually tuned in, ready to achieve my goals, motivated to walk in my purpose, ready to be of service for others. What about you? Do you have a routine in the morning? Do you have any other tips to share with me for an even better morning routine? Let me know in the comments below.

Ps 51:10 ; 2 Cor 4:16 ; Eph 4:23 ; Rom 12:2.