Effective Morning Routine : Easy, Efficient, Enjoyable
I love to start my day with a simple and enjoyable routine. No matter what the day may have in store, I know that I can count on my morning routine to set me up for as much success as possible. The day might go sideways, but if I’ve had my coffee and done some exercise, I feel better while tackling the challenges.
A great morning routine, one that really works for you, can be a little like a magical key. Finding and using this key can help you start your day with a peaceful and calm perspective. Â
Here are a few ideas to help you envision what it might look like for you to create an easy, efficient, and enjoyable morning routine.Â
Effective Morning Routine
Establishing and maintaining an effective morning routine can set your day up for success. It can be the catalyst for a great day and help establish the tone for the entire day. Before we consider creating a new one, let’s look at the routine we are living out right now.Â
What Is Your Current Morning Routine?
We all have morning routines already. If we didn’t, then we wouldn’t get anything done at all. The key question is, how effective is your morning routine right now? You’re doing a series of things in the morning, but is it working for you and your family in the life situation you’re in right now? Â
Grab a piece of paper and write down the first few things you do on a typical day. Include the time you wake up and go until you’re dressed and ready for the day. If you head out for work, what time do you usually leave the house? If you work from home, do you have a time when you would like to be ready to get started?
Even if you don’t think you have a routine, I’m going to encourage you to think about the last week. What time did you get up? When did you eat? Did you exercise? When did you shower? Did you make your bed? Â
I encourage you to be honest in your self-inventory. Perhaps you are in a season of life where you are more relaxed and getting up later. Or, maybe you are going through cancer treatment and need some extra rest and time to complete your morning tasks. Give yourself grace as you walk through this season in your life. We can always shift our routines to support our lives at the moment.
What is working, and what isn’t?
Once you’re done writing down your typical morning routine, now is the time to take a step back and see what is working and what isn’t. Maybe the routines that worked for you before aren’t serving you in this phase of your life.Â
Routines ought to be a framework for you to have a good day, but they should not be a prison. If you have a routine that is regimented by too many tasks and is too difficult to complete, then that routine ought to be thrown out the window.
If you need three hours to get all the tasks done on your list, then there are too many things on your list. Pare it down. If you need to get up at five every morning just to get it all done, and you’re exhausted just thinking about that, then this routine isn’t serving you.Â
An effective morning routine can set you up for success in your day. So what does an effective routine look like for you in this season?
3 Components of an Effective Morning Routine
1. Easy
Ideally, your routine would feel easy. It would be filled with tasks that help you start your day with peace and purpose. What works for me, won’t necessarily work for you. We are all different in our seasons, and so, rather that telling you what “easy” would be, can you take a little time to reflect on what “easy” would mean for you right now?
I’d encourage you to identify the most basic components of your morning routine. For me, these are getting up, drinking coffee, reading the Bible and a nonfiction book, planning my day, eating breakfast, and going for a walk. I then usually do another Dance or HIIT workout and get clean for the day. It isn’t anything too complicated.
If you can create an easy routine, it will feel peaceful to walk through it.Â
2. Efficient
An effective morning routine is also efficient. We don’t want to have a super complicated routine that takes hours to complete. There are ways that you can approach your tasks that help you get more done without adding more time and energy to your routine.
For example, in my morning, I take the dogs for a walk before I get showered. So, sometimes what I do is I get into my walking clothes before I go downstairs so once I’ve eaten my breakfast, my husband and I can leave for the dog walk. Yes, I could go downstairs in my pajamas, drink my coffee, eat my breakfast, then go back upstairs and change, but I’m already upstairs.  I can eliminate a trip up and down the stairs just by choosing to get into my walking clothes before I head downstairs. Just by making that choice, I’m increasing the efficiency of my routine. Some days, that works well for me, and other days, I wake up so early that I feel like having coffee in my pajamas and decide that comfort is more important than efficiency.
I also layer tasks that make sense in my routine. When my kids were still in school, I would usually eat oatmeal for breakfast.  So I could stare at the microwave while it is heating up my breakfast, or I could choose to do another kitchen task while the microwave is going. Often, I would begin emptying the dishwasher while my breakfast was cooking. Usually, I could get it all unloaded by the time my breakfast is done. Even if I don’t quite finish, I’ve used the waiting time of cooking to get another household task done.  By layering the empty dishwasher task on top of my breakfast cooking time, I was increasing the efficiency of my routine.Â
Another thing I will do is chain one task together with another. When I come upstairs after my walk to shower, I will take two minutes to make my bed, then I’ll go shower. It makes sense to chain those two tasks together because they take place in the same room. It doesn’t add extra time, and my brain is used to the two tasks going together. I don’t experience the mental friction of doing both tasks; they just both happen automatically. Chaining one or two tasks together is a great way to increase efficiency and also make sure a task gets done. If you really don’t like a particular task and you find yourself avoiding it, then try to chain it with a task that is easy for you. Then, you can train yourself to get both things done in the most efficient way possible.Â
3. Enjoyable
This is one of the key components of an effective morning routine. I encourage you to design a routine that you enjoy! If you are an early morning person, then by all means, design a routine that starts before the sun gets up. If you are not such an early bird, then that’s fine. Design your routine to start later in the morning if you have the flexibility. Now, if you start work at 9, or your kids get up at 6, then you really can’t wake up at 10 and be effective. So, be realistic as well.
Your mornings can be peaceful and enjoyable. If you like to begin your day with coffee or tea, then have it ready to go first thing in the morning. Wake up to the fresh smell of coffee, and then take some time to enjoy the taste and the quietness of the home in the morning. I encourage you to read something inspirational in the morning. I begin every morning with my coffee and my bible reading. Then I move on to reading a nonfiction book, usually a personal development book. My husband knows that I don’t like to talk first thing in the morning. So, we typically spend some quiet time on the couch before we move to breakfast. Some mornings, I read for twenty minutes, and other mornings, I get an hour of reading in. It is a time that I truly love, and it really sets me up to be in a good mood throughout the day.
I encourage you to make some movement and exercise a part of your morning routine. My husband and I walk together every morning for at least half an hour. We spend the time chatting about our upcoming day or just enjoy the sound of the birds outside while we feel the fresh air on our face. If the weather isn’t cooperative (which thankfully for us, isn’t too often), then I will go upstairs and do some yoga in my room before I get showered. Beginning your day with an enjoyable activity can help you remain healthy and also improve your enjoyment of the day.
So,  what do you think? Do you have a morning routine that is easy, efficient, and enjoyable? If not, what little step could you do tomorrow morning that would nudge your routine in that direction? That little step will be your first one towards an effective morning routine.
I’d love to hear about your morning routine in the comments! Share with me what is working for you and also what isn’t!Â
Jennifer Douglas
Jennifer is the author of "A Breast Cancer Journey: Living it One Step at a Time," breast cancer survivor, and patient advocate. Her book, published in 2023 by Bold Story Press, is an encouraging guide for breast cancer patients. It contains first-hand information, organized by topics, to help readers navigate the diagnosis, treatment, and recovery from breast cancer. Her writing emphasizes emotional, mental, and physical well-being along with empowered decision-making.
2 Comments
M of GoForTheGoals
Love this post! Especially the fact that you used 3 Es. I agree with everything you wrote here. Having a good morning routine sets the day’s tone.
Jennifer Douglas
I’m so glad that the post resonated with you, and I agree, mornings can set the tone for the entire day!