This post is all about the best productive morning routine list.
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Having a morning routine as a working woman can be tough. Most of us can hardly find time to have a peaceful breakfast on most days.
If I can get ready and get out the door, and attend my morning standup call by 9 am, I’m a happy woman.
But at the same time I hate the feeling of being rushed in the mornings. It makes me feel overwhelmed and lowers my energy for the day.
That is why it’s so important to have calm and productive morning routine, especially for working women,
Now, I know what you’re thinking, ‘Mayu, I just told you I hardly have time to eat breakfast peacefully, what makes you think I have time to start a morning routine?’
I get it, that’s why here’s a realistic morning routine list that doesn’t require you to wake up at 5 am.
If you’re confused about how long your morning routine should be, keep reading 😉 I have some amazing 15-min, 30 min and 1 hour morning routine ideas so you can create a perfect morning routine based on your schedule.
And at the end of the post, you also have a step-by-step guide on how to create a simple morning routine that work for you!
Before getting started, just know that your morning routine doesn’t need to be another task on your big fat to-do list. Try to make it as fun and as attractive as possible.
how long should your morning routine be?
Contrary to the popular belief, you don’t need to get up at 5 am to have a morning routine.
If you get up at 8 am to start your day, then that’s the perfect time for your morning routine.
Also, you don’t have to get started with a 3 hr long morning routine. In fact, if you’re a beginner trying to start a 3 hr morning routine will only result in failure.
As someone who has had a consistent morning routine for three years ranging from 30 minutes to three hours depending on how busy I am, I’m happy to report that they ALL work!
There’s no right or wrong way! You just need to figure out what works for you right now and work with that.
productive morning routine list
Here are 20 ideas to include in your 15 minute, 30 minute or 60 min morning routines to get started with. Feel free to switch things up depending on if you’re going through a busy phase or have enough time in the morning.
15 minute morning routine ideas
Here are some activities that won’t take more than 5 minutes, pick the ones that you enjoy the most and get started.
1. No snooze mornings
Hitting snooze makes you start your day with a failure. You don’t wake up at the time you intended to wake up at, and start your mornings feeling rushed.
And if you only have 5 minutes for a morning routine, hitting snooze would mean giving up on that altogether.
If you want to improve your morning waking experience, ditch your annoying phone alarms with this natural alarm clock. It uses natural sounds and gradually increases light in your room to wake you up.
2. Make your bed
This productive morning routine list idea will hardly take 2 minutes of your time and will make you feel so organized and productive.
This way you tick off one task from your to-do list before even stepping out of the room. What a win!
And you won’t have to worry about coming back to a scattered bed in the evening.
3. Drink water
Your body needs to rehydrate after an 8 hr sleep. So, drinking water first thing in the morning is a good idea.
You can simply keep a water bottle on your bedside table so you can quickly grab it in the morning.
This 15-minute productive morning routine list will really make you realize how small habits can create a huge impact.
4. Set Intentions
Instead of starting your day, worrying about what other people want from you, ask yourself,
‘What do you want this day to look like?’
Or ‘How do you want to feel by the end of the day?’
You daily intentions can vary from one word to a few sentences. And it’ll help you stay focused on a busy day.
5. Your top 3 tasks
I usually like to write my to-do lists at night so I know exactly how busy I am the next day.
Use your morning time to prioritize your top 3 tasks – the tasks that need to get done no matter what!
Prioritization is really important if you want to stay productive and make sure you’re spending time on things that truly matter.
6. breathing exercise for 5 mins
Simply close your eyes and focus on your breath. This the perfect productive morning routine list idea for people who don’t like to meditate.
I used to do pranayama while listening to a motivational podcast episode (not sure if this is the best way, haha).
But pranayama has a lot of physical and mental health benefits. And listening to a podcast episode always made me feel inspired.
7. Make a healthy smoothie
You might not have time to cook a healthy breakfast, but smoothies are a great way to get some nutrition in, are fulling and easy to make.
Just put everything in this smoothie blender and your breakfast is ready in 5 mins.
30 minute morning routine
8. Write a gratitude journal
This is my absolute favorite thing on this productive morning routine list.
It’ll hardly take 5 minutes of your time, but will leave a lasting impact on your entire day.
Simply write down 3 things you’re grateful for everyday. And be very specific about the exact moments that made you feel that way.
Related Post : How To Start A Gratitude Journal
9. Go on a 10 min walk
Including some movement in your morning routine is never a bad idea!
If you don’t have time to go on a full fledged 30 minute walk, simply walk around the block and get some fresh air.
I usually love listening to a podcast when I’m on a walk, but my mind is super creative in the morning.
So I’d rather suggest to use this morning walk time to process your thoughts and let those ideas come to you.
Daily Walk Essentials
They’re literally so comfy!
10. Meditate
Meditating in the morning will really help you calm your thoughts down and center yourself.
A 10 minute meditation will fit perfectly in your productive morning routine list. You can use apps like headspace, or free apps like medito to get started with a guided meditation.
11. Apply SPF
While you might not have time to do a full fledged skincare routine, you can not miss out on the essentials.
Applying sunscreen before heading out is the most basic form of self care that nobody should skip.
12. Listen to podcast/audiobook on your way to work
You know how a song you listen to in the morning sticks with you for the rest of the day?
Wouldn’t it be better if you had an inspiring thought stuck in your head instead?
Listen to a business or self help podcast in the morning.
The best part? You don’t have to schedule extra time in the morning for this, you can simply put on a podcast in the background while making breakfast or while driving to work.
Related Post : Best Books & Podcasts To Boost Confidence
13. Put your phone in another room
It seems so obvious that why would you scroll through your phone when you already have such little time in the morning.
And yet, you and I both know that you’ll automatically start scrolling through your Instagram as soon as you get up!
*There goes your morning routine down the gutter. . *
An easy way to deal with this is to use apps like freedom, that you can use to block certain apps and notifications till 9 am.
Or use an actual alarm clock and put your phone in another room.
This way you won’t be able to scroll through your phone, even if you wanted to.
1 hr Productive Morning Routine List
14. Do a brain dump
Simply write down everything that’s going on in your head.
The thing is, you’re constantly consuming information throughout the day. And dumping your thoughts on paper would help you finally process all that.
It’s just an easy way to clear your mind before starting a new day.
I usually have a lot of resistance when it comes to journaling everyday. And if that’s the case with you too, try this.
Just keep a journal on your bedside table and simply dump your thoughts in the journal first thing in the morning.
Related Post : 50 Daily Journal Prompts To Ask Yourself
15. Do a 20 min yoga routine
Or an at home workout. Whatever helps you get that dopamine fix in a healthy way, right?
If you have a desk job, you know how important it is to get some movement in your days.
And morning workout are the best because it helps you start your mornings on a positive note, by releasing the feel good hormones.
And practically speaking, staying consistent with morning workouts is way easier, because you never know what other priorities might come up in the evening.
You can start this 30 day yoga challenge to improve your posture and build consistency.
16. Read 10 pages
Reading a self improvement book in the morning will fill your brain with so many ideas and inspire you to take action.
And I’m not talking about the woo-woo self help books that make it seem like the world’s full of roses and rainbows.
I’m talking about books that’ll give you practical advice and make you take actions. From experts who’ve already done what you want to do.
Figure out what area of your life do you want to focus on right now, whether it is finances, or building healthy habits or improving productivity.
I’m sure you can find a book that’ll be your guide to achieve your goals in that area.
Related Post : 21 Best Self Help Books That Actually Work
17. Have a healthy breakfast
Breakfast is the most essential meal of the day, and even then, we give it the least amount of attention.
Now that you have some time, make sure you have a healthy breakfast. Maybe even prepare your lunch.
If you want to save more time, prepare overnight oats for the week, or prepare your smoothie bowl at night.
18. morning skincare
This would probably be the most fun idea on your productive morning routine list.
If you don’t have a skincare routine yet, this post is your ultimate skincare guide. And you can also put on some makeup if you like!
19. Quick clean up around the house
I’m sure as a working woman, finding time to clean your house can be really tough. That’s why having a 15 min cleaning time in your morning routine can change your life.
Just set a 15 min timer and start doing the small clean up tasks. Put everything in place, do vacuuming, sort your laundry.
You’ll be shocked to see how much you can get done in just 15 mins and it’ll help you avoid piling tasks on top of each other.
20. Think about your goals
Use the peaceful morning time to visualize your goals and get clear on them.
You can do it in different ways. The simplest one being, close your eyes and think about your goals. Imagine you already have it.
What works better for me is writing down my goals in present tense. Simply take your journal and start writing about your future goals in present tense.
I know it sounds a little out there, haha, but it works! Mainly because the more specific you get about your goals, the more ideas your brain starts generating on how to achieve them.
Related Post : 20+ Daily Goals Ideas To Uplevel Your Days
how to create a morning routine that works for you?
Different morning routines work for different people.
And different morning routines work for different phases of your life as well. If you’re going through a busy phase of your life, you might want to stick to a 15 minute morning routine.
And once that phase passes and you have enough time to take your mornings slow, you can try a full fledged one hour morning routine.
But what matters is that you focus on yourself before going out and focusing on everything else for the day.
If you want a step by step guide on how to create a simple morning routine that works for you, check out this post.
Related Post
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3) How To Create A Daily Routine For Yourself The Right Way