You know what they say – the early bird gets the worm! But a successful morning is about more than just rising early. A well-crafted morning routine can reduce your stress, boost your productivity, ignite motivation, and help you feel more upbeat about your upcoming day. In fact, one study showed that people who are consistent with morning habits earn roughly $12,500 more/year on average than those who don’t stick to a morning routine. 

So what makes a good morning routine? Ultimately, one that sets the stage for your best day. A day where you're thriving, you feel good, focused, productive, and proud of how it was spent. So how do we do that?

While we're all unique individuals, there are certain things we all do. Sleep is one, but sadly, we can't stay in dreamland forever. Eventually, the alarm rings, and it's time to face the day.

The good news? There are plenty of things you can do (backed by science!) that can help you have the perfect morning routine.

What is a morning routine?

So what is a morning routine? A morning routine is the set of habits and motions you do when after waking up to prepare for the day ahead. For 43% of Americans, drinking coffee is the most important part of their morning routine, followed by exercise (32%), and taking a shower (26%). 

The way you start your morning routine sets the tone for your day – and the benefits of a morning routine are also backed by scientific research.

Healthy morning routine benefits

• Feel more prepared for your day with a positive mindset and better focus.
• Increase motivation by starting the day with small accomplishments. 
• Lower stress levels by minimizing overwhelm and rushedness. 
• Develop healthier habits by making time for things like breakfast or exercise.
• Increase work performance with improved focus and a more positive attitude, which can lead to a better work-life balance.
• Instill discipline by committing to a consistent daily routine. 

So how do you build a productive morning routine that works for you? Let’s take a closer look at some example ideas you can introduce to start every day on the right side of the bed.

Morning routine checklist: 10 ideas for you

1. Get sleep the night before

If you’re wondering how to start a successful morning routine, you might be surprised to learn that it really begins the night before. Ultimately, a morning routine can only be as good as the quality of rest you’re getting, and most of us know from experience – it’s a lot harder to be a morning person when you’re running on fumes.

For the best sleep hygiene:

• Get your recommended 6-8 hours every night.
• Ditch the screens an hour before bedtime.
• Stay away from late-night carbs and alcohol.
• Lower the lights and temp in your bedroom.
• Be consistent about when you go to bed during the week. 

If you want to elevate your evening routine even further, set time aside before you wind down to plan out the following day. Setting SMART daily goals the night before actually improves your success rate, and can help reduce stress and decision paralysis by knowing exactly what you’re going to be working on tomorrow.

2. Don’t hit the snooze button

The first thing most of us hear in the morning is our alarm. Our initial challenge – and a test of our willpower – is resisting that alluring snooze button. As you already know, this is no easy feat.

The warmth of the covers can be oh-so-tempting. "Just five more minutes," we tell ourselves. But hitting snooze might not be the best way to start your day. As the saying attributed to Marcus Aurelius goes, "Comfort is the worst addiction."

While it's not necessarily as detrimental to sleep health as often claimed (Stephen Mattingly, a PhD researcher at the University of Notre Dame, published a study that concluded snoozing in the morning has been "unfairly villainized"), it can undermine your discipline. Resisting the snooze button will be the first of (hopefully) many little improvements that can have a big impact on your day. This kind of small win first thing sets a positive tone for the many choices and actions that will follow.

If you struggle with the snooze button (and many of us do, especially if we're not natural early risers), there's a simple trick that works wonders. Place your alarm – whether it's an old-school clock or your phone – far enough away from your bed that you have to physically get up to turn it off.

Once you're up and moving, you're far more likely to stay up and continue with the rest of your productive morning routine.

3. Get natural light & sunshine early

As soon as you're up, open the curtains and let the sunshine in. Yes, even if it's cloudy or gloomy, the sun still casts a significant amount of natural light through the clouds into our eyes. Our eyes, bodies, and internal clocks are highly sensitive to natural light, and even a brief exposure offers tons of benefits:

• Regulates circadian rhythms: Sunlight helps reset your internal clock, promoting healthy sleep-wake cycles and improving sleep quality.
• Boosts serotonin: Sunlight triggers the release of serotonin, a mood-boosting neurotransmitter linked to feelings of happiness, calmness, and focus.
• Increases cortisol: Exposure to morning light can help boost levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. This might sound like a bad thing, but, every 24 hours, your body gets a pulse of cortisol (to help you wake up and start your day) – you want this pulse to happen as early in the day as possible (or it'll make falling asleep later much more difficult), and exposure to sunlight helps make that happen.

Whether you leave your curtains open to wake up with the sun, step outside for a morning stroll, or simply enjoy your coffee on the porch, embracing the morning light is a powerful way to set a positive and energized tone for your day.

4. Get your blood pumping

You've welcomed the morning light, now it's time to awaken your body. Even a short burst of physical activity can work wonders. It could be a few push-ups, some gentle stretches, or a brisk walk around the block, any movement helps your body process the sleep-inducing adenosine that lingers from the night before.

Morning exercise isn't just about shaking off grogginess. It's a way to reduce stress, promote a sense of accomplishment, and invest in your long-term well-being. Over 80% of all US jobs are mostly sedentary, putting professionals at increased risk of physical and mental illnesses when they spend the majority of the day sitting down.

Dedicating even just 10 minutes of your morning to some physical movement reaps significant health benefits. You don't even need to hit the gym (although, if you do, great! Even better!). Try a quick yoga flow at home, take a walk in nature, dance to your favorite tune, or even do squats while brushing your teeth. Any movement is better than none, so get creative and have fun with it!

5. Quick cold shower

Yes, you've probably heard it before from countless wellness gurus: cold showers, cold plunges, the Wim Hof Method... It can all seem a bit extreme. But hear us out.

There's a wealth of undeniable benefits that come with cold exposure, especially in the morning. And no, you don't need to submerge yourself in an ice bath for 30 minutes.

Believe it or not, a quick 30-second cold shower is all it takes to experience a surge of physiological benefits. We're not asking you to give up your beloved hot showers entirely. A warm shower is a comforting way to start the day, and you can still enjoy it.

The beauty is, you can have the best of both worlds. Simply finish your shower with a brief blast of cold water. You'll be amazed at how invigorated and alert you feel afterward.

6. Make your bed

The benefit of making your bed actually goes beyond having a nicely made bed to get into that night (though it’s a nice perk!). Scientifically, starting your morning with smaller accomplishments - like making your bed - boosts your motivation for the rest of the day.

Setting an intention for a goal, and then completing it, releases feel-good dopamine which fuels your drive to get even more done. So in simple terms – saying you’re going to make the bed, and then doing it, makes you feel better about yourself. It’s an easy way to start your day feeling accomplished, organized, and put yourself in a positive headspace to take on the rest of the day. 

Nevertheless, you don’t necessarily need to do this every single day. Maybe give yourself a break on the weekends – there have been some studies that suggest making your bed could harbor more germs and mites than an unkempt one. 

7. Practice mindfulness 

Exercising your mind is just as important as exercising your body. Practicing daily mindfulness and gratitude has been proven to improve your stress threshold, help you better process challenges, and feel happier overall throughout the workday. 

Starting your day with mindfulness shouldn’t be an overwhelming commitment (that would defeat the purpose). You could commit to 2-minutes of guided breathwork meditation every morning with an app like Headspace, or fill out a gratitude journal like the popular 5 Minute Journal to start the day on a positive note – grounding yourself before work is always a win.

8. Drink water & eat breakfast

6-8 hours is a long time to go without water. Before anything else – rehydrate your body right when you wake up by drinking at least one glass of water. Easy tip is to prepare a bottle of water on your bedside the night before so it’s there right when you wake up. After your stomach is prepped, it’s time to break the fast. 93% of Americans agree a healthy breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but only 44% actually eat breakfast. 

Try prepping breakfast the night before like overnight oats or a healthy parfait, or stick to quick breakfast recipes like smoothies or scrambled eggs in the morning. It can also be helpful to take a look at your coffee consumption if you’re reaching for java instead of food in the AM. Excessive caffeine consumption can actually reduce productivity by increasing stress hormones like adrenaline and misleading you about your energy levels. 

9. Read something (other than emails & social media)

Productive people often attribute a growth mindset to their success. Fitting some reading into your morning is an awesome way to stimulate your brain in preparation for the workday and learn something new while you have uninterrupted focus time.

Instead of reaching for your phone to check your inbox or social media first thing (it’ll be there later – promise), aim to read a few pages on a hobby or interest, current news, or your latest book club novel to start your morning. Not a fan of reading? Try an audiobook or motivational podcast.

10. Eat the Frog

By this point in your morning, you're likely gearing up for work. Ideally, you're feeling good, alert, and ready to tackle whatever the day throws at you. What better way to kick things off than by "eating the frog"?

"Eating the frog" means tackling your most difficult or daunting task first thing in the morning. It's a concept popularized by productivity expert Brian Tracy, and it's based on the idea that if you start your day by accomplishing the hardest thing on your to-do list, the rest of the day will feel like a breeze.

Here's why this strategy is so effective:

• Momentum: Completing a challenging task early on creates a sense of accomplishment and momentum that propels you through the rest of your day.
• Reduced procrastination: We often put off difficult tasks, leading to stress and anxiety. By tackling them head-on, you eliminate the mental burden and free up mental space for other activities.
• Increased focus: When you start with your most demanding task, you're likely to be at your peak focus and energy levels. This leads to better quality work and faster completion times.

Identify your "frog" the night before, so you know exactly what to tackle when you sit down to work. It might be a complex project, a difficult conversation, or anything else that you tend to dread or procrastinate on.

The goal is to get it done, not to make it perfect. Just take the first step, and you'll be surprised at how much easier it is to keep going once you've started.

3 free morning routine templates

Habit stacking is the practice of adding new habits to existing ones so they’re easier to implement. That can look like ‘stacking’ drinking a glass of water to a habit you already have in place, like brushing your teeth when you wake up. Or, if you’re already working out in the morning but want to add reading to your routine, you can habit-stack a chapter of your current book right after your post-workout shower. 

Adding just one new habit at a time is the best way to make them stick long-term. So build up your morning routine slowly, and try for consistency over perfection. A productivity app like Reclaim.ai can help you defend real time for your Habits and daily routines by auto-scheduling them in your calendar so they don’t get overrun by other commitments. 

Let’s take a look at 3 free morning routines templates for inspiration:

1. 90-minute morning routine template 

5:30am: Wake up and make the bed.
5:35am: Brush teeth and drink two glasses of water.
5:40am: Drink coffee & write one page of mindful journaling.
5:50am: Morning run/walk outside.
6:20am: Breakfast with one chapter of reading.
6:35am: Get ready for the day.
7:00am: Out the door/at your WFH desk.

2.  60-minute morning routine template 

8:00am: Wake up, drink a glass of water, & make the bed.
8:05am: 15-minute sun salutation yoga flow, & 5-minute meditation on the patio.
8:25am: Drink coffee & eat breakfast reading the newspaper.
8:35am: Get ready for the day.
9:00am: Out the door/at your WFH desk.
Bonus: Start the workday with a deep work session to maximize productivity!

3. 30-minute morning routine template 

7:00am: Wake up, drink a glass of water, & make the bed.
7:05am: Mini dance session & positive affirmations while getting ready for the day.
7:25am: Grab prepped to-go breakfast.
7:30am: Out the door/at your WFH desk.
Bonus: Listen to a podcast episode on your commute!

Better mornings = better workdays 🙏

Your mornings have the power to set the tone for your entire workday. When you set aside time for habits that benefit your health and wellbeing, you also improve your performance and productivity in the long term.

Incorporate some of these tips into your existing morning ritual through habit stacking, or build a customized routine that fits your schedule and priorities. 

Did we miss any habits that are a must in your productive morning routine? Tweet us @reclaimai to share your tips!