Kickass Morning Routine Ideas

July 30, 2018

If you want to have a kickass day, start it off right. Take the time in the morning to do what’s important to you, and set yourself up for the rest of the day. A way to do this is to create your own Morning Routine. Whether it’s a whole hour or simply 15 minutes, do 1 or more activities to nourish your body and mind, so that you can step into the day feeling your best self. Here are some Kickass Morning Routine Ideas to get you started.

If you haven’t read Start your Day Right with a Morning Routine, do that now. And then come back here for some kickass ideas to inspire your personal Morning Routine.

Below is the list of the post sections, in case you want to jump straight to something specific 🙂

What is a Morning Routine and why have one?
– Mind, Body and Spirit.
– Creating your Morning Routine.
– Make it work for you.
Kickass Morning Routine Ideas.
– [MIND] Clear and Focus Your Mind.
– [BODY] Nourish and Move Your Body.
– [SPIRIT] Inspire and Develop Yourself.
Examples of Morning Routines.
It’s Time to Rise and Shine!

What is a morning routine and why have one?

Often we jump out of bed, get ready, and leap into the day. The busy whirlwind of the day, where you go through the motions of ticking items off your checklist while adding more to it as the day progresses. Go, go, go.

A Morning Routine is basically a piece of time you set aside for yourself first thing in the morning before the ‘real day’ starts. It can be for as little as 10-15 minutes. Or an hour or more. It all depends on how much time you have to commit to consistently. Don’t overcommit and then stop after a few days. Instead, start small, and do it every single morning. The key is consistency.

A morning routine is about taking a little time out for yourself before the daily grind starts. To clear your mind, do some exercise, inspire your inner self, and set intentions for the day.

– Mind, Body and Spirit.

There are many different activities you can include in your personal routine. It really depends on your needs, physically and mentally. That’s why, when you create your Morning Routine, first think about what you need to feel your best.

There are many different approaches to morning routines, but I like to focus on three areas: mind, body, spirit. By considering all three parts of my wellbeing when putting my routine together, I get a more all round feel-good effect.

Mind: Clear the mind of lingering thoughts. Set up a positive mindset to take into the rest of the day. Refocus and set clear intentions for the day.

Body: Get the body moving and the blood flowing. Stretch out stiffness. Release stress. Break out a sweat and keep fit.

Spirit: Do something you love. Some very important to you. Learn something new. Inspire your inner self.

So the end goal is to:

Focus your Mind. Nourish your Body. And Inspire your Spirit.

Doesn’t that sound like a better way to start the day? 🙂

– Creating your Morning Routine.

There is no set way to create a Morning Routine. It’s completely up to you.

But essentially, you need to commit to a realistic amount of time first thing in the morning and choose the activities you’re going to do.

A good place to start is to list some activities that you could do each morning that would nourish your mind, body and soul. Think about the activities that will benefit you the most, and set you up for a great day. Check out the ideas below to help you!

Then decide how much time you have to commit to every morning. Don’t overcommit with a long list of activities if you don’t think you can keep it up every morning. Rather start small with as little as 15 minutes every day to do one activity. You’re building a habit here, so consistency trumps intensity.

Once you have decided on the amount of time you’re ready to commit to, decide on which 1 or more activities you’re going to do. Then work out how much time you’re going to commit to each.

For example, if you’re going to start with a 30-minute routine – You could do 10 minutes of reading your favourite book and 15 minutes of yoga stretching. Or, if you’re committing to 60-minutes routine – You could do 15 minutes journaling, 30 minutes exercising, 5 minutes watching TEDx video, and 5 minutes goal setting for the day.

You’ll notice that I leave an extra 5-10 minutes free in the above examples. When setting up your routine, always leave a little extra time. You don’t want it to feel like it’s an intense go-go-go routine where you’re chasing the clock. This is your special time to nourish yourself, so give yourself time to enjoy and engage in your routine, without any time pressure. I always give myself at least 60 minutes, so that I never feel rushed.

– Make it work for you.

There is no right or wrong way to create your routine. So just have fun with it and see what works for you.

You can choose simple activities like making your bed. It may sound silly, but just the act of making your bed first thing in the morning can give you a sense of accomplishment. And that’s what propels you to the next activity, like a fresh pot of Green Tea.

Tim Ferriss, an author, entrepreneur and public speaker that never stops inspiring me, includes making his bed in his morning routine. In his epic book Tools for Titans (pictured below) he outlines his am routine.

#1 – Make Your Bed (<3 minutes). #2 – Meditate (10 to 20 minutes). #3 – Do 5 to 10 Reps of Something (<1 minute). #4 – Prepare “Titanium Tea” (2 to 3 minutes). #5 – Morning Pages or 5-Minute Journal (5 to 10 minutes) .

Life-Morning Routine Ideas-Tim Ferriss

So that’s a good example of a productivity expert’s morning routine. Good inspiration, and you can see how balanced it is.

Another good example to get inspiration from is Robin Sharma, a successful writer and speaker, and ultimate motivator. He is a big advocate for morning routines and for taking at least 60 minutes out a day for learning and growing. He puts it so well:

…dialling in your morning routine is the one move that transforms every other move [and the rest of your day].

Check out this video of his: “The Morning Routine of Legendary People”.

Are you ready to create your very own morning routine?

I hope you’re excited to start putting together your personal morning routine and take the time every day to work on yourself.

To get you started, below are a bunch of Kickass Morning Routine Ideas to inspire you. Use these, and think of others.

You can start by simply focusing on one activity in the morning. As you get used to the one activity, you may want to start adding more and expanding your routine. Or you start by picking 3 or more activities. The important thing is to create a routine that you’re excited to do because you know it’s going to make you feel good.

Below are some Kickass Morning Routine Ideas to get you started! Enjoy!

Kickass Morning Routine Ideas.

Below are some of the activities I’ve tried in my own personal morning routines over the years. I’ve found that certain activities have worked for certain stages in my life, so see what resonates with you.

Have fun choosing your activities, and craft a wonderfully nourishing routine to start your day just right.

Note: Many of the activities below overlap and work on many parts of our wellbeing. Like yoga, meditation and exercise, that all work on our bodies but also on our minds, and spirit for that matter.

Don’t focus on the 3 categories below, as they are simply how I remind myself to work on my health holistically 🙂 You don’t have to pick one from each. You can do anything you like. Do what feels good for you and have fun!

– [MIND] Clear and Focus Your Mind.

Morning Pages – Write three pages of longhand, stream-of-consciousness writing. Just open up your journal and start writing whatever comes to mind. Morning Pages is a powerful way to clear your mind.

Goal Setting – Before the day starts and your to-do list gets out of control, set your intentions for the day. Beyond your to-list, what are your 3 most important goals for the day? Focus in on these goals, so that you actually do what is important.

Gratitude Journal – Set yourself up in a positive mindset by writing down three things you’re grateful for. This is a simple but powerful mindset hack. Instead of focusing on everything you don’t have and everything you need to do, this makes you realise how much you have already achieved and how much you already have. It’s a comforting feeling and encourages a more positive mindset.

Meditate – The practice of Meditating is a sure way to calm your mind. Even if it’s tough to sit still in the beginning, use an App like Headspace to help you.

Visualize – As an add-on to your meditation, you can do a visualization session where you envision your best self in the future. This is a way to start creating your future, by actually visualizing it in your mind. Get in touch with your longterm goals and identify what you’re working towards.

Watch what your first thought is, and get it out – This is a simple little activity where you sit still and wait for your first thought. When it comes, deal with it. Whether it’s about making a decision on something, deciding to talk to someone about something, whatever it is, get it out and start dealing with it. These kinds of lingering thoughts just create baggage and tire us out.

– [BODY] Nourish and Move Your Body.

Warm lemon water – There are many Health Benefits of Drinking Warm Lemon Water first thing in the morning, including kick starting your metabolism and flushing out toxins.

Yoga Stretch – Most of us carry a lot of tension in our necks, shoulders, and lower back. By doing as little as 10 minutes of stretching each morning, you’re going to release a lot of tension and feel a lot better.

Start a Challenge – Starting a fitness challenge is a great way to add exercise to your morning routine. You don’t have to think, and can just focus on doing the workout. A great one to start with is this easy-going 30-day yoga challenge, where you’ll have a 15-minute yoga class ready and waiting for you every day. This makes it easier to build a habit because all you need to do is press play.

Youtube Videos – There are a ton of online workout videos to choose from, especially on Youtube. From Yoga to Hitt training and everything in between. Find the videos that work for you, and save them in a playlist, ready to pull up whenever you need to.

15min Skipping – Get the heart going with a 15-minute skipping routine. All you need is a skipping rope and the Runtastic Timer app on your phone, and you’re good to go. This is one sure way to get your heart rate going!

Morning Run – After a little warm-up stretching, go for a run around the block. You’ll get your full-body workout in and get some fresh air at the same time.

Walk in the Park – Moving your body doesn’t have to be an intensive workout. You could simply go for a lovely early morning walk in the park. If you have dogs, take them with!

Breakfast – If you’re like me, and struggle to eat breakfast regularly, add it to your morning routine!

– [SPIRIT] Inspire and Develop Yourself.

This is about doing something that inspires you. It could be as simple as reading your favourite book or watching an inspiring TEDx talk. This is about feeding your soul with what it needs to grow in the right direction and shine for the day.

Chapter of a Book – In the quiet of the morning, you can easily get in a chapter of one of your favourite books and feel nourished.

Online Article – Find an article online, on a topic that really interests you, and read it from start to finish.

Youtube or TEDx Video – Watch a video on a topic that interests you. Anything from How to Create a World Class Day to Steve Jobs’ Amazing Marketing Strategy. Watch a video on a topic you’re passionate about and get inspired.

Udemy Course – There are many easily accessible online courses to help you learn new skills and grow in the right direction. Udemy is one of my favourites, with lots of different courses at great prices. You could sign up to one of them, and do some study time in the first morning.

Podcast Episode – Podcasts are a relaxing way to learn something new. Two podcasts I love listening to are Melyssa Griffin’s “Pursuit with Purpose” and Tim Ferriss’s “The Tim Ferriss Show“. Both very inspiring!

Chapter of an Audible book – Audible is a great place to find Audio Books. Simply sign up (upon which you get a free credit for your first book). Download the App on your phone, and it will automatically sync your books.

Write – If you’re a blogger like me, you can add writing to your morning routine. This is a great way to build up a writing habit, scheduling in 10-60 minutes of writing in every day. By writing every day, you can also get ahead on your blog writing schedule.

Gardening – If you have a garden, spend a little time tending to it. Make yourself a cup of tea and enjoy it while you water the plants and perhaps even plant some new seeds.

Examples of Morning Routines.

Using the activities above, here are some examples of routines that you could create.

Meditate, Yoga Stretch, Daily Goal Setting

Morning Pages, Online Workout Video, Daily Goal Setting

Tea and Morning Pages in the Garden, 15 min skipping, Inspiring TEDx Video, Daily Goal Setting

Intense workout, Daily Goal Setting, Writing session

Warm Lemon Water and a Chapter of a Book, Yoga Challenge, Daily Goal Setting

Morning Run, Delicious Breakfast, Daily Goal Setting

It’s Time to Rise and Shine!

Now it’s time to choose your 1 or more activities and start your morning routine. Be realistic and commit to an amount of time that you can keep up. Start small and make it easy-going for yourself. Pick activities that you know will add value to your wellbeing, and give yourself enough time to do them without feeling rushed.

Let me know how it goes and what personal morning routine you come up with. I’m excited to hear from you and see what works for you. Enjoy this time for yourself and set yourself up, mentally and physically, for a kickass day!