10 Morning Routine Tips to Start Your Day on a Happy Note

Over the past few years, I’ve given lots of time, thought, and intentional planning to my morning routine. While my habits and rituals are ever-evolving, adapting to fit the seasonal shifts and my body and mind’s changing needs, I’ve landed on a few AM essentials that help set me up for success. And though different approaches resonate and align, I’m sharing a few morning routine tips to inspire a fresh-start feeling—every day.

I’ve noticed that when I have a bad morning, it puts me in a bad mood. Unfortunately, that tends to snowball into the afternoon and evening. Thankfully, there are ways I can organize my morning to be calmer, unhurried, and set the stage for a more positive day ahead. When I get a good night’s sleep, exercise, and eat a nourishing breakfast, the early hours of the day are when I feel my most productive and inspired.

10 Morning Routine Tips to Start Your Day on a Happy Note

However, I want to make it clear: your AM rituals don’t have to be perfect. In fact, the goal of these morning routine tips is to give you as much freedom and space to change things up when the day doesn’t go as planned. That said, these are my tried-and-true strategies to have a happier morning and set the stage for a great day ahead. A side benefit? You just might discover that your energetic vibes rub off on everyone around you, too!

Start With a Pause

I used to wake up and dive headfirst into my inbox and social media. Sure, it felt productive, but I found that it would cause my mind to race and I’d feel distracted all morning. Now I try to take a few minutes to pause in the morning before consuming anything digital. Whether you use this time to pray, meditate, or breathe deeply, there’s no doubt that you’ll feel more centered for the rest of the day. Prioritizing this time is a choice. No matter how busy I am, it helps put my activities for the rest of the day in perspective.

Prep the Night Before

Between conflicting schedules and trying to get everyone out the door in once piece, the mornings have the potential to be really hectic at our house. I’ve found that I can mitigate the chaos by taking some time the night before to get prepped. I pick out my outfit to keep morning decision-making to a minimum, pack any lunches or snacks that we’ll need, and (probably most importantly) make my to-do list and check my schedule for the next day. That way, my mind is organized and knows what needs to be accomplished.

Embody the Energy You Want

I don’t love the saying “fake it ’til you make it.” There’s something that feels disingenuous about slogging through the day pretending to be someone you’re not. Instead, I like to embody the energy I want to feel. That means that if I wake up exhausted, I channel a vibe that’s excited about and grateful for the day’s experiences ahead. Support that intention by making a breakfast you can get excited about, taking a moment with your morning beverage, and setting aside a little extra time to pour into yourself before diving into the day.

Hydrate First

It’s important to rehydrate your system after seven or eight hours of sleep, so I’ve been starting the day by drinking a big cup of water. I like room-temperature water with lemon slices and maybe a few sprigs of mint. Then I reward myself with a coffee prize which lifts the fog from my sleepy brain. The key is keeping my intake to 1-2 cups at most. Anything more and I get jittery—and it may disrupt my sleep in the evening.

Prioritize Movement

I love to exercise in the morning. It can be tough to climb out of bed, but once I’ve started moving, the endorphin release gets me excited for the day. For those of you who just want to hit the snooze button, I recently read a study that the simple act of laying out your workout clothes the night before and placing your sneakers next to the bed makes you more likely to actually tackle your morning workout.  Not only does it cross a big “to-do” off my list first thing, it gives me the feeling that I can accomplish anything that day.

And no, you don’t have to do an hour-long workout to reap the benefits of morning movement. I love going for a walk with Adam or using that time on the trail to catch up with a friend. If it’s raining, I’ll stay indoors and do a little yoga flow or stretching. Anything to help me connect with my body before jumping into the day.

Set the Tone

Our mornings are 50x more fun when I turn on some good tunes. I sing while I put makeup on, joke around with the kids, and enjoy a soundtrack while I make breakfast. It’s an instant vibe shift.

Don’t Rush

This is definitely the toughest one for someone like me who is always trying to squeeze just one more thing into a given time period. Slowing down and building open space into my morning creates a little breathing room to enjoy the moment. It might mean getting up earlier, or maybe just trying to do less, but a big goal of mine is to lean into blank space a little more.

Wear What Feels Good

Even if you work from home, getting dressed in an outfit that makes you feel your best is one of the most effective ways to put an extra spring in your step. It doesn’t have to be buttoned-up workwear—the important thing is to wear something that’s reflective of your mood! Some days, I feel like a crisp white shirt and heels, while other days call for leggings and sneakers. But when you put on something that makes you feel confident and radiates how you feel inside, you can look in the mirror and just know it feels right.

Read more: 21 Work-From-Home Wardrobe Essentials You’ll Wear on Repeat

Be Lavish With Affection

I’ve made it a goal to send at least one email or text to a friend or faraway loved one every morning before the workday began. For me, it means making a choice to prioritize my relationships before a busy to-do list. I’ve also noticed how important it is to take time to connect with Adam, Phoebe, and Henry before we all go our separate ways for the day. I try to remind myself of the saying, “The days are long but the years are short,” and remember that I always have time to stop, look Phoebe in the eye, and give her a long hug goodbye and wish her a great day. Not only does it fill me with feelings of warmth and love first thing but I’ve probably just made someone else’s morning a lot happier in the process.

Make It Count

In the famous commencement address he gave at Stanford in 2005, Steve Jobs shared how he always started the day:

For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

The morning is brimming with potential to be the most beautiful part  of the day, so let’s not waste one more by going through the motions in a half-asleep state. Of all the morning routine tips I could offer, this is perhaps the most important: go to bed at a decent time tonight and get ready to make the most of your morning!