As much as I absolutely dread hearing my alarm ring in the morning, I also know that mornings can be a lovely time of day. For one thing — I am exponentially more productive in the morning than in the evening. Here are a few ways I try to stick to a morning routine that sets me up for a productive yet peaceful day. Mornings truly don’t have to be miserable.
- Even if you don’t have a morning class, wake up at a reasonable hour.
I am lucky this semester — I no longer have early morning classes and instead start my days in the afternoon. However, this means that sticking to a reasonable morning schedule has been critical for me. Not to mention that my mornings have become the time when I complete the bulk of my readings and assignments. If my first class starts at 1 P.M., I aim to be up between 7 A.M. and 8 A.M. While sometimes this might look like something closer to 8:30 A.M., the goal is always to be up as early as possible.
- No scrolling first thing in the morning!
This is the hardest thing for me to avoid and something that I am working on as I aim to cultivate a morning free from anxiety. Since I use my phone as my alarm, and it is charging on my nightstand, my first reflex in the morning is to check my texts, my emails, and even Instagram or TikTok. Not only does this start my day on a horrible note of screentime, but it is also a huge waste of time in the morning. If I open TikTok, I can easily spend 30 minutes scrolling through my For You Page before I realize how much time has passed — setting me up for a slow and unproductive morning.
- Make your bed while you brew your coffee.
If you’re like me and love having a neatly made bed but hate doing it, this trick is for you. To make sure I don’t avoid the task of making my bed, I have started brewing my coffee while I am making my bed. This way, as soon as I am finished making my bed, my coffee is sitting in the kitchen waiting for me. Knowing that I am only a few minutes away from sipping my coffee, I have an increased sense of motivation to finish making my bed as quickly as possible.
- Take care of the more “mindless” tasks while you are getting your day started.
I find so much peace in my days by starting my morning on my couch — while still in my robe — with my coffee and maybe a podcast or music playing in the background. I organize my to-do list for the day, and I take care of things that need to get done but don’t require as much brain power. I might take care of an email during this time in the morning or add a meeting or exam date to my calendar. By getting started with these small tasks first thing, I ease into my day peacefully yet with productivity — inspiring me to keep the momentum going for the rest of the day.