Ah, mornings. You either love ’em or you hate ’em. There’s so much that can be accomplished before the rest of the world is awake, but then again, extra sleep is pretty spectacular too. I find myself in a constant battle between wanting to be productive and wanting to lay in bed all day.
Morning routines have become a hugely talked-about subject on the internet these days, and I have to admit that I’m a sucker for hearing how other people structure their time before the day really starts. The beauty of mornings is that they’re the perfect time to set an intention for the day, visualize how you can live out that intention, and align your mindset and attitude with your goals for the day.
Back in December, I asked in a survey what the perfect morning would look like for my readers. Here are some of the answers:
“Waking up naturally around 6 and getting out of bed; ease into a workout + spend some quiet alone time with pen, paper, and something warm to sip on.”
“Wake up early and meditate and then do some gentle yoga. Have a smoothie and admire the view while doing something positive for my business, then begin work either at a beautiful office at home or in a creative shared work space.”
“Waking up with the sun and feeling fully rested, drinking tea and reading in the sunshine.”
Don’t those all just sound incredible? Waking up early, exercising, and enjoying a slow and peaceful morning seemed to be the most common answers!
Even though many of us have an idea of what the perfect morning would look like, unfortunately time restraints and lack of energy often get in the way of making it a reality.
Your Perfect Morning
I want you to push those restrictions aside for a moment, and think about what your perfect morning would actually look like. Take a second to imagine yourself living out the most perfect morning of your life. Forget about work, school, or anything else that tends to get in the way, and let your imagination run wild.
Ask yourself the following questions:
- What would you do if you had all the time in the world?
- How would you want to feel in the morning?
- What would you change about your morning today?
The purpose of this post is to get you thinking. Rather than me talking at you like I usually do, I want you to really spend some time thinking about how you can make your mornings more meaningful. This exercise can expose your values and the things that are important to you, which ultimately can give you a better sense of how you want to spend your life.
I know it’s a little dramatic to think that visualizing your perfect morning can create a vision for your life, but sometimes seemingly small exercises like this can give us clarity and direction when we lack it most.
For me, I’d love to wake up without an alarm and snuggle in my bed for a little while. Then I’d drink a huge glass of water, make myself a cup of ginger tea, and get ready to do a self-care power hour. My favorite combination is to meditate, do a little yoga with bae-driene, and then watch a few YouTube videos or read my favorite blogs.
There are endless possibilities to start your day on the right foot, and maybe you even feel like your perfect morning would be one where you switch it up every week.
Once you’ve thought about your perfect morning…
Leave a comment below telling us all about it! Go into as much detail as you possibly can. That way we can see just how many creative and inspiring ways there are to start the day!
I also want to encourage you to think of one thing you could do to help make it a reality.
Whether it’s getting up a little earlier, preparing the night before, or removing unnecessary distractions, how can you commit to making your perfect morning a reality? After all, you deserve the best morning in the world, my friends.
32 Responses
I love this!! I think these questions are so right-on. My favorite morning activities are showering, writing, and sipping lemon water.
I’m a morning shower-er too! I don’t feel awake until I’ve taken one!
That last option sounds absolutely dreamy, that would be my picture perfect morning too! I always wake up a little earlier than necessary so that I don’t rush myself! xxxxx
http://www.romantiquely.com
Feeling rushed is definitely not my favorite thing in the world haha! I love to take things slow in the morning.
I love waking up early in the morning so I can enjoy my cup of coffee in peace :)
http://lamodaeanarchia.blogspot.it/
I read a quote this weekend that said, ‘Coffee pairs nicely with silence’ and I think that’s totally right! ;)
I think it’s so important to be intentional with our mornings, because it sets the tone for the rest of our day! -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s
Absolutely, Audrey! Intention is everything.
My perfect morning is to eat a large bowl of oatmeal as I read new blog posts, and then squeeze in a short run afterwards :)
Ahh yes – that sounds perfect, Lys!
To be honest, my perfect morning depends on the season. In the spring and summer, my perfect morning would be to wake up with the sun, take my dog on a long, leisurely walk, then come home to drink a huge cup of coffee and read a book. In the fall and winter that would be re-ordered so that the coffee comes first while I watch the sun rise, then go for a walk. I already do this most mornings by waking up at least a half hour earlier than I “need” to so I have time to sit and let the caffeine percolate!
Solicitude
I definitely agree with you there, Hannah! I think my mornings always change when new seasons come around. Watching the sun rise is such a beautiful thing to enjoy in the morning xo
My perfect morning involves getting up early enough to have at least an hour alone….drink water with lemon essential oil, yoga/stretch/short workout/walk, meditate, shower/beautify, coffee and internet and writing time. I do well most days, but not as consistently as I’d like. Nice post! Thanks!
Having some alone time in the morning is definitely important to me too, Carrie! I think it’s great that you do well most days and are able to enjoy your perfect morning often xo
My perfect morning would consist of eating a nice breakfast, reading for 15 minutes (whether it’s a book or a blog post), meditate/ work out, and listen to a quick podcast. Unfortunately, my mornings are usually rushed. I tend to skip breakfast sometimes and I definitely don’t meditate/ work out as much as I should, but I do listen to podcasts and I tend to read articles in the morning when I do my typical facebook check in the morning. My mornings are definitely a work in progress. Nice article!
That all sounds wonderful, Natalia! It sounds like you are able to do some of it already (with the podcasts and articles), so that’s something to savor! xo
My perfect morning would be waking up early, a nice cup of tea, meditating, yoga, a quiet walk. Essentially, my perfect morning needs time to connect with myself, maybe with even something deeper than myself. It helps me feel grounded for the rest of the day <3
http://www.thebusinessofblooming.com
That sounds amazing, Marie!
My perfect morning would literally just be me feeling refreshed. It doesn’t sound like such a hard thing to achieve but somehow it is! I guess the biggest problem is the reading/writing that I would like to get done in the morning are also things that have me sitting still and I tend to just.. tip… over.
That’s a great way to look at it, Anna – feeling refreshed! I know I never feel refreshed if I stay up too late haha
I have 2 kinds of favorite mornings. I love waking up without an alarm before anyone else, getting in a good sweaty workout, and cranking out a bunch of chores: laundry, dishes, cleaning the kitchen, working in the garden then taking a long shower and relaxing with breakfast, tea, and a crossword puzzle.
But I also love mornings where I laze in bed with my toddler not caring what time it is. Making breakfast leisurely and eating it on the couch, wrapping up in blankets and watching cartoons.
It’s great that you mentioned that you have two favorite types of mornings, Jenn! I think sometimes there does need to be a balance between feeling productive and giving yourself some space to be lazy :)
I’d wake up to look out the window seeing a perfect multi-colored sunset with the serenity of hearing the morning calmness. Then get my workout in for the day preferably with a sauna at hand to end with . Then a little morning TLC with a good face cleanse following with a toner and refreshing moisturizer WITH SPF :b Last but not least and we’ll balanced meal. Maybe a little avocado toast and eggs, with yano a smoothie to top it off, because why not. All to end with getting dressed and starting whatever the rest of the day has for me without rushing and with a green tea with fresh lemon juice. TALK ABOUT DETAILED. Definitely know exactly what I want. One thing I could do to accomplish that is get the rest I need which is ecstatic what I am NOT doing at 1:30AM with work at 9.. GN xoxoxo :))) happy I read this… have actually had it saved in my inbox to get to. Another thing, actually do what I think about doing faster than 2 months lol :b
I LOVE how detailed you got with your perfect morning routine, Alijah! And yes, getting to bed a little earlier definitely helps make the mornings go smoother!
Hi Catherine,
My perfect morning looks a lot like waking up at 5AM, writing for five hours + cuddling with my fur babies, then getting up to workout for 15-30 mins, showering, breakfast, then off to work!
But this got me thinking…one of the best ways to create a more blissful morning is to have a thoughtfully curated wardrobe filled with versatile, cohesive pieces that fit in with your daily life + exemplify your personal style.
A wardrobe built on minimalist principles (versus a closet stuffed with impulse buys/cheap, trendy fast fashion/bargains/stuff you don’t like or have nowhere to wear) can drastically clean up your morning routine and cut out some of the excess stress when your day is just starting. What we wear says so much about us and therefore is super important, but shouldn’t induce stress. (I write a about it on my site if anyone wants to read more.)
– AB | http://www.thegococollective.com
Hello!
I have recently come across your blog and cannot stop reading! Often having many tabs open (still haven’t gotten to that one-tab challenge yet) because every post leads to so many other things I want to research/read about or implement into my life! As of right now (still need to pose the ‘what would my perfect morning look like?’ question to myself) I wake up around 5:30 or 6 AM and drink 12 oz of cold water, followed by some sun salutations, a blogilates workout, 10 minutes of meditation, and harvesting my chi/setting my intention for the day! After that I get to showering and breakfast. I want to incorporate tea and some down town in there though. It still feels so scheduled and regimented and even rushed. But I’m working on it!
Keep up the awesome work!
Summer
Really enjoyed this post and exploring the rest of your blog. All very inspiring
Thank you so much!
This is great! For me, mornings set the tone for the whole day. I like to start with a little lemon water, some meditation and stretching and then some form of exercise. I try to do my gratitude journal on my morning commute and recently posted about how to start at gratitude practice. Starting the day with gratitude is an important way for me to have the right mindset for all the challenges of daily life! http://www.mindfulstriver.com/a-practice-of-gratitude/
Totally agree! Starting the day with gratitude really helps put things into perspective and it makes me feel more positive in the morning!
I wake up around between 5:40am to 6am because my cat gets up and meows telling me it morning time even though I have ear plugs. I get up make coffee straight away, it takes me a while for me to wake up properly.
Watch my favorite programs on my tv on demand device because at night I am way to tired to concentrate ,so I just go to bed early. I use Gabrielle Bernstein universe has your back journal and card deck with meditation to prepare myself for what the guidance of the universe has for me that day. Most day’s I blast music it sets me on feel good vibes which is important to feel good before starting the day. That’s how I start my days I would love to see more YouTube inspiration from you. Blessings
Brilliant read, I felt like you was speaking directly to me. I also think meditation is a great way to start the day, everyone deserves a bit of self love to get into a habit of doing that each morning is great.