How To Create A Mindful, Intentional Morning Routine

An Intentional Morning Routine = A Successful Day

It’s been said that morning people are more likely to be successful people.

While rising earlier than others can provide a sense of ownership over the day that you may not get otherwise, a sustainable morning routine should work best for your schedule.

Each person has their own creative peaks and valleys. It’s not fair to say that it’s better to be an early riser than a night owl. There are many benefits to burning the midnight oil if that’s when your energy runs highest. 

But it’s fair to assume you’re here to learn how to make each morning more intentional. So, whether you’re a night owl, early riser, or someone who battles the alarm clock daily, mornings don’t have to be The Dreaded Time.

Imagine more quiet, stillness, and an empty canvas of space and time to do with what you please.

It’s a great way to get a head start on feeling good for the rest of the day.

Here are some solid ways to make those pre-day moments even more rewarding.

Plant The Seed of Intention In Your Sleep

The book The Power of Your Subconscious Mind is about leveraging the power of our subconscious to achieve our biggest goals. It includes a thought experiment that the author lays out in the first few chapters.

It’s simple: before falling asleep at night, you’re to tell yourself (your future self) what time you’d like to wake up the following morning.

If you choose a time and focus on it with intention, the book says that your subconscious will make sure you’re up by then. If you set an alarm just for extra security, you might be surprised to realize you don’t even need it. 

The power of your own thoughts far exceeds what you know to be possible.

Through thought, you have the ability to design your future and meet your divine potential. So, you can surely muster the energy to plant a seed of intention, like when to wake up.

To do this, just take two or three minutes before bed to talk yourself through the next day’s game plan.

Treat Your Body Like a Temple

Make physical mindfulness a part of your morning by channeling stillness, flow, or energizing movement.

Carve out time to tune into your body, whether you’re meditating and reciting mantras with your breath or feeling the strength of your muscles on a hard run.

This mind-body connection will help fuel your awareness and focus for the day. You can incorporate grounding scents by using essential oils in a diffuser or dabbing a little on each wrist.

Continue your morning by consuming something delicious and healthy. Try a bowl of granola with a sliced banana, a smoothie dashed with cinnamon, or a matcha latte made with silky, vanilla oat milk.

Eat something that makes you feel good and that will sustain your energy. Avoid foods that cause you to crash, losing the morning routine you set out for. 

When you benchmark your mornings with something that makes you feel good, you stay motivated.

Create a Meaningful, Reliable Ritual

Now that you have your first few steps of the morning squared away, focus on creating a morning ritual that helps you maximize your time and productivity.

The intentional morning looks and feels different in every home.

Figure out what’s most important to you, and consider the activities that a normal, chaotic day leaves you wishing you had time for. 

You may like to spend time reading books and checking in with your spiritual side before you get out of bed. Or maybe you love knocking out that high-intensity workout and then dedicating thirty minutes to a favored hobby. Maybe it’s a good time to prep lunches and listen to a favorite podcast.

Creating a ritual or routine, whatever it may be, will establish value in those morning hours. 

You’ll keep returning to this routine as it proves its worth!

Add More Time To Your Day

Full-on intentional living involves effective time management. Readjusting and refining your morning routine shouldn’t be an isolated experience that you do once and then: done. 

Not only should you try to make space for your needs every morning, but also focus on creating productive habits for the rest of your day. It’s easy to save thirty minutes to a few hours every day if you maximize mornings.

Plus, you’ll release yourself from the chains of must do’s that plague so many of us throughout already-busy days.

The lasting effects of committing to make each morning more intentional are undeniable!

P.S.: Read this post for inspiration on cultivating a mindful, intentional bedtime ritual.