How I’ve Adjusted My Morning & Nighttime Routines
Being a stay-at-home mom and blogging, my mornings were very unorganized, and hectic and almost always ended with me still in my pajamas, sitting at my desk until midday. I would see the time and I would think about where my day went and if I could hurry through some errands, and calls, get in a workout, and shower before school pick-up. If you’re a mom with older kids, you know that your evenings typically aren’t yours. I was in a cycle of feeling unproductive, unmotivated, stuck feeling drained, lack of energy, all the while causing underlying stress. Something had to change about my lack of time management skills.
Slowly but surely, I have been slowly reworking my morning routine to meet my needs. I found a few things that work for me and I wanted to share them in case you need some ideas. On my daily walks with Bella, I’ve been listening to Mel Robin’s book on Audible, The High 5 Habit. She talks about her million-dollar morning routine, she has this routine mapped out to the second. What she also mentions in her podcast is her evening routine, which I have found the most success with. You can find that podcast episodes whereever you listen to podcasts.
You may be asking yourself, is it really sustainable? And how can I just start building a productive routine? Now, I want to be completely transparent with you, self-improvement is inherently ugly. Morning workouts are the bane of my existence, I LOATHE them until I am done. I hate leaving my cozy bed and putting on tight leggings and a sports bra to feel better LATER!! Self-improvement can look like 2 weeks, or months in my case, of doing nothing to improve, before deciding to start all over again. I am better off doing one thing and building upon a new habit. I learned about this concept in the book, Atomic Habits written by James Clear. I thrive on structure, and so do my boys. I am hoping these habits of mine trickle down to my kids.
Here are my top five, small adjustments I’ve made to each of my morning and evening routines that have had an incredibly positive effect on my day:
Morning Routine:
- Wake up one hour before my kids (about 6 am)
Are you notorious for snoozing? I am the queen of hittng the snooze button. Or should I say ex-queen…some people can just get up and go, like my husband. I still have the urge to push snooze, however, I’m doing my best to adjust my morning routine. - Drink a large glass of warm lemon water.
This is just my way of starting my morning off with water. Additionally, I take thyroid medicine and I am not supposed to eat or drink for 30 minutes. - Put on workout clothes.
If I put on workout clothes it feels like a signal to my brain to keep me focused on my next step, movement. I switch between a FasterWay to Fat Loss Workout or the Peleton. Also, once I’m done I can focus on getting the boys ready for school. - Work-out.
Truly, morning workouts just work the best for my schedule. I used to try and clean up, meal plan, work and then try and get movement in. For me, it NEVER works, ever. I used to drop my boys off at school and then work out but after moving and the pandemic, I found I’m best at home. Find something that works for you. 10 years ago I wouldn’t have worked out if it weren’t for my barre and Orange Theory Fitness classes. - Don’t look at my phone for the first 2 hours upon waking.
Recently, I heard that in the first one-three hours your cognitive powers are the strongest. I stopped opening social media apps in the morning before getting out of bed because I realized those were my biggest time drain. I may look at email quickly, but that’s it. And you know what? IG doesn’t need me at 6 am, and I’m ok without it.
Evening Routine:
Setting intentions the day before is where the true magic happens. I took a course from Coach Amber B and Jennifer Sise last summer to help maximize my time and enjoy summer with intention. What I learned here was how to time block like a boss! This one thing has helped me more than anything else with my daily organization.
- 20-minute tidy.
Cleaning up, sigh, I have had to cut my time down significantly, lol. My best friend and I call it Cindarella-ing. But truly, waking up to a tidied kitchen area helps me feel less stressed. A clean, organized space does wonders for my mornings and mental health. - Skincare Routine.
This is not new to me, but I wanted to write this down so you know part of my routine. I love to wind down with a warm shower to help me relax. If I don’t get one I try to always end the day with my skincare routine. I wrote about it here. - Lay out workout clothes for the next day.
Deciding on workout clothes the night before is a cue to my brain for the morning. Also, it cuts down on one less thing to think about in the morning. - Plan and prioritize by time blocking!
Generally, I start my Sundays looking at my entire week and fill in a paper calendar with standing schedules, appointments, and other commitments. HOWEVER, the night before I use these single tear sheets to time block the actual day. I account for every minute, may sound excessive, but it helps me stay focused and productive. The daily planner notepad also has a to-do list, space to write goals, meal planning, track water, and more. Personally, I am a pen-to-paper girl at heart. I need to have a bird’s eye view of my day.
- Charge my phone away from my bed.
This is twofold. One, it forces me to stop scrolling, and be intentional with my time reconnecting with my husband, I read more, and let’s face it, it helps me unwind and not impulse shop. Also, this makes me get up and out of bed to turn my phone off in the morning reducing my ability to hit snooze.
I am working on journaling in the evening as well, but this is not a consistent habit (yet). I am trying to journal right when I get into bed, it is right on my night stand waiting for me. Mel Robbins created a journal and it is an incredible tool to help build your day-to-day habits.
Prioritizing my morning and evening routines has had such a positive effect throughout my entire day, and has really helped to set a tone for consistent healthy habits, and lower stress. If you’re feeling like you’re in need of a routine remix, I understand. I hope you found this helpful. If you did, please share with a friend!
In the meantime, catch me on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and LTK!
xx, Nicole
