I don’t know about you, but my morning sets the stage for how my day is going to go. Which is why I want to do what I can to start my day off right! So I have five morning habits that I like to do to kick things off.
These habits can vary from person to person, so feel free to find your 5 (or 10!) that works for you. This just sets my day up for success and if I don’t do these things, well let’s just say that my day doesn’t go as smoothly.
1. Coffee Time
First I wake up and I make myself a cup of coffee. Let’s be real here for a second. A nice, fresh, hot cup of coffee is what gets me out of bed most mornings. If I didn’t have the promise of coffee every morning, getting out of bed would a much more difficult task than it already is. Just me?
Now maybe you’re not a coffee drinker. That’s okay! Maybe you like tea or even just a glass of water. Maybe it’s just diffusing some essential oils!
The point of this first tip is to do some short task that energizes you and gets you up and going for the day.
For me, that’s coffee. This is one of those morning habits that are non-negotiable. Did I mention I like coffee?
2. Unload Your Dishwasher
Really? That’s my next tip? Yes, it is! Why is it so important?
Well, if you’re anything like me, you hate doing the dishes. They’re annoying and constant–the bane of my existence as a homemaker. I struggle to stay on top of them. Ok sorry, rant over.
But like any task that you don’t want to do, if there’s an extra step involved that makes it that much more difficult, you’re less likely to follow through.
If I have dishes to wash, but my dishwasher is full of clean dishes that still need to be put away? Guess what? I probably won’t do the dishes. That extra step is enough to suck all the motivation out of me.
Yes, I know that unloading the dishwasher doesn’t take much time, and it isn’t that difficult. But staring down a pile of dirty dishes and knowing that I have an extra step to do before I can get started? No thanks. I’ll deal with it later.
Cue the ever-amassing pile of dishes and eating takeout for dinner. Ugh!
But unloading the dishwasher as one of my morning habits ensures a blank slate for the dishes that will inevitably need doing later on.
If I know I can quickly rinse a plate off and throw it in the dishwasher, I’m much more likely to actually do it.
This helps me to keep the dishes, and thus the house, clean and our home more enjoyable to live in. This also helps me to cook more homemade meals when I have a kitchen and dishes that are ready to go.
Bonus points for saving money on fast food!
3. Read Your Bible
Now I’m not going to go into the importance of reading your Bible here. Suffice it to say that it’s important!
First, let me just say that I don’t have some overwhelming conviction that reading my Bible needs to happen at a specific time of the day. Maybe it works better for you if you read it at night! If that’s you, then go ahead and read it later.
But for me, if I get started with my day, I’m not going to want to take the time to pause everything and go read my Bible. If I don’t do it at the beginning of my day before life starts to happen, I probably won’t read it.
By making Bible reading a morning habit of mine, I’m putting God’s Word first in my life to make sure that other things don’t get in the way.
Then if I get busy later, I have comfort and peace knowing that I prioritized it and that I can focus on whatever is going on.
I’m much more at peace throughout my day when I’ve put in the time to read my Bible.
Maybe you read at night after everyone else has gone to bed. Or you read during your kids’ nap time! Whatever works for you, do it! The point is to set yourself up for success for the day.
4. Eat Breakfast
We’ve all heard the importance of eating a hearty breakfast.
I don’t care if my breakfast hearty per se. But I definitely feel so much better when I’ve fed my body!
I have a little bit more energy, and I’m a little less angry when I’m not trying to work on an empty stomach. Being hangry is a real thing, people! Just ask my husband.
Eating something, even something small, makes me feel better, and I work faster and more efficiently when I have food in my system.
The key is to eat something that is somewhat good for you. Put down the breakfast pastries! Oh, sorry. I was talking to myself there.
Eating a banana, a bowl of oatmeal or yogurt, a smoothie, or some tasty avocado toast if you have the time is a great way to start your day.
Mmmm, now I want avocado toast.
5. Free Time
I like to wake up a little bit earlier than I need to, just so I’m not rushed in the morning.
I hate that feeling of rushing around, doing this and that, only to run out the door for a day of work. Then when I get back? It’s time to cook, do the dreaded dishes (can you tell I hate doing dishes?), and tackle all the other things of the day.
Feeling rushed in the morning sets me on edge and then I feel like that for the rest of the day. Can you relate?
By making sure I have the time in the morning to sit and relax starts my day out on a much more peaceful note. Then I feel more relaxed throughout the rest of my day as well.
It sets the stage for a day of living intentionally rather than being swept off by the day’s current.
Try it out! Wake up a little bit earlier just so you have time to do nothing before rushing out the door. Let me know how it affects your day!
And those are my five morning habits that set my day up for success! Are there any tips you have for starting up a successful day? Let me know in the comments! I would love to hear from you!
If you want to keep track of your morning habits, then download my free habit tracker!