Ever wake up on the wrong side of the bed? And you couldn’t shake that nagging feeling that the entire day was already ruined before it even started? I know I have…

It’s easy to say, “I’m in a bad mood because this bad thing happened in the morning and somebody woke me up” or “I had a bad night of sleep”, or “I had a really early morning flight.”

Now it’s common to fall into the belief that all of those things happened TO you. When life is happening to you, you’re in Drama in Victim mode. 

Conscious leadership emphasizes accountability and making life happen through you. That means acknowledging the part you had in creating your circumstances. 

Did you start your morning on your phone? Did you start your morning by reading the news? Did you decide to press snooze a bunch of times and end up oversleeping? Did you head straight to your email as soon as you opened your eyes? 

I know from my own work experience that if I begin my workday jumping straight into email and problem-solving, I am not at my best. I’m not as creative or present or setting myself up for a successful day.

One of the most important skills of a conscious leader is asking yourself, “How did I create this current situation that is in front of me?” 

That’s why morning routines are important. It is a time of day to set your intentions and mindset for the day. A good morning routine is a great way to begin your day with a commitment to living the rest of your day consciously. 

The way you start your morning can impact your presence, focus, and flow for the rest of the day. 

The morning is an opportunity to get intentional about who you want to BE by the end of the day and to focus on cultivating a way of being present.

Mindset is really about the way you are being and the most important way of “being” is being present – in ease, in flow, aware, and grounded in current reality.

There are so many different fun and creative ways you can support yourself with your morning routine. 

By creating a personalized morning routine focused on the optimal mindset for yourself, you start your day on the right foot. You’ll notice a huge difference in your energy, clarity, and inspiration. 

Give yourself permission to play and experiment making your morning routine a time of self-discovery and expansion. Claim your role as the creator of your day. Connect your intention with your action. Be proactive and get creative! The only person who can make you a conscious leader is you. And it starts first thing in the morning.

Other benefits of a positive morning routine

Establishing a consistent morning routine can significantly contribute to your mental well-being and overall life satisfaction. When you set a plan for the morning, your stress levels can be greatly reduced because you will have a sense of (and actual) control over the first part of your day! Less stress and, by extension, lower cortisol levels create a positive mindset as the baseline for your day. 

When you intentionally include stress management activities like intention meditation, deep breathing, or physical activity in your morning, it supports both your emotional and physical well-being. You can also try out practices that support greater mental clarity, like journaling, in your daily routine. Doing so will help you improve your concentration and cognitive function so you can complete important tasks throughout your day with more ease.

A good night’s sleep is essential for emotional resilience and overall mental health. A well-established morning routine improves your sleep patterns and can promote a regular wake-up time. A better sleep schedule makes it so you’re less likely to hit the snooze button on your alarm clock and able to get started on your productive day without needing a cup of coffee (or ten) to function. Over time, a consistent morning routine naturally aids the development of positive habits, influencing lasting changes in your behavior and mindset. 

Experiment with Your Morning Routine

The most important thing to remember about a morning routine is that it’s YOUR morning routine. What works for someone else may not work for you. Finding a morning ritual that suits your needs and mindset is the goal. 

Personally, I’ve noticed I’m much more likely to do a morning routine of some kind if I give myself the flexibility to change it. Feeling allowed to switch up my routine (but sticking to a routine in general) gives me the space to inspire myself about what new things I can incorporate to make my routine even more helpful and meaningful for me. So remember, you don’t have to make a lifetime commitment to a specific morning routine. If twenty minutes of reading in the morning feels unnatural for you, try out a podcast or get some exercise! 

If you’ve tried out having a morning routine before but couldn’t stay committed, don’t give up on a morning routine altogether. Consider that perhaps you were trying to fit yourself into a morning routine mold that’s not the right fit for you. Your morning routine can look like anything. A successful morning routine is one that works for YOU.

Power to the morning people, but if you’re not an early riser you don’t need to set that 5 am alarm or get an early start. Don’t set yourself up to fail with morning habits you can’t keep. Night owls rejoice– if your morning hours are better spent getting extra shut-eye so you can have more sustainable energy throughout the day, do what’s best for you! 

If you hate running, try dancing instead.  Give yourself permission to continue to play and experiment and make your morning mindset a time of self-discovery and expansion.

Here are some practices you can add to your morning routine: 

Journaling 

Coloring books

State-Shifting

Meditation

Movement

Breathwork

Reading

Listening to a podcast 

Dancing

Sitting outside

There are so many ways to find this optimal morning mindset, and ultimately all that matters is that it works for YOU! There is no one-size-fits-all or “perfect” morning routine.

The best part of a morning routine is the part that supports you for the rest of the day. When you are intentional about your morning you establish yourself as the creator of your day. The most important part is connecting your intention with your action. By creating a personalized morning routine to develop the optimal morning mindset for yourself, you will gain the benefits of energy, clarity, and inspiration.

The only person who can make you a conscious leader is you. And it starts first thing in the morning.

Connect your intention with your action. Be proactive. Be creative.

This article is related to my podcast episode on morning routine – Listen here.