How Your Morning Routine Can Set You Up for a JoyPowered® Day

In the past, my morning routine was typically made up of the following:

• Turn off alarm
• Check social media and emails
• Shower
• Dress (sometimes even put on “real clothes” rather than my comfy post-Covid pants!)
• Breakfast
• Drive to office or walk into home office

Can you relate? That routine was repeated day after day after day after day after… you get the point. I love structure, but that morning routine was not invigorating me. It was not stimulating me. It was not focusing me. It was not bettering me. It was not setting me up for a JoyPowered® day!

In the fall of 2022, I had a mindset shift. I needed MORE. I decided to work on my thoughts, actions, and habits. Out of that focus, a new morning routine was created that did, in fact, set me up for a JoyPowered® day!

There are science-backed benefits of having a morning routine. Research has shown that a consistent morning routine can reduce stress, increase happiness, reduce procrastination, boost confidence, boost energy levels and improve your productivity at work. Not all morning routines are equal, though. What works for me may not work for you.

What is it about a morning routine that can set up your day? Here are some of my thoughts and findings through researching the shift that has been very impactful to me.

Set your intention

This should be your first step. What do you want more of in your day? More productivity? Better health? Happiness? Focus? You should first figure out what your goals are and move from there.

Decide what is NOT supporting your intention

What are the things that you do that take away from your goal or intention for the day? For me, it was checking social media and email as soon as I woke up. This did not align with my intention and focus, so I stopped doing it.

Set up barriers

Rather than grabbing my phone right away, I keep it across the room. You could also set a timer for answering emails to ensure you don’t get caught going down rabbit holes that you didn’t intend to go down. One of my goals is to work out in the morning, so I get my workout clothes together the night before. A friend of mine even sleeps in hers so she is ready to go!

Choose replacements

Replace the bad, boring, draining things with some that kick off your day in a JoyPowered® way! Some ideas could be meditation, listening to podcasts, reading a specific number of pages of a book, journaling, exercising, etc. Make a list of things you’d like to try and keep those that you end up loving!

Beyond Monday through Friday

Develop a morning routine that works for seven days of the week, not just five.

Find tools that work for you

I LOVE checking things off a list. I use a habit tracker app that keeps me focused throughout the day. You could write out a list on a piece of paper. Do whatever works best for you.

So here I am, about six months into my mind shift of working on thoughts, actions, and habits. My morning routine looks VERY different. It has been trial and error to figure out what works best for me. The great thing that I found is that even if I was not loving something new that I was trying, I was energized that I was trying something new and that I was being intentional on my journey. I have found a morning routine that invigorates me, stimulates me, focuses me, and betters me. My morning routine sets me up for a JoyPowered® day! Now, what about yours?