On the days that feel like too much to handle, you can turn to this simple morning routine. It is a short and restful morning routine that will help you get ready in the morning without having to work too hard. Every activity within this routine is meant to restore you, not make you more stressed and tired. Try this self-care morning routine to help you on those more difficult days.
Everyone has tough mornings on occasion.
I really love a good morning routine, but I still struggle quite often to maintain a consistent morning routine that works for me.
Some days I’ll wake up with loads of energy and a readiness to start my day, but other times I will wake up with crippling anxiety and no desire to get out of bed.
I used to try to stick to one rigid morning routine that stayed the same no matter how I was feeling, but I’ve realized that this isn’t a good way to go about things.
As I’m learning how to live authentically, I am discovering the importance of listening to my body and my mind and adapting my day according to what I observe in myself.
On those energetic days, I’ll do a powerful morning routine. On the days when I’m anxious, I do a morning brainwash routine. At times when the morning feels dreary and cold, I do a cozy morning routine.
And on days when I’m overwhelmed, I do the routine I’m about to show you.
This simple morning routine is very general and flexible. It only takes an hour so that you can have time to sleep in if you need it.
Use this restful morning routine on days when your regular routine just feels like too much to manage right away.
It will help ease you into the day and get you feeling ready without tiring you out.
It’s also good for the days when you don’t have a lot of time to get ready but you still want to have a bit of a morning routine before leaving the house.
Try it yourself and see what days this morning routine benefits you the most!
Can’t get enough of morning routines? Check out these other posts:
- Morning Brainwash: How to Start Your Day Right
- Morning Pages for a Better Day
- Your Perfect Fall Morning Routine for a Better Season
- How to Make Your Winter Mornings Easier and Cozier
How to Build Your Own Simple Morning Routine
Each part of this routine is separated into time frames and categories. For each category, you could fill it in with whatever activity you would like that’s related to it. You will see some suggested activities, but any activity you choose is fine, too!
Part 1: 10 Minutes of Calm
This portion of the routine is calm and comfortable so that leaving your warm bed doesn’t feel like such a punch in the face.
Try doing something that warms you and gets your body feeling less stiff. If you want to make the most of your time, it helps to pair your activity with something auditory, like soft music or an encouraging podcast.
Here are some possible activities you could do that help to calm your mind and your body:
- Listen to an encouraging podcast
- Listen to calm music
- Meditate
- Do stretches or a short yoga routine
- Do a daily devotional or a quick Bible study
- Pray
- Make a warm drink (warm lemon water is best for your body, but coffee and tea are good, too)
- Journal or do morning pages
- Take a walk to get some sun
- Wear a cozy robe and slippers
- Rinse your face with warm water
Part 2: 20 Minutes of Restorative Hygiene
Now that your body is warmed up and you have transitioned out of your bed, it’s time to move on to one of the more productive portions of this routine- hygiene.
It is important to note that the main priority here is not to get ready quickly but to take a bit of time to let this be a restorative and enjoyable time.
Instead of speeding through this part, let yourself keep a slightly slower pace so that you can enjoy it a little more.
Related Post: How to Turn Your Shower into a Restorative Ritual
Here are some restorative hygiene activities you can do:
- Do an oil massage on your face or body
- Exfoliate your skin with a DIY coffee scrub
- Take extra time on nail care
- Light candles to set a calming mood
- Take some towel time after a shower or bath
- Use a moisturizer with a scent you like
- Use a face mask
- Do some light stretches
- Take some time to try a fun hairstyle
Part 3: 10 Minutes for Clothes and Makeup
On days when you’re not feeling your best, you probably won’t feel like walking around in some intricate outfit all day, either. For me, these days are perfect for an oversized sweater and leggings.
Ten minutes may not sound like a lot of time, but it is meant to encourage you to keep things simple.
Instead of fretting over how good you look, stick to a basic makeup look and an easy, comfortable outfit. You can still look put together, but it shouldn’t require too much of your effort.
For clothing, stick to things that are simple and comfortable.
Try to lay off the jewelry and accessories and choose something that won’t require any readjusting throughout the day. Find something that you feel good in!
For makeup, just do the bare minimum.
Maybe some tinted moisturizer, a quick swipe of mascara, and a tinted lip balm. If you are comfortable leaving the house without makeup, then this is a great day to do so!
Related Post: 11 Summer Skincare Daily Habits for Healthy, Beautiful Skin!
Part 4: 20 Minutes to enjoy some food
If you are not a breakfast person, then perhaps this would be a good time for you to make food for later or simply enjoy a nice warm drink.
The idea here is to finish your simple morning routine with something pleasant and nourishing for your body.
It can also serve as a bit of a buffer time if you feel you will need to use more time for one of the other activities here.
I actually want to mention something personal that I’ve recently found useful for my own health.
Lately, I’ve been eating really light, warm foods for breakfast. In Ayurvedic living, it’s called sattvic food, which simply means that they are purifying foods. They won’t feel heavy in your stomach, and they are neutral in flavour.
I’ve found that starting my day with sattvic food is much more nourishing and helps my stomach digest more easily throughout the day. Though I don’t know if it feels this way for everyone, I would recommend you try it!
Here are some ways you can spend your last twenty minutes:
- Eat something warm and full of spices
- Take time to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee
- Practice mindful eating
- Watch a show you enjoy while eating or drinking something
- Read a book while eating or drinking something
- Enjoy some good company at the breakfast table
- Call a friend or family member to catch up
Related Post: How to Practice Mindful Eating and Actually Enjoy Your Food
If you are struggling to manage your mornings right now, this simple morning routine might be exactly what you need! It is a restful morning routine that is short enough to allow you more time for sleep and long enough that you still feel prepared for your day. If you want to feel more rested and relaxed in your day, try this self-care morning routine to help you on days where you feel overwhelmed.
Ohh, I love the 10 Minutes of Calm. I neeeeed that
Haha yes, I’ve definitely found that the 10 minutes of calm is the part that makes the biggest difference in my day. It makes it so much easier to get out of bed when I know that I can relax and enjoy the morning for a moment!
I love the idea of having a simple, restful morning routine. I know I personally always end up trying to pack too much into my mornings and then get overwhelmed so fast, so I loved this idea and your post. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, I have that same problem! Some weeks I really enjoy my more active morning routines, but sometimes I just need something simple, and this routine is perfect for that!
What a great article to teach ourselves grace on tough mornings! Also, I have never heard of sattvic food, so I look forward to learning more.
Absolutely! It can be hard to remind ourselves to take a break and stop pushing so hard to get everything done the moment we wake up. And yes, I’m pretty new to sattvic food, as well, but it is definitely really interesting! I look forward to sharing more about it!
These are such great suggestions. I do a lot of driving in the mornings, and driving has surprisingly become my “calm” time. I love listening to audio books or podcasts in the car. Thanks for these awesome tips!
I’m really glad you liked them! That is such a great idea to use your driving time as a calming moment in your day- so much better than stressing over traffic! 😉
I loved this! Great suggestions! I am the worst at having a morning routine but I may need to change my ways!!!!
This morning routine is definitely my favourite one if you’re not particularly good at morning routines because it has such a broad time frame. It allows for a lot of flexibility, so it can work for tired or energetic days!
I think this is a good morning routine. Take your time and relax.
I’m glad you like it! I definitely enjoy that it allows time for a slow pace and some relaxation 🙂
One of my goals for this year is to get into a better, more consistent morning routine. You have so many great suggestions! I’m currently reading a devotional and doing a gratitude journal every morning.
I am not a morning person so it feels like every morning is rough. I find for me, what works best is to keep it simple.
The night before, if I know I have a busy day ahead, I will take a shower, prep my lunch, and pick out my clothes. That way, I can enjoy the morning so much more by not bring in a rush to find everything I need.
That’s definitely a great way to get ahead of the morning! I also find that when I prep everything the night before, things just go way more smoothly in the morning. Thanks for the suggestions!
Love this! I ALWAYS skip the calm part, which is so important when you first wake up. Going to try to start implementing this instead of flying out of bed 20 minutes late every morning lol
I’ve definitely struggled with that myself! It’s amazing what a small comfort in the morning can do for your day, though. Good luck implementing this into your own morning routine! 🙂
I didn’t know how badly I needed to read this until I did. I’ve been feeling super overwhelmed most mornings, so I could use a simple routine like this and I’m fascinated about the sattvic food suggestions. I’m definitely going to try this whole routine this week and see how I feel!
I’m really glad you found this useful, Stephanie! I struggle a lot with morning anxiety, so there are weeks where I’m happy to do a fuller routine, but some weeks when adding more to my routine is just going to make things worse. I definitely like to use this routine for those days when I am feeling more prone to anxiety and overwhelm. I’d love to hear how it goes for you!
I love this entire concept! The hardest thing about morning and evening routines for me is those days when every little things feels overwhelming (thanks anxiety!) so having a routine for those times sounds amazing. I will definitely try this out!
I totally get that! Sometimes I really enjoy an extensive morning and night routine, but other times it just adds to the stress. From there, it can be so easy to feel like a failure if you can’t meet the expectations of your routine. I definitely like this morning routine for days when I just can’t manage any more than the basics. I hope you find it helpful!