Summer morning routine for night owls to have successful days

Let’s get one thing straight: I am not a morning person. And let’s get another thing straight, while we’re here: my summer morning routine is nothing like the one I try to have in the cooler seasons. But I’m a busy, busy woman, and if I don’t get my ass in gear by a certain time, my life will begin to fall apart. It’s also extra hard to have good morning habits in the summer, when it’s easy to stay up chatting or watching stuff. So, from a self-identified night owl, let’s talk about how I organize my mornings.

Make your summer morning routine easy

I think every morning routine should be easy, because my brain is not online before 10am. Sorry, but it’s just not. So you want the lowest possible lift first thing in the morning in order to actually hit your morning routine. And, let’s be realistic here, there’s no reason to beat yourself up if you miss it. In my experience, the best routines are built after hundreds of failures. Building your summer morning routine is a journey just like any other.

Think about what kind of mindset you usually wake up in, and what time of day you usually feel functional. This changes season to season for me. My summer morning routine is what I’ve created to get me to that point of functionality and preparedness a little sooner than 10, not just a list of things to do the moment I wake up. Note that this post is not about how to wake up earlier – more on that another day.

Summer morning routine as a way to survive a plane crash

Yes, waking up in the morning is that bad for me. Think of what they tell you before you take off: put your own oxygen mask on first. I like to organize my mornings in order of priority because it sets me up for a more relaxed afternoon. Think of these as concentric rings.

1. First priority: my body. My body is the center of everything I do. This is the vehicle that will carry me my entire life, so I honor it first thing. I wash up, change, make the bed, and roll out the yoga mat to stretch. Then breakfast (out on the patio if the weather is nice). Food is fuel, and I’m not about to any big tasks without it. In fact, the only reason I stretch before is because I have chronic pain. Fasted stretching helps my body remember to stay loose when I sleep the next night.
2. Second priority: those who need me to survive. I scoop the cat litter, change their water, and water the plants.
3. Third priority: mind and heart. On a perfect morning, I write down my intentions for the day (1-3 things I want to keep in mind) and draw an oracle card to figure out the day’s vibe. Not every morning (especially in a summer morning routine, when I often have plans early in the day) is going to be perfect. This is my ideal, and if I can’t get to these things until later, that’s okay.

Then I sit down for work.

Try working a 5-minute self care activity into your morning.

Dos and don’ts for the morning.

• Do keep it low-lift when you’re starting out. If you’re used to working out in the afternoon, avoid creating a big obstacle for yourself by moving your workout to the morning. Stick with achievable goals for the morning.

Remember with any big change, you want to create a self-fulfilling prophecy. Focus a lot on small successes to create a positive relationship with getting your mornings in order. Woke up on time? Win. Write it down. Woke up but only got to 3 things you wanted to do? Win. Write it down. Slept in but did all 5 things on your morning routine list? Win. You get it.

• Do hydrate first thing. I had a dietitian tell me once that water is what reminds your body that you’re alive first thing in the morning. Try keeping a bottle of water on your nightstand so you can indicate to your brain that it’s time to get going.
• Do get some sun right away. There’s just no better way to support your daily routine than soaking up as much sun as possible in the morning. Even if you’re still in bed, look out the window to signal to your brain that it’s time to get going. Sunlight first thing in the morning is great to help regulate your circadian rhythm!
• Do get enough rest. I will probably go to my grave saying this, but a life well-lived is not lived in a state of exhaustion. To have a good morning, you need a pulse on the quality of your rest from the night before. Adjust your night routine and sleep hygiene as necessary if you feel worn out, agitated, foggy, or distracted throughout the day. Got other indicators of exhaustion that I haven’t listed? Use those!
• Do always listen to your body. If you’re struggling a LOT with your mornings, it’s probably a sign that your body’s daily routine has more work to be done in other areas. For me, good mornings came after figuring out sobriety, diet, movement routines, mental health issues, and relationship problems. You might also have some other routine issues that your body needs you to prioritize.

• Don’t beat yourself up. Remind yourself as often as necessary that this is journey. Self-improvement is more “self” than “improvement.” If you fail to wake up and get your shit done 100 times in a row, you have one of two things. It could be a task, identifying your obstacles and resolving them. If you already know your obstacles, you’ve got priceless info about how those obstacles are impacting you. Figured out why you can’t have a good morning? What a win! Write that down!
• Don’t skip breakfast. I know a lot of people talk about how great it is to go an extra few hours without food after sleep, but I firmly disagree with this. The time that I eat breakfast has a direct impact on how long I have energy throughout the day. The #1 factor when it comes to whether or not I stay up late is the time I ate breakfast that day, i.e. when I started taking in fuel. When I sleep in, I eat breakfast as soon as possible to preserve my sleep/wake cycle. Sometimes I’ll even bump dinner up a little bit in the evening to trick my body into winding down faster. Controversial, maybe, but I’m also anti-intermittent fasting because of the impact that food has on your body’s natural cycles.

That’s exactly how I organize my mornings! Think about your morning priorities and whether there might be something else in your life impacting the first few minutes of your day. And, of course, have a good morning. 💙

Need a little help figuring out what might be impacting your mornings? Audit your life.