My 6 am Morning Routine Might Look Like A Disaster

Some mornings, I am at my ALL-time best, slay my morning routine, and the next day I am still drooling on my pillow at 10 am. Waking up early has always been a hardship for me. 

I’m not a morning person, and I don’t function well on little sleep. So, when I decided to start waking up at 6 am, I knew it would be challenging. And my 6 am morning routine might look like a disaster to some people. But it works for me and helps me start my day on the right foot.

When researching and planning this post, I found some awe-inspiring morning routines about brushing your teeth the moment you wake up, working out, setting up room diffusers, and such. In a perfect world, I would love to do that. 

My life is far from other people’s view of perfect. I am learning that what is best for my family and my mental health is really what is BEST. I am no longer a slave to trying to please anyone outside of my household. 

Below is what I usually do on most days. It is not a fancy routine to discuss the children’s schedule with their nanny. (I don’t have a nanny! I am being smart. Someone wrote that!) 

6 am Morning Routine Starts! 

If I try to wake up at 6 am, I am off to a better day! Earlier or later, ruin it! If I wake up around 4:30 am, I am too sleepy in the afternoon. If I wake up at 10 am, I just want to say, “Forget it! The day is over.”  

When my mind is between sleeping and waking up, I always say, “Good morning, Jesus” this is not my prayer time. It is just a quick hello. My heart always wants to talk to God first. 

I scurry off to the bathroom the second my feet are on the floor because I wake up all night to drink water. (I know this is a bad cycle because the more water I drink at night, the more I go to the bathroom all night!) 

0630 Devotion and Prayer time 

Now is my time to read my daily devotion, the Dr. Charles Stanley app called In Touch. I absolutely learned so much from him. I like him so much that I wrote a blog post about him, it is Christian Leadership: A Look At Dr. Charles Stanley.

0700 Joe and Jonah 

My adult son Joe and Jonah (my puppy dog) are my 1st-morning priorities on good as well as horrible days. I check in with Joe to see how he is doing and let him know I am awake. 

Joe is a genuine morning person! He is always awake before 6 am. Joe is always happy to see me and greets me with a smile and a hug. He is the most positive person that I know. If you do not know, he has autism. 

My baby boy Jonah is NOT a morning puppy. He would rather I stay in bed until noon. On the occasion that I do that, he is the happiest guy ever! 

Jonah usually moves from the bed to his pillow on the couch. He needs snuggles and belly rubs, and then he is back to sleep for a while. I always spend a good hour with Joe and Jonah before I get started doing anything. 

0800 Emails and Social Media 

BAD HABIT! Social media always sucks me into mindlessly scrolling from 30 minutes to another hour. We all know the feeling. You sit down to check Facebook for a minute before getting back to work, and the next thing you know, an hour has passed. Or you open Instagram to look at some photos, and suddenly it’s been half an hour. Social media can be a huge time suck, but there are ways to avoid falling into the trap of mindlessly scrolling.

First, set a timer for yourself. Whether it’s five minutes or thirty minutes, knowing that you only have a limited amount of time can help you focus on what you’re doing. 

Second, turn off notifications for your social media apps. That way, you will not be tempted to check when you get a new like or follower. Finally, make sure you’re using social media for something productive.

I need to move this habit to later in the day. I think I don’t push it because my body is in pain when I first wake up. I want to move around when I am more awake. 

0900 Trello Organizational Tool 

If you want to learn about a fantastic planning tool, check out Trello. 

It is meant for companies and people working as a team on projects, but anyone can use it. 

I found it when trying to sort out a plan for this blog. I needed a schedule, note, calendar, and all in one place for my blog STUFF. I tried it for free for 30 days and found that I can’t live without it now. I use it for every aspect of my life, not just the blog. (I am not an affiliate, I LOVE it that much!) 

I spend at least 30 minutes or more in Trello. I plan out for a few days at a time. I have separate “boards” for my personal, household, and blog life. 

Here is a peek at my weekly “everything” board first, and the second one is the editorial calendar for this blog. 

So I spend a lot of time planning everything. I wrote about planning everything in a post about Holidays and mental health. It is Holiday Mental Health Tips You Need To Know. There is an excellent section in that post on how planning reduces stress. 

0930 Off to work

Before I get really into working on the blog, I do a bit of self-talk. I tell myself to do my best. It is mine and Joe’s daily affirmations. We both need to focus on our tasks, and it is a gentle push to say, “You can do it!” 

Every day of the week (except Monday, which is my day off), I have a “job” on the blog. The entire process of writing posts and social media marketing is broken into six days. Most days, I do more, and some days less, but it always works out! 

Conclusion to my 6 am Morning Routine

My mornings are simple and have a lot of room for improvement. I plan to incorporate some journal time into my mornings, and I would also like to move personal social media to the afternoons. 

I’m always looking for ways to improve my mornings and make them more enjoyable. Many people set aside time for reading or listening to audiobooks in the mornings, and I would also love to do that.

There are so many benefits to doing that in the morning. It can help wake you up and prepare you for the day ahead. It’s also a great way to relax and start your day positively.

I’m going to try setting aside some time for reading or listening to audiobooks in the morning, and I hope it makes my mornings more enjoyable. Wish me luck!

If you’re like most people, you have a morning routine that could use a little bit of work. Maybe you’re not a morning person and need help to get out of bed. Or perhaps you’re rushed and stressed out every morning, trying to get everything done before you head off to work or school.

But it doesn’t have to be this way! You can make plenty of simple changes to your morning routine that will help you start your day in a better frame of mind. And who knows? Once you’ve made a few minor changes, your mornings are something to look forward to.

So what would you like to change about your morning routine? Tell me in the comments below.

Thank you for sharing life with me! Writing this blog is like therapy! I appreciate your continued support!