My Morning Routine: 7 steps for a joyful and productive day.

May 14

Graduate school was the first time since my early high school years that I spent time getting ready in the morning. I cared a lot about my appearance in high school, but I often rushed to get ready. I would finish straightening my hair in the cheer locker room, rush to class when the bell would ring, and then sneak out of the classroom to finish my makeup in the bathroom.

I still cared about my looks in college, but for some reason, when attending an SEC school, the look was truly to roll out of bed, put your hair in a messy bun, and wear a t-shirt so oversized it looked like you didn’t have on pants. (Do any other millennials in the South relate?)

I was the youngest person in my graduate school cohort, and the thirty-year-old Ph.D. students were not wearing fraternity shirts and chaos, so I started taking my time to present myself more seriously.

This was the first time I developed a true morning routine.

However, when I started teaching high school, the rural school I worked at was a 45-minute drive from my house, and I had to be there at 7:30 - so my morning routine fell to the waste side.

I would shower, throw on clothes, grab a bagel to eat in the car, and let my hair air dry. I had to dress business casual, so my outfits looked like shit (or at least they were nothing close to an expression of my style and self-expression).

After switching to a new high school after the COVID restrictions lifted and realizing how depressed and anxious I was - I began to recreate a morning routine.

This has been in the works for three years and is something I cherish more than a glass of wine at the end of the evening. Trust me, if you have a strong morning routine, you will not need nor want that glass of wine at the end of the day (unless you made homemade pasta and pesto, in which case, it is needed).

Warning: this post is not to tell you how to “easily wake up at 5:00 am” because waking up at 5:00 am is neither easy nor will it ever be.

That said, my morning routine as part of my self-care has truly changed my life, and I wouldn’t sacrifice that time for anything else (except baby Ayla). But it was a long time in the making. Although baby Ayla will always come first, the routine I have created for myself is so sustainable that it allows me enough flexibility to be with it despite the curveballs thrown in my day as a teacher, a wife, and a mom.

I read a quote on Instagram the other day that I know most of us can admit is true even if we don’t want to: “You can either commit to a life of regret or discipline. Both are hard.”

For me, the regret of not spending my time wisely and choosing unhealthy habits over the discipline of creating was much more painful.

TO ESTABLISH A CONSISTENT AND SUSTAINABLE ROUTINE, ONE MUST REMAIN FLEXIBLE.

One of the most important aspects of my morning routine is flexibility.

My teaching career has taught me that I value so much in my personal life. As a mom, I expect the unexpected, and the best way to stick to commitments is to make them work no matter the circumstances.

I like to live by the quote, “Nature never rushes, and still everything gets done.” For a long time, this was counterintuitive, but now it feels second nature—I don’t rush.

I find the time, make it work, and don’t rush. Mostly, everything gets done—at least the most important things—taking care of myself and my family.

MY MORNING ROUTINE IN 7(ISH) STEPS:

STEP 1: I wake up and drink 32 oz of water first thing every morning. I have a mason jar with a lid and a straw, and I do not allow myself to drink coffee until I finish this mason jar of water.

I started drinking water first thing in the morning during the pandemic because I lost so much hair the first time I had COVID. My husband Nic told me his friend at work was drinking collagen in her coffee to help her hair get thicker. So, I started putting collagen in my water and drinking 32 oz in the morning before doing anything else. Five years later, the habit has stuck.

Now, in addition to collagen, I have also discovered LMNT electrolytes, and I try to add a packet of them to my water every morning, too.

STEP 2: Take my probiotic before eating. I had terrible stomach aches as a little girl that carried me into adulthood. Taking a probiotic before eating has been a game changer for me with my digestion and is an integral part of my morning ritual. I am taking it (find a new one and insert it here).

STEP 3: I make and sit down to eat a healthy breakfast without watching TV or looking at my phone (unless I take a picture of it). I also practice gratitude by saying thank you and feeling lucky to have the time to make and eat something healthy.

STEP 4: Take my medication and supplements - why am I taking so many? Like a little science experiment, I can make a list and tell you who told me about it and why I took it.

STEP 5: Get ready. I always get ready. When I look like shit, I feel like shit. And when I feel like shit, but I look good, I feel better. Even if I simply curl my hair and put on a cute pair of leggings and some mascara, I feel better than if I didn’t. I think it is the same psychology that says if you smile, you feel happy.

STEP 6: My step 7 is to meditate, and my step 6 doesn’t make it into my daily routine. But pouring myself a cup of hot coffee in the winter or a mason jar full of cold brew with a metal straw in the summer makes me feel cute and a little more focused before sitting in stillness for my 20-minute meditation.

STEP 7: All previous steps lead to this step. And no matter whether or not I skip all or any of the above steps, I will always find the time and space for this step. Hell or high water. This step often happens outside. If it is not too hot or cold, I sometimes complete it in my car before going in to teach for the day or in my daughter’s nursery after she and my husband have left.

After navigating the turmoil of the first third of my life, it is more important to me than ever to meditate daily. That stillness and that ability to be quiet with myself are something I hope never again to take for granted.

You can see my in-depth overview of a meditation practice here. Or, to learn more specifically about Transcendental Meditation, see a recent presentation I gave about my practice here.

YOU DO YOU, BOO.

I actually recommend not to adapt my morning routine.

Instead, I recommend you sit down with a piece of paper and a pen and ask yourself, “What kind of self-care routine will serve me best in my life right now?”

Start small. Pick three self-care habits you can commit to at any time of day.

When I didn't take the time to take care of myself, it was because caring for myself meant confronting all the parts of myself I was neglecting and didn’t want to face.

The year I started by drinking 32 oz of water was the first step in building a sustainable routine, cultivating a deep connection, and caring for myself.

My morning routine is now a time to celebrate and care for all parts of myself. I understand that those neglected parts needed the most care and still do.

Start small. Take care.

Let me know if you have any questions. You can reach me by email (hello@alleejudee.com) or leave me a message in the comment box below.

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