Productive 5AM Morning Routine for Moms
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This post is about productive 5am morning routine for Moms.
Are you a Mom thinking about waking up earlier and starting a 5am morning routine? When I first realized I wanted to incorporate a productive morning routine into my day, most of the books and resources on how to start this practice were written by men who simply did not have the same type of obligations we do as Moms.
I’m guessing you’re like me and responsible for much more than just getting yourself up and out the door each day. THIS is why you need a 5am morning routine that works for the reality of YOUR life.
I’m not a life coach or productivity expert - I’m just a Mom who decided that I was tired of making excuses and wanted to feel better physically and mentally for myself and my family.
Do you need a morning routine?
Do you:
Feel rushed and stressed when you wake up
Feel overwhelmed by your to-do list
Find it hard to fit in a consistent workout routine
Rarely get quiet time to yourself
Want to wake up feeling energized and excited for the day
If you answered YES to most of these - then I highly recommend starting a morning routine. Starting a morning routine allowed me to create time for the truly important things. I started working out regularly, working on my personal growth, and overall felt more in control of my life.
If there’s an area of your life you want to improve, the early morning might just be the best time to work on it!
I know it is said that most successful people are early risers, but before we go any further, let me be clear - even if you don’t think you’re a morning person, you can BECOME one. This isn’t necessarily about waking up at exactly 5am. It's about having a healthy routine that sets the tone for the day.
Most of my life, I thought I was a night owl. I only woke up early when required by my work hours or my kids. I woke up each day at the last possible minute and hit the snooze button repeatedly.
However, after about 2 weeks of being an early bird, I knew I wanted to keep this habit going.
It’s been almost 8 years since I started waking up with an intentional morning routine and I cannot imagine life without one. Having this special time with yourself before the rest of the world wakes up, is so powerful. I strongly believe creating a new routine for your mornings is the best thing you can do for yourself!
how to create your ideal morning routine
Ok, so you’re ready to take control of your day - I’m sure you’re curious what DOES a 5am routine look like? What is the first hour of your day going to look like? This blog post will give you some ideas, but creating one that works for YOU? That, my friend is up to YOU.
As much as I’d love to say it’s all rainbows and unicorns, the reality is, as a Mom - my morning routine isn’t just all about ME.
It also sets the tone of the day for my entire home and family, so my morning routine includes very specific chores, that normally I don’t see included when I’ve read up on other people’s morning routines!
What is the first thing you do when your alarm goes off? Do you hit the snooze? I know a lot of people tell you NOT to do this, but actually I do hit my snooze button at least once. But I don’t go back to sleep. Instead, I take this quiet time to let my mind wander and just appreciate my comfy bed as I slowly ease into realizing my day needs to get started.
The key to your morning routine is being INTENTIONAL - that means putting up boundaries and doing what YOU want to get done without having to respond to outside stressors. Having a productive and enjoyable morning will truly set the tone for the rest of the day.
Side note- if you have little ones, just do your best. Having babies and toddlers is a unique season of life and creates a lot of unexpected moments - do what you can and even if you get just 5 minutes of quiet time to yourself, that can be incredibly impactful. NO matter how old your kids are, no day is going to be “perfect”.
Creating the expectation that your morning routine is simply part of a daily healthy routine, that some days will go better than others, is the best way to approach this.
The amount of time you can dedicate to your morning routine may vary day to day, so its important to know what areas of your life you want to focus on during this time and make that a priority.
Additionally, you may want to spread out different pieces of your morning routine throughout the day. For me, getting a workout in is more important than doing my affirmations and gratitude. If I don’t have enough time in the morning, I just do those later in the day.
You should expect that you’ll need to be flexible with your routine and prepare to tweak it as needed during different seasons. My own morning routine has changed multiple times and I actually have fun trying new things and seeing what works.
Ideal Components of a morning routine
Most self-help books will give you some ideas for the components of your morning routine - here are the basics:
Hydration - starting your day with a glass of water
Quiet time for visualization/gratitude/affirmations/a few minutes of meditation
Fitness/movement or getting outside
Reading
Journaling
Nourishing your body with a healthy breakfast
Planning your day ahead
I’m going to be honest and say I initially tried to follow other people’s plans. However, I think you will realize its best to take ownership of what YOUR priorities are and create a plan based on that.
My morning routine also includes:
Emptying the dishwasher
Putting a load of laundry in the dryer (I use the delay feature to run the washer overnight)
Making lunch for my husband
Starting a pot of coffee
I may even clean a toilet or two!
I’m sharing this, because although it may sound lovely to have an idyllic hour of peace, calm and doing nothing but nourishing your soul. It ALSO can be very rewarding to create flow and set the tone for the rest of your day with getting a few chores done and out of the way. You can get a lot done in very little time when you make it a habit.
Getting started with your morning routine
Step 1: Determine your ideal time to wake-up. This may be the only time in your day you get to yourself without interruptions! Do you want that to be a whole hour to yourself? Or maybe just a half hour to start? Remember this is your time to get the important things done - so maybe a morning run will only take you 15 minutes and a half hour is plenty.
Some advice says to ease into things and start waking up 15 minutes earlier each day, but honestly I’m a rip the band-aid-off type of person, so when I started my morning routine I went from waking up at 6am to setting the alarm clock to 445am! Yeah, I was a little bit tired the first few days, but that is what worked for me.
Step 2: Decide EXACTLY which activities you are going to incorporate into your morning routine based on the timeframe you’ve created. Then, create a checklist so you don’t have to think too much about what exactly you need to do. I like to use the Anylist app on my phone, but you could hand write it in your journal or use any checklist app that you like.
Don’t overestimate what you’ll accomplish - I recommend starting with your number one priority (like a workout) and adding on smaller actionable items as you go. If you try to do ALL THE THINGS at once, I guarantee you will burn out. Remember, the purpose of this routine is to help make your life EASIER! I often multi-task by listening to a podcast or audiobook while emptying the dishwasher, making lunches, and getting ready for my workout.
Step 3: Choose a start date and COMMIT to it! Mondays are a great day to get started, but do what works for you. My Sunday Reset Routine is a great way to review your goals and plan for the week ahead, including your morning routine.
Step 4: Decide how you want to set yourself up for success the night before. Having an evening routine that sets you up for the next day will make your morning routine that much easier! For example, I like to set out my workout clothes every night which makes a huge difference when it's one less thing to do in the morning.
Step 5: Buy a new gratitude journal, personal development book, or download a motivational podcast for your new routine! Treat yourself and get excited for replacing old habits with new ones to work towards the best version of yourself each day. It is seriously SO exciting!
Step 6: Set a reminder on your phone to go to bed early. Getting the proper amount of sleep is so important, I recommend aiming for 6-8 hours of sleep. I find I do best with about 7 hours of sleep, so that means I am asleep by 10 most nights.
For even more ideas, check out my post 19 Ways to Create Your Perfect Morning Routine.
Recommended Podcast Episodes:
How to Build a Morning Routine that Will Change Your Life
Unleash the Power of Your Morning and Evening Routine to Build the Body You Want
Recommended Books
If you’re serious about starting a 5am morning routine, I recommend checking out these books which will dive deeper into this whole process!
What not to do during your morning routine
So far, we’ve talked about the things that can be helpful when done first thing, but let’s talk about the things that can wreck the intention of your morning. These are things you probably should NOT do until you officially start your day:
Check email
Check social media and waste time scrolling
Watch the news
Right now, you may be in the habit of immediately waking up and checking your social media, emails, etc - but it can seriously throw a wrench in your mood OR distract you to think you need to respond to something immediately. I highly recommend NOT engaging with with these external distractions until after your mindful morning routine.
Waking up with intention and a plan can carve out time in your life for so many things you didn’t think you had time for. There are so many great ways to work on your self-improvement. Learn a new language, get in shape, work on your mindset - all of this can be done in the early morning hours before your day even officially starts!