5 Ways to Build a Productive Morning Routine That Works

We all know a morning person who strides through the office with a superior glow having completed 30 tasks before you’ve had time to make your morning coffee.

So what’s their secret? Do they have the most comfortable mattress? Probably.

What’s more is that they have a morning routine that’s designed for success! A productive morning routine is where the magic happens, and whether you’re "morning person" or not, you can also start the day with a glow - and we’ll show you how.

Being more productive is a top priority that’s on everyone's mind. We all want to make the most out of each day and achieve goals in and out of work - but the challenge is finding time to fit it all in.

Almost all successful people (who are generally the most productive) have something in common: an unwavering commitment to develop a solid morning routine.

The way you start the day is the secret to being the most productive version of yourself. We’re going to walk you through a morning routine checklist that will help you get there faster, and hold yourself accountable.

1. List everything you want to get done

When we say list, we mean write every single task that you envision your ideal morning routine should have. Once you have a list, you can then take a step back and identify what is actually important to you, and what is a priority.

For example, you may want to run, do yoga, walk the dog, and take a boxing class, play guitar, write, read, and catch up with your parents. But if you don’t have the time, there’s no point setting goals that aren’t possible. The trick is selecting a few meaningful morning activities that will help set up a successful day.

The 80/20 rule can be a game changer when you’re planning out your morning routine - especially if you’re not sure where to put your efforts.

The 80/20 rule states that 80% of all outcomes come from 20% of your inputs. Using this principle, you can cut down your list of morning routine activities significantly by asking yourself - "which tasks are going to give me the best results?"

For example, if you are training for a marathon, running in the morning will give you better results than taking a boxing class - so run. If you want to be a writer and finish your first book - carving out time in your morning routine for writing will deliver greater benefits than spending the morning strumming a guitar.

At the end of the day, it’s all about feeling like your morning routine is serving a purpose - when you feel value in your routine, you’re more likely to stick to it.

2. Write it down so you can see it daily

Once you have narrowed down your long Wishlist of morning routine activities, it’s time to plan it out. Using a visual calendar either printed or on a digital device is a helpful way to constantly be reminded about the morning routine you so badly want to have.

Set our specific time blocks for the tasks you have selected, and take your time in carefully allocating enough time for each task over the course of one month.

You may want to just focus on a couple of key things (back to the 80/20 rule) so it's easy to stay focused on what means the most to you. Sticking to a recurring set of tasks for one month is a great way to get used to waking up early to consistently dedicate time to things that really mean something to you.

Another key benefit of creating a monthly morning routine plan is that you can change it up once you’ve had enough time to figure out what works, and what doesn’t.

3. Get the right amount of sleep

Most people want to wake up as early as possible, but they don't understand enough about the sleep cycle to actually use it to their advantage. The truth is, the most productive morning routines actually start the night before.

If you’re getting 7 - 8 hours of sleep every night, it will help you spring out of your bed ready to start your morning routine no matter what time you want to wake up.

The energy boosting and restorative power of sleep is possible because of the stages of the sleep cycle. Each stage of sleep plays a specific role to help you rest so you can wake up ready for a new day.

A key thing to note about the sleep cycle is that if you wake up before your sleep cycle has finished - you may feel groggy, tired, and very tempted to hit snooze.

So how do you figure out when your sleep cycle starts and ends? Each cycle goes for around 90 minutes, so if you sleep 7.5 hours - that’s five complete sleep cycles.

Most people who can’t wake up easily find it difficult to fall asleep fast at night. Sleep latency (delayed sleep) affects millions of Americans each year. If you’re one of them, try the cozy, calming and sleep inducing benefits of a weighted blanket.

They work for many because gentle pressure stimulation relaxes the body faster, limiting tossing and turning so you can fall asleep faster.

If a weighted blanket doesn’t do the trick, it may be time to consider a mattress update. A memory foam mattress might be just the solution you’re looking for! You’ll be so comfortable that falling asleep fast will happen naturally.

4. Be consistent (this is key)

A morning routine that is productive and active doesn’t necessarily need to commence at the crack of dawn. In fact, this approach to building routine can work no matter how early you want to get out of bed. This approach to building a morning routine has a big focus on consistency, because let’s face it - the more you do something, the easier it gets.

After a month of sticking to just a morning routine, your circadian rhythm will become conditioned to your new sleep and wake cycle and your body clock will wake up faster than your alarm clock. After you have the hang of things - you can start experimenting to find new ways to enhance your routine to see even more benefits!

5. Instead of snoozing, complete a task

Okay, so you’ve had a big night and your sleep cycle gets a little confused. Or maybe you’re sleeping on the best mattress (like a Puffy memory foam mattress) and getting out of bed feels impossible!

Well, you can still wake up and slowly make your way through your morning routine. A proven method to avoid hitting snooze is to make your bed.

Sounds simple, but it’s really powerful. The basic act of making your bed as soon as you wake up will give you a sense of achievement and trigger the mind with positivity so you’re likely to get on with your morning routine, even if you feel tired.

Ready to build a morning routine?

It isn’t as difficult as it seems to build a morning routine. Getting the right amount of sleep, and waking up full of purpose and motivation will have a direct impact on your performance and happiness.

Follow this easy guide and start creating the morning routine of your dreams!