Build a joyful + productive morning routine: A guide for freelancers
Photo by Federico Respini on Unsplash
I’ve never been a morning person.
So, my shift to being a dedicated morning routine advocate has been weird for me.
Labeling my morning routine as life-changing may be a stretch.
But, based on my (highly scientific!) anecdotal evidence, my morning routine has:
Increased my productivity and creativity.
Helped me stay calm and feel less overwhelmed.
Created a sense of stability in my days.
Building a morning routine was my first step toward self-care.
For years, I didn’t prioritize taking care of myself. Instead, I got lost in keeping pace with endless daily ‘to-dos.’
The beauty of a morning routine? It helps you start your day with intentional self-care.
Life is always uncertain. Routines lend structure to our days. This structure can help freelancers, especially writers, find more space to create with intention and efficiency.
Now, let’s explore why a morning routine is so helpful and the steps you can take to set up your own.
Why a Morning Routine is Helpful
Morning routines are a favourite of many notable writers and leaders. Quite a few have quirky rituals for their wake-up routines.
Haruki Murakami gets up at 4am and writes for 5-6 hours. In the afternoon, he goes for a long-distance run or swim.
Maya Angelou got up at 6:30am and went to a hotel room with a pack of cards. She then wrote until 2pm.
Winston Churchill woke up at 7:30am and stayed in bed, reading newspapers. He then spent most of his morning, in bed, writing.
Rituals and routines aren’t meant to box you in. Instead, morning routines give structure and space for us to create and do our best work.
Here are a three great reasons to build your own morning routine.
1 » A morning routine means less decision-making for your brain.
Our brain makes millions of decisions a day. These can range from being small (green or blue tie?) to life-altering (to stay or go?).
As soon as we wake up, our brains are off making decisions. But each decision comes at a cost.
Ever notice how at the end of the day your brain feels “done”?
That brain of yours has been making decisions all day—and it’s tired.
Your brain has a limited capacity for decision-making. The brain’s “deciding reservoir” will run dry.
The magic of routines? Decisions are already made for your brain.
I sometimes wake up super groggy. By having a morning routine, I know my exact next steps when I wake up.
It’s habitual now. Routines make my morning more streamlined and enjoyable.
2 » A morning routine starts your day with intention + momentum.
Morning routines help you start your day off with intention. By scheduling what you want to do, you can start your day the way you want to.
Routines help you gain control of your schedule. Instead of just reacting to the day, you decide how you want to respond.
Morning routines can also energize you. This energy launches you into your day with momentum and motivation.
3 » A morning routine creates space for joy.
My morning routine gives me energy. It helps me focus on my tasks for the day. I feel more in control of where my day is heading.
But my most important reason for having a morning routine? It sparks joy.
I build my morning routine with self-care in mind. One way I take care of myself is by making time to do things I love.
Every morning, I spend time drinking coffee and reading a nonfiction book. Sometimes I watch YouTube videos that make me laugh.
This time in the morning is joyful for me.
Morning routines aren’t just for creating productive lil’ work schedules for ourselves.
Our mornings don’t have to be dazed or frantic. Our mornings can also be time to cultivate joy.
Consider: How can you make time in the morning to do something you LOVE?
3 Keys to an Effective Morning Routine
There are many ways to “create” a morning routine. But it really comes down to one single piece of advice—know thyself.
When do you want to wake up each day?
How much time do you have for a morning routine?
What are your responsibilities in the morning?
Knowing the above answers will help you set up your morning routine. But for a magical kind of morning? You need to include a few simple ingredients.
For me, the 3 key ingredients that make up a sustainable morning routine are:
Calm
Movement
Joy
Let’s explore how to add each one to our mornings.
1 » Start your morning with a sense of calm.
In the past, I woke up either feeling frantic—or sluggish.
Here’s what my mornings used to look like:
Check my phone and read every text I’ve received. Wonder why so-and-so hasn’t responded to me yet.
Check Instagram and feel like the whole world has woken up without me.
Read the news and feel a looming sense of despair.
Finally, stumble into the kitchen for my coffee—head swirling.
Does that sound familiar to you?
“Clear thinking becomes clear writing; one can’t exist without the other.”
- William Zinsser
Morning routines can help us start our day with calm. And this leads to clear thinking.
For me, a calm morning includes:
No checking emails or texts.
No scrolling through social media.
No looking up the news.
Making my bed every day.
Meditating for 20 minutes every day.
I can make time for texts later in the day. Social media and news cycles can wait until the evening.
My mornings are now an intentional time for calm.
I firmly believe a calm mind leads to increased creativity. Starting our days with a calm helps put us combat overwhelm. It’s a critical ingredient to start the day off right.
Action Step 🎬
Creating a calm morning is more about what we don't do. When do you feel the most frantic or frazzled in the morning? Do you notice any patterns? Brainstorm some ideas for a calm morning environment.
2 » Start your morning with movement.
I could list all the benefits of moving your body. Movement helps you retain mobility, keeps your brain sharp, improves your mental health, etc etc.
We all know the research. But even knowing the benefits, most of us struggle get enough exercise. Myself included.
I encourage you to start your day with movement.
Before, I was never big on exercise. But a key part of my morning routine is now my daily jog.
It’s nothing major. I jog around my neighbourhood, listening to a podcast. Simple.
But this little jog energizes my body and brain. I’ve found my short morning jog has layered effects on my day.
When I move my body in the morning, I feel:
Less stressed
Stronger (physically and mentally)
Happier (good ol’ endorphins!)
Part of taking care of ourselves has to include taking care of our bodies. Our body and mind are inextricably connected.
Commit to moving your body in the morning. You’ll notice a difference in your energy and focus, promise.
Action Step 🎬
Movement in the morning can be as simple as 5-minutes of yoga stretches. Brainstorm a few easy ways you can move your body in the morning.
3 » Start your morning with something that sparks joy.
Morning routines aren’t just about productivity. For me, morning routines are about creating space for joy.
So often, we get caught up in our to-do list. We can get stuck in trying to do more and more and more.
Checking off all my to-dos is not my life’s work. Right now, I believe my life’s work is to write and love wholeheartedly.
Wholehearted writing is fuelled by joy. That’s why I make time for it.
When I read in the morning or enjoy a deluxe coffee experience, it lights my heart up. And when I feel lit up, I believe that lights up my creativity, too. Cheesy, but true. 🧀
Consider this—what is the point of living if we’re not making time to do the things we love?
Try including something in your morning routine that you love to do, but often don’t have time to do.
Your joyful ‘to-dos’ are unique to you. What sparks joy for me is likely different than your own list.
Here’s a little joy brainstorm:
Get some fresh air to lift your spirits.
Write down gratitudes. (Scientifically proven to help with a positive mindset.)
Touch base with someone you love.
Action Step 🎬
Write down your own joy brainstorm. What are some joyful to-do's that you can include in your morning routine?
27 Ideas for Your Morning Routine
Everyone has their own list of daily duties. As freelancers, we’re juggling myriad responsibilities.
But every person can take at least 15 minutes for a morning routine. It just may involve setting that alarm clock to go off a tad earlier.
It is worth the time investment.
Here are some ideas, ranging in time commitment, for you to consider for your morning routine.
Feel free to mix and match for your ideal morning!
5-minute ideas for a good morning
Have only 15 minutes before your morning takes off? Here are some five minute strategies to bring calm, movement, and joy into your mornings.
For calm:
Make your bed. (A tidy bed helps for a tidy mind.)
Listen to a playlist of mellow piano tunes. I like this one.
Sit outside in the sun without your phone.
For movement:
Do five minutes of yoga stretches.
Complete the 7-minute workout to wake up your body.
Walk down the block—just a quick, five minute stroll.
For joy:
Watch five minute videos of Canadian wilderness. (If you can’t get to nature, research shows that watching nature videos has a similar effect.)
Listen to the Radio Headspace podcast, which hosts five minute episodes on mindfulness.
Hug a family member or your pet.
10-minute ideas for a good morning
Have a little more time to spare? Here are some 10-minute morning ideas you can build into your schedule.
For calm:
Meditate for 10 minutes. I use the Headspace app, and BC Calm has free audio tracks which are great for beginners.
Write down your to-dos for the day on paper. Decide the “one thing” you want to get done that day.
Drink your favourite hot beverage and focus on savouring the experience.
For movement:
Check out Grow with Jo’s YouTube channel for “Torch in 10” workouts.
Do a 10-minute cardio dance routine.
Check out the NHS website and try one of their 10-minute workouts.
For joy:
Write down three gratitudes for the day or week. Try asking yourself, “What touched my heart this week?”
Spend ten minutes checking in with your partner or family member. Ask them what they’re looking forward to that day.
Spend time making a special breakfast treat for yourself. (Pour-over coffee? A colourful smoothie? Dream big!)
30-minute ideas for a good morning
Have a longer time frame for your morning routine? Here are some ideas to deliciously stretch out your wake-up call.
For calm:
Spend thirty minutes journalling. One useful prompt (especially if you’re feeling stuck in some part of your life) is to ask yourself, “What do I actually want?”
Don’t check your email, texts, or the news. Intentionally disconnect from anything that puts you in a reactive state.
Start your day with a clear desk. Tidy up your workspace so the day starts off with a fresh feeling.
For movement:
Go for a 30-minute jog or walk around your neighbourhood. Spend at least 10 minutes not listening to music.
If you’re near nature, head on a 30-minute hike through the woods.
Challenge yourself to a 30-minute power yoga session. Most of us know of Yoga with Adriene, but I also love Cat Meffan’s yoga videos.
For joy:
Read 20 pages of that nonfiction book you’ve been meaning to finish. Or listen to your favourite podcast.
Write a thank you note to someone who helped you this past week.
Make yourself a gourmet breakfast.
My Morning Routine
My morning routine started off simple. Two years ago, it had just three steps:
Make my bed.
Meditate for 5 minutes
Drink my coffee without my phone.
Morning routines don’t have to be more complicated than that. Truly.
My morning routine eventually grew in size, though.
Nowadays, my morning routine is about 2.5 hours long. 😱 (Yes, it’s a bit epic.)
I love it.
I have a hard time sticking to habits later in the day. I don’t like exercising after work. I’m not a fan of meditating before bed. But I’m ready to do all that—and more—in the morning.
Knowing this about myself led to the morning routine I have today.
My morning routine helps me start my day with calm, movement, and joy.
I’m lucky and grateful to have this much time for my morning rituals.
However, I’ll state this again: your morning routine does not have to be complicated.
This is the morning routine that works best for me, right now. My routines will change. But for now, this routine helps start my day with a sense of joy and peace.
Here’s my morning routine:
⏰ 7:05 » My alarm clock goes off.
I get out of bed and don’t hit snooze.
I drink two glasses of water. Hydration!
I keep my phone out of my bedroom and use an old-fashioned alarm clock.
🏃🏻♀️ 7:15-7:45 » Workout time.
I change into my workout clothes and head outside.
Depending on the day, I’ll spend about 30-minutes outside jogging and walking.
I listen to a podcast while I jog.
I then spend the last 10-minutes of my walk listening to the birds in my neighbourhood.
😎 7:45-8:00 » Cool down.
I come back home and cool down with 15 minutes of yoga stretches.
🚿 8:00-8:30 » Get ready.
Shower time, deodorant time, hair time, all that fun stuff!
🛏 8:30ish » Make my bed.
Making my bed sets my whole day right.
Fun fact: getting in the habit of making my bed every day was the first step of my morning routine.
🧘🏻♀️ 8:30-8:50 » Meditate.
I spend 20 minutes every morning meditating with my Headspace app.
This is one of my favourite parts of my morning.
☕️ 8:50-9:30 » Breakfast + coffee + reading.
I eat the same breakfast: overnight oats with blueberries. 🫐
I used to drink instant coffee, but I now practice patience and make lovely, black coffee in a coffee machine.
I then spend the rest of my morning routine with joyful content:
Every day, I revisit highlighted quotes from books I’ve read in my Readwise app. (Highly recommend.)
Sometimes, I read a nonfiction book.
Sometimes, I watch Youtube videos.
The most important part is what I don’t do:
I don’t check my email.
I don’t check social media.
I don’t check my texts.
Instead, this time is all about enjoying my morning before I get into my freelance work.
👩🏻💻 9:30am » Start my workday.
And then I’m off to the writing blocks!
Start small for a sustainable morning routine
Keep in mind—morning routines are an ever-evolving thing. Your routines will change as your life changes. Your routines will change as you change.
The other thing? Building routines takes time.
Building your morning routine can start very small.
Just start with three things—something calm, something movement-related, and something joyful.
Or—feel free to just pick one thing.
My morning routine first started with making my bed every day. I committed to that first until it was habit.
Then, I started adding more. And the domino effect was my current morning routine.
Sustainable change is small and gradual.
It’s about getting that 1 percent better every day.
Try 1-3 things to build a morning routine. And then—experiment. Notice what worked and what didn’t.
And enjoy the ride. As Annie Dillard said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
Start caring for yourself as soon as your feet hit the bedroom floor. And spend your days the way you want to spend your life.
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Oh hey there, I’m Monika!
(she/her) I’m a big fan of compassionate creativity, intentional living, and freshly-popped popcorn. I hope this article helped you shape your own morning routine.
If you have any questions, feel free to send me an email. I love to hear from fellow freelancers!
