I’m a big believer that your morning routine can set you up for the day ahead.

As an online business owner who works from home, my morning routine is vital for my motivation, creativity and productivity.

However, my morning routine isn’t set in stone.

In fact, far from it.

I’m very seasonal when it comes to how I choose to start my day. And although I start my day around the same time, regardless of the time of year, the order in which I like to do things is very season orientated.

I like to regularly give my routine a make-over when things begin to feel stale and my current routine is no longer delivering the goods.

What do you want from a morning routine?

My morning routine is about setting me up for the day. How I spend the first hour or so in the day has a big impact on how the rest of my day pans out.

As I’m self-employed and work from home, I know that self-motivation can be challenging and easily lost if I don’t start the day the right way.

Therefore, my goal is to feel relaxed but motivated, calm, but inspired, and free from stress and anxiety. This can sometimes be a tall order.

Do you understand your needs?

Once you know the purpose behind your morning routine, you can look at your needs. In my case, the purpose of my routine is to be self-motivated for the day ahead.

The things I need to achieve this are:

• A mushroom coffee to kick start my mind and body
• Some quiet time to journal to help process my thoughts
• Something to support my current focus or goals, which change throughout the year
  

What is your current focus?

My morning focus changes depending on what I want to achieve. Sometimes it’s about creating a new positive habit or getting rid of an old negative habit.

My focus could be connected to health and fitness, learning and education, creativity and art.

Each of these can change my morning in a significant way.

My current needs and focus

As I write this, it’s mid May, and in the UK the early mornings are light, but still a bit too chilly to sit outside at 6am.

At the moment, I’m focused on my health and fitness. I know I spend too much time inside working, and not enough time moving my body and getting outside in the fresh air.

For this reason, I’ve added a 20 minute walk while listening to an audio book or podcast into my morning routine.

Right now, my morning routine consists of:

• Wake up at 5:15 am
• Take a shower
• Make a mushroom coffee
• Spend around 20 minutes journaling
• Have breakfast
• Go out for a 20 minute walk
• Grab some water and head to the office to begin work around 7 am

This routine still supports my need for coffee and journaling, but with the addition of getting my body moving and kickstarting my brain.

Seasonal differences

The seasonal differences in my morning routine are very much connected to daylight and the weather.

In the winter, I’m partial to starting my day with a coffee and some journaling in front of a cosy fire. The fire is so comforting, and I find watching the flames relaxing.

In the summer months, I prefer to take my coffee and journal into the garden to enjoy the fresh air, before the heat of the day kicks in.

Right now, as I mentioned, I am taking a 20 minute walk, which is perfect in this slightly chilly spring weather, where it’s light and fresh on a morning.

Future morning routine changes

Once taking a 20 minute walk every day becomes an easy habit, I may move this to a different part of the day to allow something else to be included in my morning routine.

Here are some ways I’ve changed up my morning routine in the past:

A morning routine for learning

If I’m focused on learning something new, I take a class or read a book for 30-60 minutes before starting work.

A morning routine for spiritual growth

If I’m focused on my spiritual growth, I will spend time working with the tarot or exploring a spiritual subject.

A morning routine focused on creating a new habit

Perhaps I’m focused on creating a new habit, such as eating better during the day. If so, then preparing healthy food for the day ahead could become part of my morning routine.

A morning routine focused on achieving a goal

If there is something specific goal I want to achieve in life, I would spend time each day as part of my morning routine, taking action and working towards that goal.

A snapshot of my perfect day

🌅My mornings begin around 5:30 am. I've learned to love this time of the day, as my body clock naturally wants me to be up and active.

🍄☕Whether I'm working or taking a day off, I love to start my mornings early with a cup of Mushroom coffee by London Nootropics and my ReMarkable for a spot of journaling.

📓My journaling gives me the spark I need to begin the day. I jot down things like what's on my mind, what I want to achieve, and how I feel. It's such a great way to clear my head.

🚶🏻‍♀️To get my body moving before I start work, I go for a walk around the village for around 20 minutes, listening to a motivational audio book at the same time.

💫On a working day, I spend the morning focusing on the Astrology side of my business. I often create Moon guides or courses, connect with members of the Moon Portal, or share exciting stuff on my blog and social media.

🐕I take a break around 11:30 am to take the dogs for a walk. We don't go far for the middle of the day walk, but the fresh air and time away from my desk gives me an energy boost.

🍲After lunch, I work for another hour before taking time off in the afternoon to enjoy my personal interests. This could be going for a hike, creating some art, or getting stuck into a good astrology book.

💻After tea, I like to have an hour in the office getting ready for the next day. Getting ready the night before is one of my favourite productivity hacks!.

📺My evenings are mostly relaxing. Dave and I often enjoy watching whatever series has become our current obsession, before getting an early night and starting all over again.

Tell me your thoughts

• What does your perfect working day look like?