How do you wake up out of bed in the morning?
Do you begrudgingly drag yourself out of bed and shuffle to the coffee maker like a zombie, grumbling under your breath about having to adult today?
Or do you wake up like Barbie in her Dream House, excited to start the day with a megawatt smile and boundless energy?
My guess is that you are somewhere in between, maybe even closer to the Sleepy Zombie rather than the Energetic Barbie. While everyone wakes up occasionally feeling less than shining, if you’re waking up feeling grumpy and dreading the day MOST days of the week, then it might be time for a Morning and Evening Routine Overhaul.
Just imagine for a moment how you would like to feel when you wake up in the morning. Do you want to feel refreshed? Do you want to feel joyful and even excited to start your day? Do you want to feel more alive and present in the morning? Do you want to feel more peaceful and calmer? No matter how you’re waking up now, know that you CAN start your day in a better mood and energy level… but it does take some preparation and intention to do it.
What the Science Says on Morning Routines
Research supports the idea that establishing a strong morning routine can positively impact energy and mood, setting the tone for the rest of the day. Studies show that morning routines help cultivate mental clarity, reduce stress, and foster a sense of stability and control, which can enhance productivity and overall well-being. For instance, consistent routines offer structure, which helps reduce decision fatigue and boosts mental focus throughout the day, giving people more energy to handle daily tasks effectively (Lifeline).
Additionally, creating a morning routine tailored to your goals—such as setting intentions, practicing gratitude, or engaging in self-care—can enhance motivation and reduce the sense of overwhelm, which ultimately supports a more joyful and intentional life (Insideout Mastery). By incorporating mindful activities like breathing exercises or time-blocking your priorities in the morning, you can increase your chances of achieving a balanced and productive day.
Why does it matter how I feel in the morning?
Well, for starters, how you wake up in the morning sets the tone for your ENTIRE day. While you can have a shitty morning and the day gets better by the end, it’s more likely that if you start off in a less-than-radiant mood, you’re going to stay that way for the rest of the day. Think of a morning when you recently woke up feeling dog-tired and uninspired… how did the day go?
Another reason it’s important to have energy and focus in the morning is for the people we show up for. We know how important it is for our kids to get enough sleep, but somehow we grow up and think we don't need it. If we are in a crappy mood, that means we aren’t going to be our best versions of parents or partners, either. Bickering happens, everyone is rushed and feeling bossed around or picked on, and before we know it, the household is yelling or in tears as we scramble out the door. I don’t know about you, but that is NOT how I want to start my day.
Lastly, feeling engaged with your life in the morning is important because THIS IS YOUR LIFE. Seriously, you only get one of them. I’m going to give some tough love right now and shoot it to you straight: If you’re having crappy mornings, and have been for months or even years, then it's time to do something about it.
My Chaotic Mornings
It was not that long ago when I used to have THE WORST mornings ever. I’d roll out of bed at 6 am, tired and completely unmotivated to do all the things, right at the same time Aysen would be getting up. We’d go rounds every morning, I’d be grumpy, she’d be grumpy, and we’d barely make it out of the house without screaming at each other. It was a nightmare. I never realized how much not having a morning routine was affecting my mood and energy, and I certainly never connected it to my evening routine the night before.
Then, I started listening to Brendon Burchard, a super awesome guy who just so happens to be an internationally known high-performance life coach, and I decided to do a little experiment (here's a great video by Brendon when he talks about his sleep habits!). For two weeks, I was going to practice some of his morning and evening routines and see what the fuss was all about. Turns out, that it literally changed my life. Those silly little experiments eventually led to me developing healthier morning and evening routines that have dramatically changed how my days start and end, and everything in between.
I stopped having fights with Aysen in the morning, which improved BOTH our moods. I woke up feeling happy and even excited to start my day (especially after I started taking daily action in my purpose). My sleep continues to improve as I work on my evening healthy sleep habits. I'm more focused and energized throughout the day... and overall, I feel more VIBRANT!
I truly had NO IDEA that poor morning and evening routines (or lack of routines!) was affecting my mood, energy, motivation, and ability to get stuff done. But, as LeVar Burton says, you don’t have to take my word for it.
Try the same experiment out for yourself. Commit to it for the next two weeks and just see how much of a difference it makes in how your mornings go and how you experience the day.
Morning Routine:
Get up 10-20 minutes before the kids or anyone else that needs you for the morning. This is not time to check email, browse social media or the news. This is your time to take care of YOU.
Before you even set foot on the floor, thank your bed, pillows, and blankets for keeping you safe and comfortable while you slept. Thank your heart for pumping and your lungs for breathing for you.
Think of one thing you can get excited for the day, whether it’s a person you get to see, an activity you get to do, or simply that it’s Friday and you get to enjoy the weekend. Let that feel-good energy bring a sense of joy into your body.
Use the remaining time to drink 8 oz. of water, stretch, and do something for yourself that feels nourishing and inspiring. Here are some ideas if you need them… you don’t need to do all of them, just pick one to start:
Meditate or pray
Read an inspiring book
Draw or color a picture
Dance slowly to a slow, sensual song
Do Yoga
Write out a gratitude list
As you transition to your daily tasks, take a deep breath and thank yourself for giving you love, attention, and presence first thing.
Do this morning routine for a couple of weeks, documenting how your days turn out. If you miss a day, make sure to write down how it affected your mood and energy, if any, and then return to your experiment the next day. A good scientist documents their findings! Once you have the hang of your mornings, now you can focus on incorporating some evening routine to get better sleep.
Evening Routines and Your Sleep
Before we get to the routines, let’s talk about the importance of sleep and how not getting enough affects your body, mood, and ability to do life.
Sleep deprivation is a widespread issue, affecting a significant portion of the global population. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. do not get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night (Lifeline). Globally, the World Sleep Society reports that approximately 45% of the world’s population suffers from sleep-related problems.
The effects of sleep deprivation can be severe. Lack of sleep has been linked to increased risks of chronic health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and depression. In addition to these physical health risks, cognitive performance also suffers sleep-deprived individuals experience difficulties with memory, decision-making, and maintaining attention, which directly impacts work performance and overall well-being.
Last but not least, inadequate sleep can negatively affect mood and energy levels, often leading to irritability and a decreased ability to cope with stress.
So, basically, if you’re not getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night, your body and mind are not able to function at their best, and it sets you up for some serious physical and mental health risks down the road. Getting good sleep is one of the best things you can do for your overall health.
One big reason why you may not be getting good shut-eye is how you’re handling your evenings. The modern age of electricity and technology has brought extraordinary things to our world (thank goodness for Picard and warm baths!), but all that blue light comes at a cost. With all that extra light and stimulation, our bodies aren’t getting the proper cues they need to go to sleep and stay asleep.
Here are the Sleep Bandits stealing away your quality z’s:
Anxiety: Worrying about all the things keeps your brain active, long after you can do anything about said worries. Watching the news, scrolling social media, reading emails, or thinking about upcoming deadlines ramps up your anxiety when done right before sleep, keeping your brain from shutting down.
Exposure to blue light: TVs, smartphones, and bright lights interrupt the production of melatonin, an essential hormone to help you get to sleep and maintain your sleep cycle.
Blood sugar mismanagement: Eating right before bed can set you up for a sugar crash in the middle of the night, waking you up out of your normal sleep cycle.
Poor sleep environment: Sleeping in too hot or too cold of a room with lights and sounds can keep you from producing the right hormones to get you to sleep and keep you there.
Irregular bedtime and wake-up times: Not keeping a consistent sleep/wake pattern, even on the weekends, can confuse your body’s circadian rhythm… which is just a fancy way of saying your natural pattern for wakefulness and sleepiness.
Starting to address these Sleep Bandits and prioritizing your rest can have dramatic impact on how well you cope with stress and improve your mood, as well as give your body a chance to rest and heal. How do you do that, you ask? We do that by creating a Sleep-Loving Evening Routine.
Evening Routines: Make Your Mornings (and Days!) Even Better
Start scheduling your evening routine so you get 7-9 hours of quality sleep a night. Sound like a big ask? Well, the alternative is not looking so hot. Start with some compassion in this area, because if it already feels like you don’t have enough time in the day to get everything done, you may be thinking that getting that much sleep is impossible.
I will challenge you, though, to make sleep a priority. If you don’t set boundaries around your sleep, then it won’t happen. The To-Do’s are literally never going away. So, you might as well prioritize your health, and get good sleep, that way you can have more energy and feel better in your life.
Here is a routine I adopted from Brendon, plus a few other tricks to set you up for better sleep. He calls it the “3-2-1” routine, and it addresses so many of the Sleep Bandits I listed earlier.
No food 3 hours before bed. (This helps to manage your blood sugar while you sleep!)
No work or emails 2 hours before bed. (This cuts out lots of stress and worries and likely reduces your blue light exposure!)
No phones or TV 1 hour before bed. (This reduces stress, cuts out blue light, and creates a better sleep environment!)
During that last hour before bed, try these helpful habits to let your body know it’s time for rest:
Make sure to lower the lights in your room. Candlelight anyone?
Ideally, the temperature should be around 68 degrees Fahrenheit, with blankets to keep you warm.
Close curtains, and reduce electronic lights, like chargers and clocks. Use a sleep mask to help block out residual light.
Take a brief walk outside in the moonlight to help signal to your body that it’s actually nighttime (sounds weird, but it helps!)
Journal. Write down what you appreciated about the day and write down 4 wins for yourself, even if they are small.
As you turn out the lights, thank your bed, pillows, and blankets for keeping you warm as you go to sleep. Thank your body for protecting you and watching over you while you sleep.
Conclusion
Sure, you may not be getting up all Bright-Eyed and bushy-tailed every day after you start these routines, but I’d bet my lucky stars that your days start improving. Having happier mornings, more restful nights, and more days of joy… it's kind of the point, yes? Life is too short to drudge around like a Zombie, barely alive and barely connected to the people around you. Maybe you don’t have big goals right now, or maybe you do. Wherever you are in your journey, you have the power to rewrite your story. All it takes is a little curiosity and some intention for your actions.
You are SO Worthy of a Vibrant Life, friend, and all it takes is one step to start.
💋Kori Rae
What is one way you can start making better mornings or sleep for yourself?