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My Morning & Night Routines (how they make me more productive)

How important are morning and night routines?

Very.

A proper morning routine can help set you up for the rest of the day and a good night routine can help you unwind and get ready for the next.

I wanted this to be a fun post (daily routine posts always are) but also a learning experience too. Once you find the perfect morning and night routines, you will see how much it will effect your day.

 

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My morning routine

I’m not going to include times for anything because that varies too much, this is just the activities I usually go through on a typical day…

 

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The first thing I do in the morning is go the bathroom to brush my teeth, wash my face, etc. Lately I’ve been enjoying putting essential oils in my facial moisturizer (like helichrysum, frankincense, or orange).

When I got back to my room, I put on some calming music (I was using this one for a while and now I’m trying this one). With this playing, I open the curtains (blackout curtains are THE BEST), make my bed, etc., and generally make things tidy.

Bible time…

After that I sit down for my daily Bible time, usually accompanied by some other devotional book (lately it’s been Charles Spurgeon’s Morning & Evening book–so good!). This part of my morning really calms me and sets my mind right for the rest of the day. Sometimes I will diffuse an essential oil as well.

Workout…

The calming music goes off because now it’s time to exercise! 😀 And it’s time for my workout playlist. I created my own workout routine (based off a program from The Fit Equestrian) at the beginning of the year, and I’ve been experimenting with that to see how it works out for me.

Also, ab challenges are really excruciating and fun at the same time. 😉

By the end of my workout I will have (hopefully) consumed my full 24 oz. bottle of water. It’s really important to drink about 20 oz. of water in the morning before you’ve eaten anything (while still drinking water throughout the day). Not sure how much water to drink? A good start is to drink a half ounce for every pound you weigh.

Checking email, house chores, etc…

After my workout (and as I’m catching my breath, in most cases), I take some time to check my email, make sure everything’s running okay with my website, maybe answer comments, and also do my daily chores around the house (including feeding my adorable guinea pigs <3 ). Doing these things in the morning just kind of gets them out of the way so I can work on other things later.

 

And that’s pretty much my morning. After those things, what I do next changes from day to day.

The first part of my morning (making my bed, cleaning my room) makes sure my workspace is clean and neat. My Bible time is not only essential for my soul, but also calms my mind. My workout gets me feeling good and my blood pumping. And doing some of the less-fun things in the morning better ensures that I’ll actually get them done. So you can kind of see how each segment of my morning lends to my productivity.

 

My night routine

I did not have a night routine for a long time. And even though I’ve created one now, I’m still in the process of getting it to be a habit. I don’t always remember to do each of these things (or do them at all, sometimes). So this routine is one I’m working on incorporating into my evenings…

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This is what I (hope to) do:

  • Fill my water bottle. Then I don’t have to worry about filling it in the morning and it’s just ready to go!
  • Set out my clothes for the next day. This might just be what I wear for working out.
  • Clean my room. If I didn’t do this in the morning, I’ll go ahead and tidy up now.
  • Schedule my next day. I will calendar block the next day, make a to-do list, etc. Then I don’t have to spend time in the morning figuring this out.
  • Read something. I’m trying to get into the habit of reading from the Morning & Evening devotional book I mentioned earlier every evening.
  • Brush my teeth, wash my face, etc.

 

So there it is! A look into my morning and night routines. You can probably see how different segments lend to my productivity throughout the day.

But now let’s talk about YOU. How do you set up a morning routine that is energizing and calming at the same time, and a night routine that will relax you and get ready for the next day?

 

Your morning routine

Ask yourselves these questions to figure out what you want to do in the morning:

  • How much time do I have? Figure out exactly how much time you’d have for a morning routine to make it easier to see what you can fit.
  • What calms me? Journaling, reading the Bible, reading, listening to music? Do something that will relax you.
  • What are some healthy morning practices I need to implement? I.e. drinking a glass of water, not going on your phone first thing, making your bed, etc.
  • Do I have time for a workout in the morning? What kind of workout do I want to do? Exercising is very important for your health, so it’s definitely a good idea to try and incorporate that into your daily routine. Of course, you’ll have to decide if you have time for a workout in the mornings or not. Even if you only have a little time, you can easily find plenty of five-minute workouts.
  • What things do I need to do, but don’t really want to? Remember when I said I check my email and do house chores in the morning because they’re things that I don’t really like doing? Get the no-so-fun stuff out of the way first.

It doesn’t have to stop here. Get inspiration from other’s and create the morning routine that works best for you and your routine. In my opinion, how you spend the morning is will greatly effect how the rest of your day goes. 

 

Your night routine

Ask yourself these questions to create your ideal night routine:

  • What relaxes me? At the end of a busy, stressful day, it’s important to unwind yourself. This activity may be the same thing you did in the morning to relax. Or it may be different, you decide.
  • Is my room/workspace neat? How amazing is it to wake up to a room and workspace already nice and clean? Doing this activity in the evening will ensure you don’t have to take time out of your day to do it in the morning.
  • What do I need in the morning? The night before, you can do things like fill a water bottle and set it near your bed to remind you to drink it the next morning, set out your outfit for the next day, pack your bag (if you need to), make a to-do, etc. Do what you can to make the next day smoother.
  • What self-care activity can I do? This may as simple as just brushing your teeth and washing your face. Or you might do a hair or face mask. Maybe some calming stretching.

With our stressful lives, it’s important to take care of yourself and make sure you’re relaxing from time to time. Even if you only have a few minutes before you have to hop into bed, find something to do that will calm you.

 

I hope this gave you some inspiration for your own morning and night routines. Cultivating a productive lifestyle will effect how the rest of your work goes. Talk about your morning and evening habits in the comments! Have a great day!

 

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What is your favorite morning activity? What do you do at night to relax?


 

 

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12 Comments

  • Reply Eden Anderson

    Ooh, I love this! It’s exactly the sort of thing that I need in my life right now! 😊

    March 20, 2020 at 3:24 pm
    • Reply Jenna

      😀 Glad you like it, Eden! <3

      March 20, 2020 at 3:30 pm
  • Reply S. J.

    I totally agree with this! I have a pretty solid morning routine, but I never thought about a night routine. I may start one, too 🙂

    March 20, 2020 at 4:15 pm
    • Reply Jenna

      Great! Thanks for reading! 🙂

      March 20, 2020 at 4:19 pm
  • Reply Ash Ronnel

    your morning and night routines sound really relaxing and lovely!! i have a small morning and night routine, but your post inspired me to make them more relaxing and helpful to start/end my day. 😉 i loved reading this, hope you’re doing well! <333

    March 22, 2020 at 12:35 pm
    • Reply Jenna

      Thanks! I’m so glad you were inspired by this post! <3
      I'm actually doing pretty well, thank you. I was sick but I think I'm over it now. 🙂 How are you doing?

      March 23, 2020 at 11:22 am
  • Reply Ella

    Love your morning routine,been trying to be consistent in mine

    March 23, 2020 at 3:54 am
    • Reply Jenna

      Thanks, Ella! 🙂

      March 23, 2020 at 11:17 am
  • Reply Hosanna Emily

    Jenna, I enjoyed this post! It’s so fun seeing a peek into other girls’ routines and how it prepares them for a fruitful rest of the day. Thanks for sharing; now I’m inspired to dream up my own. =)

    Keep writing for Jesus! ♥

    March 25, 2020 at 3:56 pm
    • Reply Jenna

      Aw, thanks so much, Hosanna! Your comment made me smile! 😀 Have a wonderful day! <3

      March 25, 2020 at 5:58 pm
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