The Perfect Morning Routine Checklist to Start Your Day

The Daily Shifts 3M Morning Routine

What I have found to be the best morning routine is what I’ve coined the “3M Morning Routine.” But before you get into the 3Ms, I suggest you do a couple of other things first.

1. After you wake up, hydrate immediately. This will boost both your body and mind to work optimally throughout the day and prevent dehydration.
2. Next, make your bed! It sets the tone for the day, gives you a sense of accomplishment, and gets your mind into habit mode. 
   

Once you’ve done these two simple things, you’re ready to move on to the 3Ms. They are:

1. Move
2. Meditate
3. Motivate
   

Now, let’s dive a little deeper into each one of these morning routine checklist items. 

Move - The Perfect Morning Routine Checklist

I know, I know. Sometimes the last thing you want to do is get moving in the morning, but hear me out. Cortisol levels are highest in the morning. This is a stress hormone that makes us feel anxious and overwhelmed. By exercising, it lowers our cortisol levels and releases endorphins (feel-good hormones) to help us feel excited and happy. Moving early in the morning also helps us feel strong and wakes our body up. Feeling super tired in the morning is a reason to exercise, not a reason to skip it, because you truly will feel energized after you get moving. It’s worth it, I promise!

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Meditate - The Perfect Morning Routine Checklist

Meditation is one of the best things you can incorporate into your morning routine. The benefits of meditation are endless, and it can benefit both your physical and mental health. What better way to start your day! I recommend a simple 15 minutes of silence to sit with your thoughts. You don’t necessarily have to sit cross-legged. I like to look at the beautiful mountains I can see from my window and sip my coffee with no distractions. Alternatively, you can use our app to help you meditate! There are guided meditations on there that go along with various moods that you may be feeling in the morning.

If you’re new to meditation, try working with a guided audio meditation like the ones in our app or a guided meditation script. You can also start with smaller chunks of time and work your way up. Start with just five short minutes for a week, and gain confidence. Then, bump yourself up to 10 minutes, and then 15 minutes. Once you get used to meditating, you’ll be surprised at how time can just fly by.

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Motivate - The Perfect Morning Routine Checklist

The third M of the morning routine checklist is Motivate. Before I hit the workday, I like to motivate myself by revisiting my goals. I write them down daily with specific deadlines and achievements attached to them. I sit with the emotion of what it would feel like to accomplish these goals and embody that emotion throughout the day. By motivating myself daily by writing my goals down, it keeps me excited and on track daily. This is a great way to improve yourself and your work ethic every day. You can simply write your goals down on a piece of paper or the Notes app on your phone, or, if you want to stay a bit more organized, we recommend using a planner. 

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The Best Morning Routine for You

We hope you like these morning routine ideas! Of course, the best morning routine for you may be different than the best morning routine for someone else. Our 3M morning routine checklist is just a guideline for you to work off of. You can feel free to add anything else that you find beneficial to your morning routine checklist, or alternatively, you can take something off and move it to another part of your day (for example, if you prefer to meditate mid-day for a boost when you start to lose focus at work). The 3M morning routine is just what I have found to be the best morning routine for us, but I understand that what works best for you might be a little bit different.

Ready to make even more positive changes in your life beyond your morning routine? The Daily Shifts has got you covered. Take our 5-day challenge and learn to reset your life and daily routine to put in place powerful, simple habits for the best week (and life) ever. You can also take our Master Class to find your true purpose in life and shift and rebuild your life from the inside out. Get ready to change your life for the better, starting every morning.