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How to Become a Morning Person – Free Morning Routine Checklist

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January 14, 2022 By Lisa Sharp 24 Comments

Do you hate mornings? Want to learn how to become a morning person or at least hate mornings a lot less? These tips and tricks can help. Plus you can get a free morning routine checklist!

turquoise coffee cup on red book with text how to become a morning person

When booking a massage one time my massage therapist, who is also a good friend, only had a morning opening. She told me to not bother to get dressed up or anything, just roll out of bed and come in. It seems most people have picked up on the fact that I’m not a morning person.

Not being a morning person would be fine if the rest of the world was set up for night owls but it’s not. Sadly, most of us night owls end up having to deal with mornings.

I’ve felt stressed and behind for the last, well year or two, maybe more? And I’m tired of it. If I want to be able to enjoy evenings with my husband I need to be done with work and housework by the time he is done with work and the gym. So I set out to learn how to become a morning person.

You will find lots of articles about having better mornings out there but it seems like a lot of them come from people that are naturally morning people. And morning people may need help with their mornings as well but night owls have a special hate for mornings and we need more help! So here are some tips to make your mornings better from a night owl.

How to Become a Morning Person

white coffee cup on turquoise table with croissant and good morning note

Go to Bed Earlier

You should try to go to bed at least 7-8 hours before you have to get up. This is hard for some of us but just keep at it. It gets easier over time.

Doing some things that help you relax can make it easier to fall asleep. Some activities that you may want to try out before bed include-

  • Reading a book.
  • Listening to soft music.
  • Listening to a relaxing audiobook. 
  • Working on a puzzle.
  • Take a warm bath or shower.

These activities can really help you feel more calm and ready for bed. It may still take time to adjust to going to bed earlier but they can help.

Have an Evening Routine

Setting up an evening routine can really help make the mornings easier. Who wants to get out of bed when they know they will be greeted by a messy house and sink full of dishes?

At least pick up and wash the dishes. If you have a lot of energy at night also consider prepping your breakfast, setting out your clothes, and maybe a few other chores.

You should also add some of the relaxing activities from above to your evening routine to help you relax and feel ready for bed.

Make Time for Self-Care in the Morning

Set aside time for yourself in the morning. I like to start my day with journaling and yoga. These things are calming and set me up for a good day. I also like to sip a cup of tea while watching something on YouTube.

This may not be something you would enjoy but find something that makes you happy. It’s not selfish to take care of yourself. When you are happier and less stressed everyone around you will benefit.

Check out my self-care morning routine!

Blue cup of cappuccino with beautiful latte art and red notebook on the table with white fower pot.

Do the Hardest Thing First

I used to think I should work out in the afternoon since I didn’t enjoy mornings but that often led to me not working out at all because I’d be tired and just put it off more.

Now I get it out of the way in the morning. This also means if I don’t do much the rest of the day I still got one of the biggest tasks off of my list and can feel good about that.

I also like to look over my to-do list for the day and knock out the things I don’t want to do. For me, phone calls are one of these things. I hate talking on the phone so when I have phone calls I try to make them first thing in the morning.

If you have something you are dreading, get it over with. It will relieve some stress and make you feel like you have already accomplished a lot.

Write Shorter To-Do Lists

We only have 24 hours in a day and 7-9 of them should be spent sleeping. Putting 50 things on your list is setting yourself up for failure.

If you need to, put times next to each item to make sure they don’t add up to more time than you have. This is called time-blocking and is a great method for some. Others like to have the rule of only having a set number of things on their to-do lists. People with ADHD may find only one task is best to make sure they actually finish that task. Find what works for you.

And consider making a running to-do list with non-time-sensitive things. DON’T look at it unless you end up with some extra time after doing the time-sensitive things on your list. Your family does need clean clothes but they will survive just fine without you painting the living room. (Note to self: no one sees your cleaning supply cabinet, it does not need to be organized before you finish the big pile of laundry!)

Give Your Morning a Makeover

Take the Make Over Your Morning course. This has been key to making my mornings better. I didn’t think it would make a huge difference but I had heard so many people raving about it. 

When I saw you could try out day one for free I knew I had nothing to lose. The moment I finished day one I bought the whole course. Try out the free day and see if it’s the right fit for you. And don’t worry the course is not about waking up early. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page you will see a link to get the free day.

Create a Morning Routine

Once you finish the above steps you will want to create a morning routine. This can be something very structured or more flexible. You have to find what works well for you. 

You can also check out my homemaker morning routine for ideas on making your own. And be sure to use the morning routine checklist below to make it even easier.

Morning Routine Checklist

morning routine checklist on turquoise table

Creating a morning routine checklist is a great way to stick to your routine and create good habits for having a better morning. You can create your own morning routine checklist with this free printable.

Simply sign up below and the morning routine checklist will be sent to your inbox so you can start using it right away. Just fill out the things you want to do each morning and start using the checklist.

Need accountability? Join the Retro Housewife Goes Green Community and check-in each morning with your to-do list and routine. It’s 100% free and private.

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Gentle Morning Routine

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Self-Care Morning Routine Ideas

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A Self-Care Nighttime Routine

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Creating a Nighttime Routine

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Filed Under: Time Management Tagged With: morning routine, routine

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Prof Ragsdale says

    September 4, 2015 at 8:41 am

    I am not a morning person, but I’ve been able to make mornings much more tolerable by taking more time for myself and moving slower in the morning. I uses to wait until the last minute to get up. However, getting 7-8 hours of sleep is pretty much impossible for me for many reasons. Even when a miracle happens, and I sleep well, I am still offended by mornings. They are so bright … And instusive. I will always love the night. I dream of a world where we get to sleep during the day. In a a dark room.

    Reply
    • Lisa Sharp says

      September 6, 2015 at 2:02 pm

      I avoided trying to be more of a mornings person for a long time but it got to where I just needed more time to get things done. Still not a morning person but they are getting a bit easier haha.

      Reply
  2. Farrah says

    September 6, 2015 at 2:57 pm

    I’m totally with you on hating mornings, haha. I minimized my getting-ready-and-out-the-door time to about 10 minutes for the sole purpose of getting to sleep in as much as possible. ._. These are really good tips! :]

    Reply
    • Lisa Sharp says

      September 7, 2015 at 4:28 pm

      That’s impressive! Thanks for coming by!

      Reply
  3. Susan York Meyers says

    September 6, 2015 at 4:15 pm

    Thank you for the tips. I’m also a night owl who hates mornings. I’ve learned to do as much the night before (including picking out my clothes) as possible. I have a morning routine that I could go through in my sleep (and often pretty much do). As long as I don’t deviate (as in my husband having the nerve to come into the bathroom and talk to me while I’m trying to remember if I’ve put on deodorant or not), I do pretty well.

    Reply
    • Lisa Sharp says

      September 7, 2015 at 4:27 pm

      It does help doesn’t it? Some quiet time is important for me in the morning because I still would rather not see people when it’s early, ha.

      Reply
  4. Rebekah Loper says

    September 6, 2015 at 6:27 pm

    I have always been a morning person, but the past few years I’ve found myself having to amend how I say that to people.

    Because there’s morning… and then there’s EARLY morning. And I’m the latter. Most morning people I know like to be up at 7 or 8.

    My days typically start before 6 am (unless I’m exhausted), but I’m happily in bed at 9/9:30 at night. However, I think no matter if you’re an early bird or a night owl, getting the dishes done before bed definitely makes for better rest, and more productivity the next day!

    Reply
    • Lisa Sharp says

      September 7, 2015 at 4:27 pm

      Yeah before 6 seems pretty unreachable to me right now. I’m proud of myself to be getting up at 6:30-7. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Christina @ Embracing Simple says

    September 7, 2015 at 10:53 am

    I LOVED the Makeover Your Mornings Course. Crystal is amazing! I was also a night owl by nature, but now I actually do enjoy waking up early to get a nice start to my day 🙂

    Reply
    • Lisa Sharp says

      September 7, 2015 at 4:26 pm

      Isn’t it a great course? Thanks for coming by.

      Reply
  6. Jessica Cangiano says

    September 9, 2015 at 8:06 pm

    Massive, lifelong night owl here, so mornings or whenever I wake up, is rarely my cup of tea. I really agree with the tip to throw yourself in the hardest/busiest task first if you can to help kick start that day. Once I’ve done a bit of meditation or even just deep breathing to help center myself for the day, that is often my approach, too.

    ? Jessica

    Reply
    • Lisa Sharp says

      September 11, 2015 at 2:01 pm

      Yeah it doesn’t seem fun when you are thinking about it but it’s always nice the rest of the day to have it done.

      Reply
  7. meg says

    March 8, 2016 at 2:41 pm

    thanks for this! I think we are long lost sisters! I love massages, hate mornings and hate talking on the phone!! 🙂

    Reply
    • Lisa Sharp says

      March 13, 2016 at 4:34 pm

      haha! Glad you liked it!

      Reply
  8. lynne says

    July 26, 2017 at 8:51 am

    I am a morning person but I need lots of time to get going, so I give myself 2 hours before I have to be out the door. I can get ready leisurely and eat breakfast and catch up on social media while drinking my tea, make my bed and such so the house is tidy when I leave for the day. That evening routine is essential! Washing the dishes and tidying the kitchen, packing my lunch, and laying out my clothes for work helps the mornings go much smoother. It took awhile to get that routine down, but it helps enormously.

    Reply
    • Lisa Sharp says

      July 26, 2017 at 11:39 am

      Routines are a lot of trial and error for sure! Sounds like you have your’s down well.

      Reply
  9. Sara says

    July 31, 2017 at 6:09 pm

    I am not a morning person, but I get up 15 minutes earlier than I need so I can take a bath instead of a shower. They are relaxing at night, but even more so in the morning, you kind of wake up in the tub, it eases the transition.

    Reply
    • Lisa Sharp says

      August 1, 2017 at 9:48 pm

      I think I’d fall asleep. I don’t even like morning showers for that reason haha.

      Reply
  10. Leslie says

    September 17, 2017 at 8:05 pm

    I am a night owl too so it is so hard for me to wake up early in the morning, right now it is only 2 days a week, thank goodness. I have very recently created a night routine and tweeking it as i go. These are great ideas to help.

    Reply
    • Lisa Sharp says

      September 18, 2017 at 9:25 am

      Glad you liked these ideas.

      Reply
    • Parker says

      April 11, 2022 at 8:14 am

      This is kind of a specific tip, but it’s worked wonders for me. I have adult adhd and take a stimulant. I read from a few people that taking your meds about 15 minutes early will wake you up. Immediately went from a (if it’s up to me) 10 am at the earliest wake up to 6 am with almost no problems!

      Reply
  11. Shereen says

    May 20, 2018 at 5:05 pm

    Great tips thank u! But you forgot that one important anti-sleep element; kids! With two little ones (1 and 4 years old) I feel lucky if I get four hours sleep. Even if I go to bed at 9 or 10 and wake up at 6, there is so much action during their sleep, and you become such a light sleeper, always with anxiety if one of them is ill. Result: tired and dragging myself out of bed at 6 am. God bless them, I hope it gets easier as they get older
    One last note: your blog is lovely, I love everything old and vintage, and I feel at home here?

    Reply
    • Lisa Sharp says

      May 20, 2018 at 7:40 pm

      Well, I don’t have kids so not something I can write about. I do have a chronic illness that causes fatigue and sleep issues. Dealing with fatigue no matter the cause is never fun. You have to try different things and find what works for your stage of life.

      I’m so glad you like the blog. Thanks so much!

      Reply
  12. GIULIA says

    January 17, 2022 at 3:26 am

    I’ma morning persona, honestly I prefer day instead night, so I’m completely agree with every single tip in the post

    Reply

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Welcome to my blog! My name is Lisa and I'm the Retro Housewife trying to live a greener life. I share my love of all things vintage, homemaking and green living here on the blog. To read more, click here.

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