Perfect morning routine to get a flying start to your day

Over the past few years, I’ve been experimenting with my morning routine by reading up on other people’s routines and asking whoever I meet while also changing mine ever so slighly to figure out what works best for me.

The key components which I’ve used to build my routine are shared below followed by my actual routine on a typical day. I hope this will inspire you to experiment with your own routine to arrive at something which works the best for you. The six pillars of my morning routine are as follows:

1. Reflection: I’ve found morning time to be ideal for reflecting on your priorities for the day (more so if the rest of the family is still not up :) ), things that you’re excited or worried about and generally spending time with your own thoughts. I also use this time on being grateful for life itself.
2. Silence/Meditation: With 24 hours news, social media, work & other priorities, we often miss the time to be quiet. A great book I’ve started reading on the topic is Golden — the power of silence in a world of noise. I also spend some time on my breathing and meditation. I tried some apps in the past to assist me in my meditation but find it better to guild myself these days. The key here is to focus on something — a chant, your breath , body scanning etc — something which keeps you grounded for the rest of the day.
3. Exercise: The importance of exercise, even if for 10–15 minutes, cannot be overemphasized. I’ve settled on some simple stretching exercises, surya namaskar, squats and stomach crunches. I follow-up this up with a walk later in the day.
4. Cold Shower: I’ve seen the value of cold shower for myself. Though it did take me a while to figure out my routine for this. I typically start with a regular shower to get myself clean and end the shower with a minute long cold shower. It gives a mood boost and sets me up for the day.
5. Indulgence: I start my day with a cup of sweetened coffee, it is my indulgence for the day. It is something I look forward to and one regular indulgence of my day.
6. Planning: I find the morning time ideal for planning for the day/week/month ahead — what I would like to accomplish, events/meetings to attend, people to meet/get in touch etc. etc.

With the above pillars, my actual routine looks something like below (with, of course, variations if there is travel (time zone differences), illnesses etc).

I’ve tried to wake up earlier but do need my 7–8 hours sleep and have now settled on 6am. As I’ve grown older, I do find the predictability of a morning routine very comforting and slightly in control.

One aspect which has helped me stick to this routine is avoiding my mobile phone till I am ready for the day (I do religiously keep my mobile away an hour before bedtime and pick it back up only by around 7:30am).

I hope you find these pillars useful and can use it to build your own perfect routine. As mentioned in the beginning, this is still a work in progress and I will keep adding/removing things as I learn/discover more about myself and others.

The routine you’ve will definitely change with the phase of life you’re in with changing priorities, climates, cultures etc. I believe there is no perfect routine which works for everyone but everyone can have their own perfect routine.

Is there any missing pillars you would like to add to a morning routine?