Having a morning routine as a work from home mom can make (or break) your day. I really believe that if you’re consistent with your morning routine, then your day will be set up for success!
Now do I perfectly follow my morning routine every single morning? I wish.
But when I do follow my routine, I notice my day definitely goes a lot smoother.
Our blog posts may contain affiliate links. These don’t cost you anything, but they allow us to continue running this site and providing free content for our readers. Full disclosure here.
Schedules vs. Blocks
When I first started creating my morning routine I assigned times to tasks.
8:00-8:05: Brush my teeth
8:05-8:15: Get dressed and ready for the day
Etc.
I quickly found though that when something happened that through me off my “time” schedule (and it absolutely did some days), then my whole day was thrown off.
That’s when I discovered the beauty of block scheduling.
Basically instead of scheduling your day in times, schedule it in tasks. So a morning routine could look like:
Brush teeth
Exercise
Shower/Get ready
Read Bible
Etc.
So instead of having times that hold you prisoner, you have the freedom to just go from one thing to the next.
Done exercising? Okay, I know the next thing on my list is shower and get ready.
I do realize that sometimes you have to be done with your morning routine at a certain time. For example, if you have a meeting that starts promptly at 9 am or you have an appointment and you have to leave the house at a certain time to make it.
In those times I like to set an alarm on my phone for 10 minutes before the event. That way if I’m lost in the task I’m doing, I don’t lose track of time and miss meetings, appointments, etc.
Jordan Page from Fun, Cheap or Free has an amazing video explaining block scheduling:
How do I create a work from home routine
So how do you create a work from home morning routine? First, look at the tasks you already do each morning and start there.
What do you do after you get out of bed? Write those down.
You can be as detailed here as you want – brush teeth, wash face, get dressed – or you could simply write “Get ready for the day” and you know what that includes. No right way to do it, just whatever works best for you!
Okay great, we have that part down. Now what do you do after you get ready? Do you go fix a cup of coffee and read your Bible? Do you scroll through Instagram?
And keep going with what you actually do every morning. Not what you want to do, but what you actually do.
Now let’s look at that routine. Are there parts of it you want to change? Do you scroll through Instagram, but you really want to read your Bible instead? Do you want to exercise right after you wake up?
Make those changes! Add those tasks in your routine.
And remember, your routine is a living thing. It will change. There are many different seasons of life that will cause a routine to not work anymore.
When I had newborns there was no way I was going to wake up early to workout. Nope. Not happening, lol!
But when my babies got bigger, a morning workout was more feasible because I was getting a full night’s sleep.
And if you make your routine and realize this isn’t working, then change it! There are no morning routine police that will come get you if you make some changes that fit your life and schedule best.
The best morning routine is one that works for you. One that you will stick to. So while I have suggestions and you might read of other people’s suggestions for what needs to be included, you have to make it realistic for you. And only you know what that looks like!
So take my suggestions here and keep what will work for you and toss the rest. Use my ideas to spark ideas of your own. And then as the mornings happen and you actually walk out your routine, continue to tweak it until it fits perfectly for the current season of your life!
What is a good morning routine before work
Now I know I just said that you make your own routine and make it work for you, and there’s no one right way to do a morning routine – there is one thing that I think needs to be on everyone’s morning routine:
Spend time with Jesus
Am I perfect with this? Do I get up every morning and spend quality time with Jesus?
I wish I could say yes, but there are some days it just doesn’t happen. The day gets going before I’m ready for it. Or I only have time to read one chapter and then talk with Jesus real quick before I have to start working.
And that’s okay!
But I try not to let too many days go by without spending time with Jesus. When I do, I can tell! My spirit begins to crave the Word and being with him.
Now I’m not going to put a time limit on this. I’m not going to say “You have to spend one hour in your morning quiet time”, because I don’t like putting that pressure on myself. Because then I feel like it’s a duty I’m having to clock in and out for. I’m constantly looking at the clock and if I don’t make it to the time I decided, then I failed.
Any time you spend with Jesus and in his word, even if it’s 5 minutes, is time well spent!
Again we go back to seasons of life. When you have a bunch of littles, 5 minutes may be all you have to give. And those 5 minutes might be while nursing a baby and your toddler is watching Blippi on your phone.
God sees the season of life you’re in. And I believe he blesses those 5 minutes and multiplies that time and makes it feel like you’ve spent an hour with him.
The point is you NEED that time with Jesus and in his word. Whether it’s 5 minutes or an hour. Give him what you can. This is the real way to set your day up for success.
Some other things you could include in your morning routine are:
Do some morning chores
Nothing will make you feel accomplished first thing in the morning like knocking some chores out!
This step doesn’t have to be complicated! Simply work a few chores into the flow of your morning routine.
Here are a few examples:
- Wipe down your bathroom counter after you brush your teeth
- Empty the dishwasher while your coffee is brewing
- Start a load of laundry while your kids are eating breakfast
When you attach a chore to something you already are doing in the morning, it makes it super easy!
Related: Easy Cleaning Schedule for Work From Home Moms + FREE Printable List
Exercise
I’ll be honest with you…I’ve never been a morning exerciser (is that a word?). I prefer to do my exercise at night. That’s just what fits my schedule and body best.
But I can definitely see the benefits of exercising in the morning. You get it out of the way so it’s done for the day and you don’t have to worry about it, lol! So if this sounds appealing to you, then fit that in your morning routine.
Now if you do put this in your routine, then you’ll have to account for how long your exercise is. If you drive to the gym, figure the drive time and how long you’ll be at the gym. If you’re doing a home workout, then look how long the workout will be and figure that time in your wake up time.
Side note: If you’re looking for a fun at home workout, check out the girls from RefitRev. This is my favorite workout on YouTube! They do fun, clean dance workouts. They’ve edited all language out of any songs they dance to, so you can feel safe playing this in front of kids! And they do have workouts to some Christian songs too. I don’t even feel like I’m working out because I’m having so much fun!
Check your calendar for the day
Last but not least, check your calendar for the day. Do you have work meetings? Appointments for the kids? A grocery pick up scheduled?
As moms we have so many things running through our heads constantly that it’s super easy to forget things.
Taking one last look before the day gets rolling will ensure you don’t forget an important meeting or appointment.
Tip: I like to set alarms for 10 minutes before a work meeting or before I need to start getting ready for an appointment. That way if I’m in super work mode I won’t accidentally work through a meeting time. (This has totally happened to me before. Oops.)
Conclusion
My last piece of advice is to give yourself grace. Some mornings will go perfectly. You’ll hit everything on your list! And some days, well some days will not be perfect.
And that’s okay!
Each morning is a new day and if you don’t get to anything on your routine list that morning, then try again tomorrow.
Related articles
Easy Cleaning Schedule for Work From Home Moms + FREE Printable List
Stop the Scroll! A Step-by-Step Plan to Reduce Social Media Usage
Looking to Jesus in the middle of your overwhelm
Pin for later!
Leave a Reply