FIELD GUIDE N0. 01:The Morning Routine

Morning is an important time of day, because how you spend your morning can often tell you what kind of day you are going to have.
-Lemony Snicket

Field Note

There exists a fleeting moment, perhaps more than one, each morning before the day begins. These moments are, to me, the most cherished and exquisite segments of the day; the moments preceding the world’s demands, that ones that are exclusively mine to savor.

As someone naturally inclined towards the preternaturally irritating habit of being an early riser, this morning ritual comes effortlessly to me, thus giving myself a modest boost of confidence from the outset. However, if you are not a creature of routine or regard the sunrise with the same enthusiasm as a vampire, here lies your opportunity to begin.

I find routine extremely cathartic. Perhaps due to my personality foundation of obsessive-compulsive disorder. But it is so good for me and my high-anxiety life. And at the very least, when the day goes off the rails, as it inevitably does, at least I know I’ve completed something.

My routine isn’t so regimented that I always do things in this exact order and at these exact times but it’s more of a list of small things that I do before almost everything else. It sets the tone for the day and claims those quiet moments for myself.

The Mission

Start simple: don’t try to become a different person. We are not starting our home overhaul with overambitious projects – we are starting with a simple start to the day that develops into a routine and becomes a routine.

The non-negotiables

Make the Bed

My mother raised me this way (because her mother raised her that way) and Admiral McRaven popularized it. But I’m a huge believer in making the bed should be one of the very first things you do upon waking up. Don’t let your day get started before you do it.

Let the Light In

Open all of the curtains or blinds. Let the house wake up with the sun too. Natural light is one of the best things about homey and cozy feelings for me and I need it every day. If the curtains are closed, the house is tired, which means I am tired.

Put the Kettle On

Indulge in a cup of coffee or tea. Taking just a few quiet minutes to meditate, pray, or just do nothing but sip coffee – whatever your vibe is, do that thing. Set the tone for your day peacefully, not chaotic. Yes, I have to schedule in my peace. But I’ll still count it in the win column.

Read/Write Something

A chapter of a good book, do a crossword puzzle, physically write down your to-do list. Something tangible, not digital and that engages your brain.

Empty Dishwasher

Starting the day off with an empty dishwasher means there is a place for the dirty dishes to go throughout the day. Which means they’re less likely to pile up in the sink or on the counter or anywhere else. I find the lack of dirty dishes laying around to be one of the happiest sights. (Probably because I LOATHE doing dishes).

Plant care

Don’t have a plant? Get one. Even just a very cheap little sprout. I’m a big believer in growing things being good for the soul, and taking care of my plants every morning is another soothing thing that starts the day off right. I use the PlantIn app so it takes all of the guesswork out of it – it tells me exactly which plant needs care, what it needs, and how much. So all I do is run down that list every morning and it takes the guesswork out of it

The Maybe-negotiables

move your body

I’m a work-out-first-thing-in-the-morning person. You might not be and that’s okay. At least try to put « getting your body moving » (even just a 10 min walk after supper!) somewhere in your day.

Start a load of laundry

I do one load every day so getting it started first thing keeps me on track for getting it finished before bed.

feed pets

Kind of a given if you have one but make it part of the routine to spend some time with them, not an afterthought.

My Weekday Routine

(usually in this order)

0415: Wake up & Make bed
0420: Brush teeth/put in contacts/get dressed
0430: Cup of coffee
0445: Work out
0545: Answer urgent work messages (and more coffee!)
0610: Start laundry
0615: Wake up the boys
0620: Open blinds, water plants, and check diffusers (I just go room by room and do it all)
(0625: Wake up my youngest son again)
0630: Make breakfasts and lunches
(0635: Make sure my youngest is actually brushing his teeth)
(0700: My oldest son feeds the dogs)
0700: Empty dishwasher and do breakfast dishes
0710: School drop-off
0815: Have a cup of tea and handle personal mail (digital and physical)
0845: Shower, get ready, & wipe down bathroom surfaces

Smarter, Not Harder

(smart home integration)

I’ll talk more about my new love for smart home things in its own section but here’s how I integrate it into our mornings:

I made an Alexa routine to wake me up at 04:15 with a good morning message, turning on the lights in my bedroom, starting the coffee, and soothing acoustic music in my room and the kitchen. (And in the winter it starts the heater in the gym because I HATE being cold).

Another routine tells the boys it’s time to get up at 0615, turns on their lights, and switches the music to classical piano in the whole house. We listen to this throughout our morning routine.

Once the morning is done and I’m off to work, a third routine makes sure all the lights are off and the thermostat is set for the day.

It is a requirement to have a smart home to do the things in your morning? Absolutely not. And maybe it’s not for you. But I’ve found it really really works for our family to keep us on schedule and the peaceful background music sets the tone for the day. And the automatic lights on/off is a huge win for me not constantly walking through the house flipping light switches.

Common Pitfalls

beginning with your phone

Make your brain do it’s brain job and get going without technology for the first few minutes. Checking email, news, or social media immediately shifts the morning from intentional to reactive.

Remedy: Leave your phone charging while you get through at least the first 3 things in your routine.

trying to change everything at once

Routines are built through repetition, not ambition. Adding too many habits at once or decided you’re going to wake up at 04:30 when you usually get up at 09:00 is not going to stick

Remedy: Master one practice and one small step before adding another.

Making the routine too rigid

Life changes – children are germ factories, people travel, and unexpected mornings and inevitable.

Remedy: Try to keep the sequence of your routine consistent, even if the timekeeping changes. Build the rhythm – not just mastering a massive list of morning things once a week.

Field Kit

electric kettle

Goes non-stop for years. Fuels constant cups of tea, coffee, cocoa, and anything else where boiling water is needed. Regrettably, this exact model is no longer available, but several others from the same brand are.

Find one >

Your turn:

What are your non-negotiables in the morning?

Are you willing to get up 10 minutes earlier for that little bit of peace and routine?

If you could add one little thing just for you in the morning, what would it be?

Try a few routines on for size and see what feels like the best combination of your natural instincts and also doing enough that you start the day already feeling settled and accomplished.