The ultimate goal of your morning routine is to ensure that your needs are met. Before you rush to meet the daily needs of the world around you, you have to take care of yourself. Think of your needs as buckets — buckets that run empty and need to be regularly refilled.

Focusing your morning routine on 3 buckets — movement, mindfulness, and mastery — is a fabulous way to make sure your emotional, mental, and physical needs are being met before you’ve even said ‘hello’ to the rest of the world. From dancing to journaling to taking an online class, these are some of my fav ways to care for yourself in your morning!

How to Master Your Morning with These 3 Buckets

Movement

Move your body! Wake up your muscles with some movement and get your blood flowing. Here are some things you can do (depending on how intense you want your movement to be):

• Yoga — Check out this guide to the different styles of yoga so you can mix things up!
• Skincare — Get the blood pumping in your face! Check out my skincare routine and shop my fav product list.
• Take a walk — Do a few laps around the neighborhood to get your body moving and breathe some fresh air!
• Exercise — Head to the gym, or do a quick home workout. I’ve been loving my Peloton lately but I’m also obsessed with home workouts from P.Volve! (Use my code AMYTV to get 15% off all equipment!)
• Drink water — I start each day with a glass of lemon water to wake up my system and hydrate my body.
• Stretch — Do some stretches to warm up your muscles after lying in bed for the last 8 hours!
• Dance — Turn on some music and dance yourself out of bed!
• Shower — If you’re a morning-shower person, this is a great way to wake yourself up and take care of yourself before the day begins. (I have a few ideas to help increase productivity while getting clean!)
• Eat — I don’t recommend starting the day with a heavy meal, but a small snack with your coffee never hurt anyone! Do what feels right for you and your body.
• Clean — Organize your workspace, pick up the clutter, and watch your mind begin to feel at ease.
• Play with a pet — Spend some quality time with a furry friend! Go on a walk, play with a toy, and start the day with that burst of energy.

Mindfulness

Take some time in your morning to practice mindfulness. Starting your day with a sense of calm and connection is a fantastic way to set yourself up for success. Try some of these things:

• Meditate — I use the app Headspace for guided meditation sessions.
• Journal — Get in touch with your thoughts and write about how you’re feeling.
• Write Morning Pages — Brain-dump for 3 pages to get all the yuck out of your mind so you can start the day fresh.
• Breathing exercises — Connect with your body through these 10 different breathing exercises.
• Spend time outside — Go on a walk or sit peacefully. Notice your surroundings and feel the calm of the morning.
• Plan your day — Make a list of your priorities and act action plan to get things done!
• Do your makeup — Putting on makeup can be an excellent practice in mindfulness. Connect with yourself and your appearance as you get ready for the day.
• Read — Pick up a book and read a few pages. I start every day by reading a page from The Daily Stoic.
• Write affirmations — Write positive affirmations, such as ‘I am confident,’ ‘I am loved,’ and ‘I have what it takes to be successful.’
• Connect with a loved one — Sit down with a loved one for a cup of coffee before the hustle and bustle of the day begins.
• Gratefulness reflection — Recognize what you’re grateful for in the moment and write it down.
• Make your bed — Nothing starts the day with a sense of accomplishment like making the bed! Make this small task a priority every morning.
• Visualization — Visualize your best self in the life you want. What does it look like? And what do you need to do to make that your reality?

Mastery

Use your morning to learn something new, or get better at a skill you already know. Add some space for self-improvement so you can feel accomplished before the day even begins! Here’s some ideas:

• Learn a new language — Use an app like Duolingo to brush up on your foreign language skills.
• Take an online class — Even if you’re just logging into YouTube, there are so many video courses online for anything you can imagine. Do some searching and learn something new!
• Brainstorm — Use the time in your morning to brainstorm for a project. Give yourself uninterrupted space to write down ideas and take notes.
• Set a goal — Set a goal for your day, your week, or your month and make a plan for how you’ll achieve it.
• Do your makeup — Practice the art of the winged-eyeliner. Maybe even tune into a YouTube tutorial or two!
• Build a website — Create a digital space for yourself! Build a blog, an online shop, or a hub for content.
• Write about something you know — Whether it’s in your journal, on your blog, or in an article, write about what you know and be confident in it.
• Spend time on a passion project — Take time in your morning to work towards finishing your passion project. Psst: need help managing the time it takes to work?
• Find a side hustle — Research side hustles and find one that speaks to you. Pro tip: many can be done from your own home!
• Research the industry you work in/want to work in — Get the inside scoop on the industry you’re interested in. Learn everything you can and become an expert.
• Practice creative writing — Write an essay, a poem, or a short story!
• Update your resume — Add some skills you’ve recently acquired, some new references, and maybe even start a new job search.
• Read a book — Read a book on something you’d like to learn more about, or pick up a memoir from someone you admire.
• Listen to a podcast — Might I recommend Detail Therapy? 👀

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For more inspo on filling these buckets, read Good Morning, Good Life!

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QOTD: How do you fill these buckets every morning?