I Don't Have a Morning Routine—Here's Why You Don't Need To, Either
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I’ve shamed myself for the longest time because I am not a morning person. No matter how early I fall asleep or how many alarms I set, my body has to fight to wake up early. I’ve asked my psychiatrist and primary care physician about sleep remedies. I sleep in the dark. I have set my phone in a different room. I don’t scroll or look at other screens before bed (most of the time). I am taking medications that help my sleep quality, and I still sleep until 9 or 10 a.m. if left to my own devices.
Of course, the world doesn’t operate on this timeline because of productivity culture, so I find my way up by setting at least ten alarms—often more than an hour and a half before I actually need to get up. It’s not a perfect system, and I’m working on it, but it’s what works for me.
When I say you don’t need a morning routine, I mean that there can be so much pressure and, quite frankly, an obsession with morning routines. I wonder if they actually serve our overall wellness or not.
We’re told that we need to wake up at 5 a.m, make a cup of coffee (or matcha) and a healthy breakfast, journal for at least 20 minutes, and do yoga or some other kind of workout to get our day started. The truth is, you don’t need a morning regimen to be successful or productive. You can show up to your day with ease and flexibility, which may help you in the long run.
Stop The Negative Self-Talk About Your Routine
When you skip a part of your morning routine, are you mean to yourself? Maybe your inner narrative sounds something like, “Ugh, I’m so lazy for skipping my morning workout!” This negative self-talk is counterproductive. If you repeatedly skip parts of your morning routine, it’s time to shift your day around in realistic ways that actually serve your lifestyle and promote self-compassion.
Switch From A Routine to a Ritual
Don’t get me wrong, the morning can be a time for self-care and setting ourselves up for a good day. Taking a moment to stretch in the morning may help you feel less tense throughout the day. If you’re a person that drinks coffee, making sure you do so every morning as a little treat can be a part of that morning ritual. If you are a person that does like to journal every day, that’s something you can do, too! It’s just important to know that sometimes routines may be too rigid.
The idea of switching from a routine to ritual is just about switching your mindset and attitude. It’s about switching your motivation. Rituals do not have to be spiritual in any way, they are just meaningful actions that give us a sense of purpose during our day that serve our overall well-being.
Different People Need Different Routines
There are many articles out there about “Optimizing Your Morning” or “Best Morning Routines for Productive People,” but this just doesn’t allow for the various lifestyles that exist. Some “typical” morning routines don’t account for people struggling with mental illness or a disability. They don’t account for people who work at night, who are parents, or those who have different circadian rhythms. The fact is this: productivity culture tells us that there is an optimal way to work, and our morning routine should reflect that. If you are a person who needs the accountability of a routine, that’s great! I celebrate that and weave in and out of seasons where I need that as well.
““Some ‘typical’ morning routines don’t account for people struggling with mental illness or a disability. They don’t account for people who work at night, who are parents, or those who have different circadian rhythms. The fact is this: productivity culture tells us that there is an optimal way to work, and our morning routine should reflect that.””
But, I want to push back and say that it’s okay to just do the parts in your morning that feel good. This goes back to switching the motivation. Are you adding things to your routine just to be more productive? Or, are you taking stock of the things that help your mental health? That is going vary person-to-person and be specific for you and your lifestyle.
Spontaneity May Actually Help Your Productivity
Because we do live in a world where we need to be productive and get things done, it’s important to consider an aspect of productivity that is overlooked: spontaneity. When it comes to having a strict morning routine, you may be blocked for creativity, innovation, or flexibility. In my experience, that is where some of the best projects and ideas come alive.
Let’s look at journaling, for example. As a writer myself, I find that if I journal every single day, I may have to force it, and forcing it never leaves me feeling good about what I’ve written. Sometimes, it’s okay to just allow yourself to sit with your thoughts without writing them down. So yes, sometimes I sit in the morning and write, but I like to think of different aspects of what I can add to my morning schedule as things I can return to, not a set routine. This helps keeps me fresh and inspired.
Balancing Your Commitments While Honoring What Feels Good
The idea of “quiet quitting,” where workers are expected to go above and beyond, is hitting mainstream headlines these days. We live in a world that is obsessed with our self-worth being tied to how productive we are. People are fed up with being exploited, underpaid, and under appreciated.
The idea of the morning routine often comes up when we think about how to prepare for our work days. Sure, we exist in a world of capitalism, so we do have to get up and be at work at a certain time to earn a paycheck. But by switching to the idea of a ritual, we can honor what feels good and have a clearer idea of what our boundaries look like. When we have clearer boundaries, we can communicate how we best feel supported and aligned with our goals.
““The idea of the morning routine often comes up when we think about how to prepare for our work days...by switching to the idea of a ritual, we can honor what feels good and have a clearer idea of what our boundaries look like. When we have clearer boundaries, we can communicate how we best feel supported and aligned with our goals.””
Comparison Is the Thief Of Joy
Or at least that’s what they say. In the case of morning routines, I think this is absolutely the truth. In the age of Instagram, we are taken along for people’s morning routines. We see them posting at the gym or in the line at Starbucks with the hashtag #riseandgrind.
Meanwhile, you’re just now opening your phone, realizing they posted that three hours ago. I’ve found myself in this cycle before; it is truly the thief of joy. This ties into the idea that different people need different routines, but what we have to remember is that what we see on social media is the highlight reel. We may not know what’s going on behind the scenes. They could have witnessed a horrific car accident on the way to work or argued with their partner while walking out the door. When we see other people’s morning routines, remember we’re not getting the full story. The only things we can control are the rituals that serve us—and us only.
I Don’t Have a Morning Routine
Once I switched to the idea of having morning rituals or things I return to in the morning, it’s been a lot easier for me to get up. I look forward to the morning’s cup of coffee and my new pumpkin spice creamer. I let my intuition tell me when it would best serve me to journal out some of my feelings before I start the day. I practice positive self-talk when it comes to my productivity and am confident in my ability to get things done with boundaries in place.
Of course, there are nuances regarding mental health, disability, chronic illness, and other intersecting identities. My mental illness and chronic health condition often get in the way of the things I need to be doing. And don’t get me wrong, a morning routine may be what you need for your mental wellness. But if it’s not, divesting from the morning routine—and all of the hustle culture nonsense wrapped up in it—may help you show up to each day with more kindness, compassion, and more headspace to face your day confidently.