Do you have a morning routine you like to follow? Today, I’m sharing six things I do for my daily morning ritual to jump-start my day.


Happy Monday, friends!

I hope you had a peaceful weekend, and you were able to find something to do that brought you joy. It’s another beginning to a brand-new week, and I am feeling inspired to get this week started. 

A few weeks ago, I was listening to Michelle Obama’s interview on Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations podcast while I was having my “me time” in the morning.

It’s an older episode from mid-February, but it’s still worth the listen.

One thing Oprah asked the former First Lady during their talk was to describe her perfect day.

Mrs. Obama started out by saying for her morning routine she likes to start her day with a good workout or go for a long walk to get fresh air.

She has always been a big advocate for living a healthy lifestyle. She’s known to start her day early in the morning, before 6 A.M., with a workout.

During an interview with Gayle King, Mrs. Obama said, “When it comes to our health as women, we are so busy giving and doing for others that we almost feel guilty to take that time out for ourselves.”

“And I think for us as women, many of us, we have a hard time putting ourselves on our own priority list, let alone at the top of it. If we don’t have our act together as women, as mothers, as grandmothers, we aren’t going to be able to get our kids on track.”

Michelle Obama, Former First Lady and Best-Selling Author of Becoming (Source: People Magazine)

Embed from Getty Images

I know for me as a mother of five children (soon-to-be six), I can relate to Mrs. Obama’s statement on taking time out for herself.

Is this something you can relate to, as well?

Years ago, I wasn’t taking time for myself, and I didn’t have a regular morning routine. I would wake up when the kids got up and just start the day that way.

After a while, though, it really took a toll on me.

When Zechariah was about two years old, I started making time for myself and created a morning routine to help me get a jump-start on my day.

Despite not being a morning person (LOL!), I make sure to follow my morning ritual each day. Sometimes it will change and that’s okay, but what’s vital for me is having an hour or two to myself before the busyness begins.

MORNING ROUTINE: 6 THINGS I DO TO JUMP-START MY DAY

Here’s how my morning ritual begins:

Each day, I like to wake up at least 2 hours before my kids get up so that I can have some time to myself. Those couple of hours of quiet time is essential for me because once the kids are awake, the day is nonstop busy, busy, BUSY!

Weekend mornings may look a little different, though. It all depends on how I’m feeling or if we have something planned as a family.

Here are six things I do for my morning ritual on weekdays.

1. EAT A SMALL, PROTEIN-BASED BREAKFAST

Right now during my pregnancy, I am focusing on keeping my sugar intake low. Therefore, I have been eating more protein-based meals early in the morning. Here are three of my favorite protein breakfast meals:

  • Avocado mixed with one hard-boiled egg on wheat toast
  • Two turkey sausage patties
  • Omelet with cheddar cheese, mushrooms, and spinach
  • Egg, turkey breakfast sandwich on a wheat English muffin
Monday Motivation: A Morning Ritual I Follow to Get My Day Started
Eggs and avocados are great foods for a protein breakfast. (Photo credit: Cristina Villegas)

2. TURN ON A POSITIVE PODCAST. 

I like to start my day listening to one positive podcast. It helps me start my day on a positive note.

TED Talks Daily, The Mother Like a Boss Podcast, and Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations are three of my go-to podcasts to listen to in the morning. 

3. LISTEN TO INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC AND MELLOW BEATS

Lately, I have been listening to more instrumental music and mellow hip hop beats in the morning time. Music with vocals just seems too noisy for me early in the morning and I need something that’s relaxing but also uplifting.

I also like to write in the morning time, so both music genres help me with clearing my mind and focusing on my work. 

My favorite instrumental and hip hop beats playlists on Spotify are Chill Beats Weekly, This is J. Dilla, Good Morning Jazz, Mellow Beats, and Classical Essentials.

Sometimes the playlists I listen to sprinkle in a few songs with vocals and that doesn’t bother me. As long as it’s not heavily saturated with vocals, then I’m good!

J. Dilla
The late J. Dilla is one of my favorite artists to listen to in the morning. (Photo Credit: Spotify)

4. LIGHT BLOG WORK AND CREATIVE WRITING

Light blog work and creative writing are other tasks I like to do for my morning routine. The early mornings are a perfect time for me to get a head start on my blog work and writing before the kids get up. 

Since I homeschool my kids, I’m not able to dedicate a full day to blogging.

Instead, I break up my work time into increments: an hour in the early morning, an hour around lunchtime, and a couple of hours at night (when Travis is available to hang out with the little ones). 

5. CHECK NEWS UPDATES

I like to check my AP News app and Twitter for current news updates. I don’t really like to watch the news on T.V. I spend anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes reading through the news updates. 

I also like to read a few news articles during that time. It’s funny because Travis is the complete opposite of me. He prefers to watch news programs instead of using Twitter for news updates. 

Monday Motivation: A Morning Ritual I Follow to Get My Day Started

5. JOURNAL for 20 to 30 MINUTES

During my breakfast time and while the instrumental music is playing in the background, I like to write in my journal. I write about whatever is on my mind at that moment for about 20 to 30 minutes.

According to Positive Psychology, journaling and expressive writing can help you in a few ways.

  • Boost your mood
  • Enhance your sense of well-being
  • Reduce symptoms of depression before an important event
  • Improve your working memory

I have found that daily journaling, especially at the start of my day, helps me release any stress I may be feeling.

In the same article, you can find 30 journaling tips and writing prompts to help you get started if you’re interested.

Do you have a morning routine you like to follow each day?


Written by

Jennifer Hamra

Freelance creative Jennifer Hamra created her blog Good Life Detroit in 2015 after relocating from Tennessee to Southeast Michigan.

Inspired by her love for personal blogging and photography, Jennifer likes to share her favorite Detroit things, from cool places to visit (the hidden gems are her favorite!) to the amazing people she has connected with over the years.

When she's not busy juggling family life and her creative projects, you can find her at an art gallery, community event, farmers market, or spending quiet time at home with a good book and cup of tea.

Jennifer lives in the metro Detroit area with her husband Travis and their six children.

Connect with Jennifer on social media @goodlifedetroit on all social media platforms or via email at [email protected].