Episode 19 - Master Your Morning Routine: Starting Your Day Right
Welcome to Episode 19 of the Time for Living Podcast!
TRANSCRIPT
show notes
This week, we’re tackling a topic that can transform your day: morning routines. If you’re a busy mom juggling work, family, and building your dream business, this episode is your guide to reclaiming calm and focus in the mornings. Say goodbye to chaotic starts and hello to intentional mornings that set the tone for a more productive and fulfilling day.
By the end of this episode, you’ll have actionable steps to create a personalized morning routine that works for your unique life—no perfection required!
What You’ll Learn:
• Why mornings matter: Learn how the first hour of your day impacts your mindset, energy, and productivity.
• 5 foundational habits: Discover simple yet powerful tips like staying off your phone, practicing gratitude, and prepping the night before.
• Overcoming obstacles: Get practical advice for navigating unpredictable mornings with flexibility and ease.
• Start small: Focus on one habit at a time to build consistency without overwhelm.
Choose one habit from this episode—whether it’s drinking water first thing or journaling about gratitude—and try it tomorrow morning. Small steps lead to big changes!
Resources
• Join The LAB - Life Aligned Blueprint - https://timeforliving.co/lab - my signature program designed to help entrepreneurs create time freedom while building a thriving business.
Let’s Connect:
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timeforlivingco/
Final Thought:
Every morning is a fresh start—a chance to lead your day with intention and purpose. You’ve got what it takes to create mornings that energize and empower you. Let’s make it happen!
TRANSCRIPT - Master Your Morning Routine: Starting Your Day Right
Introduction
Today, we’re talking about something that has the power to completely shift how you approach your day—your morning routine. If you’re a busy entrepreneur balancing work, family, and the dream of building your online business, this episode is for you.
Let’s be honest—mornings can feel like a whirlwind. Maybe you’ve been there: the alarm goes off, you hit snooze one too many times, and suddenly you’re rushing to get the kids ready, find that missing shoe, and get everyone out the door. By the time you sit down to work or tackle your business goals, you’re already frazzled and running on fumes. Sound familiar?
Now imagine a different kind of morning. One where you wake up feeling calm and in control. You have a plan for how to spend those first precious moments of the day—whether it’s sipping coffee, or tea, in peace, journaling about your goals, or simply taking a few deep breaths before the chaos begins. Instead of reacting to everything around you, you’re leading with intention.
Here’s the truth: A stress-free morning isn’t some unattainable luxury reserved for people with endless free time. It’s a necessity—especially if your goal is to create time freedom while building a thriving business. The way you start your day sets the tone for everything that follows. When your mornings are chaotic, it’s easy to feel like you’re playing catch-up all day long. But when your mornings are intentional? That’s when everything starts to click.
In today’s episode, I’m going to show you how to create a morning routine that works for you—one that feels personal, practical, and empowering. Let’s get started!
Mornings are like the foundation of a house—everything you build during the day depends on how strong that foundation is. If your morning feels rushed, chaotic, or out of control, it’s no surprise when the rest of your day follows suit. But when you start with intention, you create momentum that carries you through even the busiest of days.
Here’s why this matters: The first hour after you wake up is when your brain is at its most impressionable. It’s like a blank slate, ready to absorb whatever you give it. If that first hour is filled with stress—reacting to emails, rushing to get everyone out the door, or scrolling through social media—you’re programming your mind to stay in reactive mode all day long. But if you use that time to focus on calm, clarity, and purpose, you’re setting yourself up for success.
There’s also a biological reason mornings are so important. Cortisol, often called the stress hormone, naturally peaks in the morning to help wake us up and get us moving. But if we pile on extra stress—like rushing or multitasking too early—we can push those levels even higher, leaving us feeling frazzled before we’ve even had breakfast. On the flip side, starting your day with intention—whether that’s through hydration, gratitude, or quiet reflection—helps regulate cortisol and keeps stress in check.
When you take control of your mornings, you take control of your time. And for busy moms building businesses, time is everything. Your mornings don’t need to be perfect—they just need to work for you. Let’s explore how to make that happen!
The Foundation of a Great Morning Routine
Let’s talk about building a morning routine that actually works for you. Not one of those overly complicated, Instagram-perfect routines that take hours and leave you feeling like you’ve failed before 8 a.m., but something simple, sustainable, and personal. A routine that helps you feel calm, focused, and ready to tackle both your business goals and your family life.
Here are five foundational habits to consider as you craft your own stress-free morning routine.
Tip 1: No Phone for the First 30 Minutes
This one is a game-changer. The moment you reach for your phone in the morning—whether it’s to check emails, scroll social media, or respond to texts—you’re handing over control of your day to distractions. Your brain, still waking up, becomes overstimulated, making it harder to focus and stay motivated throughout the day.
Here’s why: When you check your phone first thing, it triggers a surge of dopamine—the brain’s reward chemical. This quick hit of stimulation trains your brain to seek more of the same, leaving you stuck in a cycle of constant distraction. Instead of starting your day with clarity and intention, you’re setting yourself up to feel scattered and reactive.
Instead, protect those first 30 minutes after waking. Keep your phone out of reach—maybe in another room—and use a traditional alarm clock if needed. The goal isn’t about avoiding dopamine altogether—it’s about engaging with it in a way that fuels you rather than drains you. Those first moments in the morning are an opportunity to set the tone for your entire day. Protect them fiercely, and watch how much more intentional and productive your mornings become.
Tip 2: Practice Gratitude
Gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful tools to shift your mindset. Take just two minutes each morning to write down three things you’re grateful for—and here’s the key—why you’re grateful for them. It could be as simple as appreciating the quiet before the kids wake up or feeling thankful for the opportunity to work on your business dreams.
When you focus on gratitude, it rewires your brain to notice the positive instead of dwelling on stress or challenges. And as an entrepreneur, this matters because positivity fuels confidence—and confidence helps you tackle those big goals head-on.
Tip 3: Hydration First Thing
After seven or eight hours of sleep, your body is naturally dehydrated. Before reaching for coffee (I know it’s tempting!), start with a glass of water. Hydration jumpstarts your metabolism, boosts energy levels, and even improves mental clarity—three things every busy mom needs in spades.
Keep it simple: Place a glass of water by your bed at night so it’s ready when you wake up. This small habit can set the tone for healthier choices throughout the day.
Tip 4: Movement or Stretching
You don’t need an hour-long workout to feel the benefits of movement in the morning. Just five to ten minutes of stretching, yoga, or light exercise can release endorphins—the feel-good hormones that boost mood and productivity.
This isn’t about burning calories; it’s about waking up your body and mind so you can approach the day with energy and focus. If time is tight, even a few stretches while brushing your teeth can make a difference!
Tip 5: Prep the Night Before
A great morning starts the night before. Taking just ten minutes in the evening to prep can save you from decision fatigue in the morning—a real energy drain for busy moms juggling multiple roles. Lay out outfits (for yourself and the kids), pack lunches, organize bags, or even jot down your top three priorities for the next day.
When everything is ready to go, you wake up feeling more in control and less overwhelmed by last-minute chaos. It’s one less thing to think about—and that mental clarity is priceless when you’re trying to balance family life and building a business.
Personalize Your Morning
Your morning routine doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s—it just needs to work for you. There may be other habits that resonate with you more so pick them. Just like your business, your morning routine should be as unique as you are. Think of it like creating a signature recipe—you’re going to sample different ingredients, mix them up, and discover what energizes you. Remember: mornings are an opportunity to set the tone for your entire day. When you approach them with intention, everything else starts to fall into place. You’ve got this!
Overcoming Common Obstacles
Let’s be real—creating a morning routine sounds great in theory, but life doesn’t always cooperate, does it? Kids wake up earlier than expected, someone forgets where they put their stuffy, or you’re just plain exhausted from the night before. If you’ve ever felt like your mornings are too unpredictable to stick to a routine, you’re not alone. But here’s the thing: routines don’t have to be rigid to work. They just need to be flexible enough to fit into your life.
One of the biggest mistakes we make is trying to overhaul everything at once. We set these lofty goals for our mornings—wake up an hour earlier, meditate, exercise, journal, make a gourmet breakfast—and then feel defeated when it doesn’t stick. But here’s my advice: start small. Pick one habit from today’s episode and focus on that. Maybe it’s drinking a glass of water first thing or avoiding your phone for 30 minutes. Once that habit feels natural, add another. Progress beats perfection every time.
Another tip? Involve your family in the process. If you’re trying to create calm mornings but your kids are running around like tornadoes, it’s time to get them on board. This could mean setting clear expectations the night before—like laying out clothes together or packing lunches as a team—or even creating a simple morning checklist for them to follow. When everyone knows what’s happening next, mornings feel less chaotic for everyone involved.
And don’t underestimate the power of visual cues. A checklist or a sticky note by your coffee maker (teakettle - if you’re me) can remind you of your intentions without adding mental clutter. These little reminders can help keep you on track even when life throws a curveball.
The truth is, no morning will ever go perfectly every single day—and that’s okay! The goal isn’t perfection; it’s consistency over time. Even small wins add up when you commit to showing up for yourself each day.
Action TOday
Now that we’ve covered some practical tips and strategies, I want you to take action today. Please choose just one habit —just one—and try it tomorrow morning. Maybe it’s practicing gratitude or prepping the night before. Whatever resonates with you most, start there and see how it feels.
Small changes have a way of creating ripple effects in our lives. When you take control of just one part of your morning, you’ll notice how it impacts your mood, focus, and productivity throughout the day. And if you’re ready for more support follow me on instagram @timeforlivingco where we explore simple strategies to help you reclaim your time and boost productivity.
SUMMARY
Let’s recap: Mornings matter because they set the tone for your entire day. By starting with intention—even in small ways—you can create more calm, focus, and energy to tackle whatever comes your way. Remember, no one’s routine is perfect—it’s about finding what works for you.
And here’s my final encouragement: Every morning is a fresh start, an opportunity to rewrite how your day unfolds. You’ve got what it takes to create mornings that feel good and work for your life and goals. I’m cheering you on every step of the way! And if you want to hear about how your morning routine truly begins the night before, tune in next week where we’ll dive deep into creating your personalized nighttime routine—the secret weapon that sets you up for those intentional, stress-free mornings we just talked about. Because great days don’t just happen—they’re strategically crafted, one evening at a time.