The Toxic Morning Routine Myth (or 1,204 Things to Do Before 9 a.m.)

Beyond Your Default

I did a little research and, according to "the experts," here are honest-to-goodness real recommendations of the things you should accomplish before 9 a.m.:

• Wake up anywhere between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.
• NEVER, EVER hit snooze, only people wasting their life away hit snooze
• Workout at home
• Go to the gym
• Do yoga
• Or run three miles
• OR start with a mobility workout and then do a second workout of plyometrics
• Empty the dishwasher
• Do your morning skincare routine
• Complete your daily gratitude journal
• Then, if your faith is a priority, the Bible or pray
• Then complete your morning pages, if you subscribe to The Artist's Way
• Then read for 25 minutes from a book that enriches your mind
• Meditate
• Do positive affirmations in the mirror
• Eat a well-rounded home-cooked breakfast
• Or don't eat anything because you're fasting
• Or make a homemade smoothie with raw vegetables and fruits and vitamins
• Drink 32 ounces of water
• Review your emails and answer anything outstanding
• Make your plan for the day
• But also don't think about work at all, that's your time
• Give yourself a pep talk
• Do something that brings you joy, like reading a book
• Listen to a podcast while sitting under a light therapy lamp
• Take a hot shower
• No, scratch that, take a cold shower
• No, no wait – sit in an ice bath for no more than 15 minutes
• Complete a visualization for manifestation
• Go on a trail hike and watch the sun rise
• Make your bed
• Don't check your social media
• Go forest bathing
• Don't forget your kids! Make them a balanced breakfast and a lunch for school!
• Also, have you meal prepped? Might want to pop that roast in the slow cooker before you leave for your morning commute or move to your home office for the day.

Now, once you complete this to do list, you can start your day!

OK, to be fair no one suggested you should do all of these things before you hit 9 a.m. — and don't get me wrong there are a lot of good ideas on this list. But as we start this new year, with many of us eyeing personal growth and improvement as part of our roadmap going into 2024 (myself included), we need to have a conversation about how out of hand the idea of The Perfect Morning Routine ☀️ has become.

🌱 Go Deeper: What Is a Growth Mindset, Really? (Fact vs. Fiction)

There are so many "absolutely essential" recommendations out there for what we're all supposed to be doing each morning as go-getters who want more out of life than the status quo, it almost feels like we need an extra 24 hours before the sun rises to do everything we're supposed to do.

So, where is the line between a healthy morning routine and a morning routine that is toxic and unrealistic? And how do you make the right choices for your own morning routine?

Questions We Discuss

• Respectively, what are our current relationships with the idea of a morning routine?
• What do our mornings currently look like, and how do we wish they would change? How have our morning routines evolved and adapted over time?
• What are the good, the bad, and the ugly reasons the growth mindset crowd is so freakin' obsessed with the idea of the perfect morning routine?
• What are the most toxic morning routine recommendations we've seen, and how can you tell the difference between a healthy morning routine idea and one that is toxic?
• How should folks with a growth mindset go about constructing their own morning routine? How can someone know what advice to follow and what advice to ignore?

Key Takeaways

• Morning routines should be personalized and sustainable, rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach. You need to be mindful and purposeful in your choices.
• The obsession with optimizing morning routines can lead to unrealistic expectations and increased stress.
• Designing a morning routine that aligns with personal goals and values is more important than following popular recommendations.
• Morning routines should focus on intentionality, flexibility, and setting oneself up for success.
• Consistency and prioritization are key in creating a morning routine that works for individual needs and lifestyles. Clean and organized spaces can have a significant impact on the quality of morning routines.
• When constructing a morning routine, it is important to personalize it based on individual needs, preferences, and goals.
• Approach mornings with intention and focus on simplicity and sustainability to create a nurturing and adaptable routine.

Morning Routine Resources

• Are these morning routine myths ruining your day (Early to Rise)
• The myth behind morning routines (Forbes)
• Morning routine statistics (Dream Maker)
• More morning routine statistics (Thrive My Way)

Quotes to Inspire Your Mornings

“Every morning you have two choices: continue to sleep with your dreams or wake up and chase them.”
— Unknown

“Meditate five minutes each morning and see it wake up your entire life.” ― Waylon H. Lewis

“Your energy in the morning is a clean slate, and you get a chance each day to build it up the way you want.”
― Mridula Singh

“There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing. It’s not a matter of time; it’s a matter of desire.” – Nina Yau

“Lose an hour in the morning, and you will spend all day looking for it.” – Richard Whately

“New morning, new moment of miracles.” – Lailah Gifty Akita

“The first hour of the morning is the rudder of the day.” – Henry Ward Beecher

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” – Marcus Aurelius