Inspiration is always a good idea! I love being able to get inspired by what others do in their routines, maybe seeing something I think would benefit myself, or a new way of doing something I hadn’t thought of before. It offers us an opportunity to learn, create momentum and motivation, and to indulge our sense of curiosity.
My goal here is to offer you inspiration for creating your own routines and options of what you could include in them, and to also pique your interest in trying something new.
Before we dive in though, I would like to preface with some reminders. I think it is so important to always keep an open mind and expand your awareness, especially when it comes to your well-being and personal growth. But don’t forget that this is your life. You are completely unique, and you are in control of how you choose to navigate your own set of circumstances and needs (which are always changing!). Take inspiration from others, but remember that their lives and their needs might be completely different from yours. First and foremost, stay connected with your own intention for creating your routine, and experiment with what you feel interested in and is resonating with you. You truly won’t know if something is the right fit unless you try, and just because something isn’t supporting your needs at this moment, doesn’t mean it will never be of benefit to you in the future. You can always come back and re-explore!
To determine what you’re wanting and needing your routine to look like, and all the logistics and details, be sure to check out how to create a strong foundation and framework for any routine.
Different kinds of routines:
Morning routines are often in the spotlight, and for good reason as they can help set the tone for the day, but there are many other routines you can create! Your routines should support what you are needing to be your best self. You get to decide how much structure you’re wanting, and where a routine might be of benefit in your life.
- Personal vs. professional. You can create routines for your personal needs on your own time, but also in your professional career! We’re staying focused on personal routines here, but maybe you would also benefit from a professional routine to begin each week or work day, that allows you to feel centered, prepared and focused. Or to close out each week or work day to help you leave work feeling accomplished and in control.
- Weekly or monthly. You could have a weekly Friday afternoon routine to close out the work week and welcome the weekend, or a Sunday routine to help you prepare and set yourself up for success for the week ahead. And same idea for monthly routines to help you reflect and wrap up the month, and set your intentions and plan for the month coming up!
- Daily. Morning, lunch, after school or work, night, etc.
As you can see, there’s many options and potential scenarios for your routines! Now let’s go through what some of these specific routines could consist of. There are endless possibilities, and remember to expect trial and error as you play around and find what works for you in terms of content and structure. Do your best to stay connected to why you want a routine in the first place, and how you need it to support you.
You can mix and match ideas from different routines, and feel free to scroll around to find the type of routine you’re interested in.
Personal routines:
Personal Morning Routines:
My personal morning routine lately:
These are my basics, and what happens most days. I definitely allow for flexibility, and will move things to later in the day or add things in if time permits and depending on what I feel I’m needing and wanting in the moment.
- Brush my teeth, go to the bathroom, and splash cold water on my face
- Drink water and take my thyroid medication
- Step outside to welcome the day, breathe, and get morning light exposure
- Make the bed
- Movement (run, walk, yoga, pilates or strength training)
- Stretch
- Meditate
- Shower
- Skin care with a short facial massage
- Hair care
- Eat breakfast (usually prefaced with warm lemon water)
- Take supplements
Potential morning routine activities:
- Regular wakeup time
- No phone until a certain time
- Write in your dream journal about the dreams you had
- Morning light exposure
- Grounding (placing your bare feet on the earth)
- Make the bed
- Tidy up your room or another area in the house
- Personal hygiene: tongue scraping, oil pulling, brushing teeth, skin care, hair, shower, etc.
- Cold shower
- Dry brushing
- Gua sha
- Movement: Exercise, walk, yoga, stretch, foam roll, etc.
- Meditate
- Breathwork
- Journaling: gratitude, intentions for the day, affirmations, brain dump/free write, prompted questions, self-exploration, etc.
- Positive affirmations
- Oracle or tarot card pull
- Spiritual practices or worship
- Reading
- Tea, coffee, warm lemon water, juice, etc.
- Hydration
- Make and eat breakfast
- Medication and supplements
- Prepare your lunch or snacks for the day
- Review your schedule and to-do list for the day
- Talk to a loved one or friend
- Quality time with a loved one
- Listen to music or a podcast
- Get outside (walk, breathe or meditate, eat or drink outside, etc.)
- Water your plants
Personal Lunch Routines:
My personal lunch routine lately:
Throughout each “step”, I focus on being as present and mindful as possible – tuning into the food I am cooking, the textures and tastes as I eat, how my body feels as I breathe, the cool breeze on my skin… It’s simple, yet impactful; there’s no need to overcomplicate!
- Get my meal together – usually cooking or making it fresh, or heating up some leftovers.
- If it’s nice weather, I’ll prioritize eating outside, in the sun if possible.
- Take 5-10 minutes to just be present, breathe, tune into my body, observe nature around me, sometimes do a short meditation, etc.
- Catch up on any personal texts
Potential lunch routine activities:
Keep in mind things might look very different for someone who works at an office, or someone working from home. If you work from home you might have a lot more options and flexible use of your time!
- Eat (with others or by yourself)
- Spend some time outside
- Take time to breathe and/or meditate
- Journal
- Read
- Listen to music or a podcast
- Exercise or go for a walk
- Talk to a loved one or friend
- Catch up on personal texts or emails
- Quick household chores
- Quick activity to encourage creativity, inspiration, calmness, etc.
Personal Evening Routines:
My personal evening routine lately: (after dinner and shower)
This one is much less structured. My husband and I eat dinner and shower, and usually watch an hour or two of TV before bed. I make sure to write in my health journal all the notes from the day, and usually gua sha my face while watching TV. Sometimes I also roll out on the foam roller or use our Theragun. And we have a regular bed time of about 9:30pm. I would like to get back into the habit of writing a short journal before bed of what I’m grateful for, anything I need to release from the day, what I can celebrate from the day, and intentions for tomorrow.
Potential evening routine activities:
- Update your to-do lists/schedule and delegate anything that didn’t get done to another day
- Tidy up and clear your workspace – both physical and digital
- Shift your energy from the work day – Listen to music, dance/move your body, breathe outside, etc.
- Catch up on texts or personal emails
- Talk to a loved one or friend
- Movement: Exercise, walk, stretch, foam roll, etc.
- Watch the sunset
- Make and eat dinner
- Personal hygiene: shower, bath, skin care, brush teeth, etc.
- Gua sha
- Read
- Journal: gratitude, affirmations, brain dump/free write, prompted questions, self-exploration, reflections on the day, etc.
- Meditate
- No phone starting at a certain time
- Bed at a regular time
Personal Weekly Routines:
Potential Sunday routine activities:
- Church/worship
- Outdoor activity (surfing, hiking, walking, etc.)
- An activity to spark and express your creativity
- Update your budget from the past week and weekend
- Weekly meal planning
- Grocery shopping
- Meal or food prep for the week
- Look ahead at your weekly schedule and make sure all calendars and planners are up to date
- Plan and organize your daily to-do’s for the week
- Look at any weekend or previous lingering emails
- Read
- Cleaning/house work
- Talk with a loved one or friend
- Something that brings you joy and fills your heart!
Sunday routines can be great to help you prepare for the week ahead, and also prioritize time and activities that fill up your cup and allow you to feel lively, happy, peaceful, and grounded. You might also consider a routine at the end of the week (probably Friday) to help you close out the week, which could be similar to any routine you have at the end of a work day. Maybe you update your budget from the week, clear out your work space, clear out your email inbox and text messages, and do an activity to help you welcome the weekend such as a little dance party or a walk outside. You could also have simple weekly routines such as Tuesday mornings treating yourself to a coffee and baked good at a coffee shop, or Thursday afternoons meeting in the park with a friend!
Personal Monthly Routines:
There’s a lot of scenarios here in which you could create a monthly routine for yourself. Tune into how you need to be supported to decide what is best for you!
- Ending and starting a new month
- Tend to your finances: Finalize and review your budget for the month, prepare for next month’s budget, pay any bills or open payments, set up any reminders or notifications for the month ahead, distribute money to savings accounts, etc.
- Prepare your calendars and planners: Get acquainted with what you have coming up in the month and make any necessary plans to set yourself up for success. Make sure any calendars and planners you use are all up to date and synced up!
- Prep birthday cards: Purchase or make cards, write in them, and get them ready to mail for any birthdays of loved ones and friends coming up in the month! Having them prepped and ready will ensure you don’t forget, and all you have to do is send it off in the mail when the time is right.
- Clean and organize: Tend to your living space and keep things clean and lively. Maybe you also organize your photos from the month, clean up your computer desktop and files, organize any physical papers or books, clean up anything that feels cluttered, tend to your garden or indoor plants, etc.
- Journal: Reflect on the past month, process through what’s still lingering for you, celebrate your accomplishments, set your intentions and vision for the month ahead, etc. You can download my free Monthly Review prompts HERE!
- Pull oracle or tarot cards: Allow yourself an opportunity to receive messages and guidance for the month ahead.
- Ending and starting your menstrual cycle
- The ending of one menstrual cycle and beginning of a new one is a very powerful time to tune in, connect, reflect, analyze, plan, and envision. The last three actions listed above for ending and starting a month are great actions to do during this time in your menstrual cycle as well. Maybe some of the actions listed above resonate with you to do at the end/start of the calendar month, and maybe some resonate to do in alignment with your period. It’s completely your choice what you choose to do and when.
- Mid-month check-in
- It could also be beneficial to do a mid-month check-in routine! Instead of leaving all the items listed above for the end of the month, maybe you also do them mid-month to stay on top of your game. It’s always a good idea to recenter, assess what’s working, what’s not going so well, and how you can adjust anything needed.
I hope you’re feeling inspired! If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by all the information and options above, choose just one routine to focus on and one thing to take action on. Maybe you start by scheduling a regular two hours in the morning for your routine, or take 5 minutes at lunch time to step outside and breathe. Start small, take things one step at a time, and remember that you’re always in control over what you do and when. If something brings up a lot of resistance and feels super forced, explore why and reconnect with what your current needs and priorities are, and your intention for having your routine. Allow yourself to pivot when needed, so you can continually engage with actions that align with and support your vision for yourself.
To explore more on the topic of routines, check out these blog posts:
- Wellness Benefits of Having Routines
- Why Routines Might Change, and How to Stay Flexible and Adjust
- How to Create a Strong Foundation and Framework for Any Routine
- Finding Harmony Between Commitment and Flexibility in Your Routines
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