After a long stretch of several shifts, it’s so nice to have a morning off of work to get things back together with my personal life. Not only do I take this time to be productive, I also ensure I take the time for relaxation so when I return to work I can be my best self again! I’m always so excited to take the time to do whatever I want. However, I still think it’s important to set myself up for a successful and productive day even if I don’t have to go into work that day.
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I take the time to make breakfast
When I’m working a stretch of my 12-hour shifts, I never take the time to wake up early and make myself a filling breakfast. When working, breakfast consists of whatever I can grab as I’m running out the door. That’s why when I have the day off of work I like to spend a little extra time making myself something special.
This usually consists of eggs and toast, pancakes, a breakfast burrito, or fresh fruit. Pretty much whatever I’m feeling that morning! And, while eating my breakfast, I always have to have a cup of coffee to wake me up for the day. My favorite way to make my coffee is with my Keurig. I plan to be a Keurig girl forever as they’re just so convenient and I don’t have to deal with messy coffee grounds. Plus I usually only have one cup of coffee a day so it’s the perfect serving for me!
I don’t have a very big kitchen so I use the Keurig K-Compact. It’s perfect for me because it doesn’t take up as much space as the larger size Keurig and yet the water reservoir holds enough for a few cups of coffee. I do like to keep a variety pack of k-cups on hand so I can choose whatever flavor coffee I feel that day!
Let some light in the house
One of the very first things I do is open up those curtains! I like to watch the daylight increase as the world wakes up for the day. Plus I find that if I don’t allow the light to come in, my body doesn’t fully realize it’s daytime and I wind up feeling not only sleepy, but groggy all morning.
A sunrise alarm clock is another great way to bring more light to your morning right from the time you wake up. These are actually way more affordable than you’d think and there are so many options online for any style you’d like.
Relax while having my coffee
Taking some time for myself in the morning relaxes me before I need to get anything done for the day. There are a few ways I like to do this… and all while sipping on my coffee!
Watch my favorite show
Watching an episode or two of the show I’m currently binging on my favorite streaming platform is incredibly relaxing but I need to keep myself disciplined! It’s so easy to just keep watching and let the day go on while I sit on the couch. This is why I limit myself to one or two episodes right away in the morning. Sometimes I even crochet while I watch my show, working on my current work in progress!
Read a book
Similar to watching my favorite show, reading a chapter or two of my current book is the perfect way to start my day because it’s a great way to wake up slowly. Reading in a quiet house is probably one of my favorite things for any time of the day, but especially in the morning. Plus, it’s a great way to practice ‘slow living’ as I’ve been trying to incorporate more of that lifestyle into my own routine.
Journal
Journaling is a great way to reflect on where I am in my life right away in the morning. I prefer to do some sort of a guided journal where prompts are given to me. The journal I’m using right now is called Let That Sh*t Go by Monica Sweeney.
Next step, tidy up the house
I don’t always get a chance to clean up my house before I go to bed, especially if I worked the day before. I tend to be straight up exhausted at the end of the day from whatever I had going on and so some of my chores get pushed to the next day. These are some of the things I like to get done right away in the morning to make me feel productive… and make my house a little more presentable.
Pick up the clutter
We have two labs who love to play. They tend to bring all of their toys out throughout the day or night so this is when I like to do a little reset of those and put them all back in the basket. For you this may be picking up your toddlers toys, which I’m sure you feel is a very similar situation! Otherwise this is when I like to put away anything that may have been placed in any of our typical clutter spots like our countertops, dining table, or entertainment center. Yes, this means the junk mail! I like to take care of that quickly otherwise it tends to pile up, and before you know it there’s a mountain of mail to go through!
Make the bed
At the end of a long day, I love climbing into a made bed. It just feels so nice to have straightened blankets and sheets right off the bat, and a nice freshly fluffed pillow of course! This is why in the morning I like to prioritize making my bed. Even if nothing else gets done before I have to leave my house for my errands, making my bed is the one thing that will.
Get those dishes out of the sink
I don’t always have the energy to take care of the dinner dishes at night, I know this is something I need to work on. Fingers crossed one day we’ll be able to remodel our kitchen and have a dishwasher! Even if there’s only my own breakfast dishes in the sink, I still like to take care of those so we have a clean slate to start the rest of my day.
Polish up my own appearance
This is something that I’ve been really trying to do, even if I don’t plan on leaving my house! It just makes me feel better by not only making me feel cleaner, it also boosts my confidence! Plus, if anyone happens to drop by or I need to run a quick errand later in the day, I’ll already be prepared for that!
Shower
If I didn’t wind up showering the night before like I usually do, this is when I like to take my daily shower. Not only does it wake me up for the day, it also just makes me feel extra clean for the day ahead! If I did shower the night before, I always wash my face in the morning and do my skincare. This is important for me especially because I have acne-prone skin.
Face & Hair
I don’t always wear makeup if I don’t think I’ll be doing much that day. The least I will do is wash my face and moisturize. However, wearing makeup does make me feel more confident! So, if I do plan to go out and run some errands, I take the time to do my makeup! Whether it’s my full face or not, it’s like once I have my makeup on, I’m ready to take on the day and get stuff done!
Read my post: My Quick and Easy Everyday Makeup Routine
Outfit
Getting dressed on my days off doesn’t always mean jeans or a dress. Sometimes it means throwing on some clean sweats or leggings and a t-shirt. Even if I’m not planning to go anywhere, putting on clean clothes will always make a person feel better.
Though not all of my days off are full of productivity all day, but if I can get a few things done in the morning and set myself up for success, I’m much more likely to get more done throughout the day. This is a morning routine I stick to on pretty much all of my days off! I hope you enjoyed reading and maybe you’ve found some ideas for your own morning routine after reading this!
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