A Stress-free Morning Routine For Introverts

A list of morning habits and morning routine for introverts to minimize daily stress

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The first time I watched William McRaven’s “make your bed to change the world” speech, I thought it was a joke. Mornings were the last thing I looked forward to, let alone making my bed.

Rush through makeup, breakfast and bento, clueless about what comes next. Mornings to me, are painful transitions from serenity to reality.

More and more, I realize that it is the feelings of unorganized that is causing the stress, not the morning itself. When I started making small changes to my morning routine, I even began to enjoy my quiet time alone.

Bonus: I am also less stressed at night and thus sleep better!

So here is the morning routine for introverts to restore your calmness. If you are anxious about the next day like I was, give these morning rituals a try!

Bedtime rituals for a stress-free morning

If we have to dash between bedroom, bathroom to the kitchen in the morning, it’s not easy to keep our stress level down. To take away part of the morning anxiety, here are a few bedtime rituals:

Make a brief to-do list

Only list the most important things. Don’t worry about the order and due time. Take out what’s on your mind and put it down on paper.

A small bedtime brain dump can also help you to sleep worry-free.

Get your outfit ready

Are you going to the gym or the office first thing in the morning? Pick your clothes and hang them up, so you don’t need to think about mix-and-match when the time comes.

Pack your bag

What do you need to bring with you tomorrow? Pack your files, laptop, or necessities in advance, so you don’t risk missing any of them the next day.

Prepare your breakfast

Time to make your overnight oatmeal or get your ingredients ready in the fridge.

Put together a playlist

Music does a lot to our mood. Create a morning playlist of soothing music or songs you like to wake up to.

Set the alarm 30 minutes earlier

The time depends on the things you need to accomplish before leaving the house. You will have more time to get ready before the day even starts. This small advantage can bring you calmness to navigate the chaos.

Calming morning routine for introverts

Wake up to the alarm

Gently roll your eyes, move your fingers, your toes, and awaken your consciousness.

Light stretches

Put on your morning playlist. Sit up from your bed and gently stretch your arms, your legs, and your entire body.

These stretches increase blood flow from your body to the brain and will get you physically ready for the day. If you have enough time, you can also do a 5-minute bed yoga.

Let the light in

Now you are wide awake. Time to stand up and roll out from your bed. Walk to the window and open the curtains.

Natural light can be a dose of energy-booster in the morning. Marti Olsen Laney mentioned in her book The Introvert Advantage that the lack of light could build up melatonin, which may result in depression. If you are feeling drowsy in the morning, try to get more light in the room.

Breathe

When my anxiety level skyrocketed, breathing exercises always help to calm me down. I try to count my breaths in my mind.

Google has this new feature of the one-minute breathing exercise. When you type in “breathing exercise“, a toolbox will show up below the search bar.

breathing-exercise-use-google-to-restore-inner-peace-of-your-mornings-OurMindfulLife.com_

Press the play button, follow the instructions, and you are good to go. Give it a try!

Drink water

Pour yourself a glass of lukewarm water. You can add a few drops of lemonade, apple cider vinegar or mint for flavor.

Drinking water right after getting up will kick start your metabolism and keep your energy level up.

Get dressed and do your makeup

Change into the outfit you set ready last night. Apply your facial care and get your makeup done.

Tuning in

Look in the mirror and notice the glow of your skin. Know that you are looking good on the outside and strong on the inside.

This “sheer act of looking like a grown-up”, as described in Hiding in the Bathroom by Morra Aarons-Mele, can be empowering.

If you are reluctant to leave the house and face the crowd, schedule time to tune in with your feelings, give yourself a brief pep talk or practice affirmations. Try a few days and see how you are doing.

Have breakfast

If you are not fasting, take time to have a nutritious breakfast. Add in some good protein if you are working out in the morning.

Go through your to-do list

Introverts live by plans. Having a schedule will help you to stay productive throughout the day.

I assume you have already listed out things to accomplish the night before. And it’s time to prioritize and make sure you make time for the most important things.

What are the 3 things that MUST be done today? Put them in the order of difficulty. Tackle the most time and energy-consuming item first. And you will have the rest of the day more relaxed.

A quick cleanup

Clean your table. Put things back in the kitchen and bathroom. Keep your space decluttered so you will come home to a clean and welcoming atmosphere.

Avoid anxiety: 4 things NOT to do in the morning

We can’t talk about morning routines for introverts without mentioning these bad habits. These small bad habits build up our stress level.

Do a quick scan, and let’s get them out of our morning.

Hitting the snooze button (over and over again)

That’s not a good start for a productive day. If you have trouble bouncing yourself out of bed, Mel Robbin’s 5-second rule may come in handy.

Scrolling the feed

Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest…Social media is flooded with information. Leave them later in the day on the commute or lunch break. Focus more on yourself rather than Sara’s selfie.

Checking emails in your bed

As a Type A introvert, this is a hard one for me. I could only restore my inner peace, knowing there’s no urgent email lying in my mailbox.

But from my experiences, mornings are not the perfect time for problem-solving. It’s better to leave them on work time when you have a much-cleared head.

Intense workout

I used to get up 5 am and headed straight over to the gym. I did feel energized someday. But most of the time, it stressed me out, from the night before to the next morning. I feel so much better now switching it to jogging and yoga.

If your workout is in the morning, try to walk to your gym and give your body time to warm up.