{"id":2357,"date":"2026-01-12T13:51:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T21:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/creating-a-mindful-morning-routine\/"},"modified":"2026-01-12T20:18:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T04:18:47","slug":"creating-a-mindful-morning-routine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thegoodtrade.com\/features\/creating-a-mindful-morning-routine\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Create A Mindful Morning Routine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This is my first “new year” as a mom. And as a new mom balancing full-time work, a podcast, a book in progress, and, of course, time with my family, routines have become essential. Not as a way to squeeze more productivity out of my day, but as a way to stay grounded within it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lately, I\u2019ve felt a huge shift away from life \u201chacks\u201d and constant optimization \u2014 I\u2019m less interested in tracking metrics or outsourcing my intuition to apps and algorithms \u2014 and I’ve found myself drawn to rhythms that feel slower, human, and deeply natural to how I feel<\/em>. This often looks like writing my to-do list on paper (I’ve tried every app on the planet, and I simply become more overwhelmed than organized when using tech for this). It also looks like beginning the morning with a flow that feels intentional and calm (for me and also my daughter) rather than rushed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hyper-optimized morning with data and devices works beautifully for some people. It\u2019s just not how I want to start my day. Right now, I\u2019m craving mornings that feel lived-in and cozy. Mornings that allow flexibility while also setting me up for a gratifying (and productive) day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a world that begs us to do more, be more, and have more, here is how I’m creating a morning routine that makes me excited to get out of bed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sunlight<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Start with an evening routine<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is so straightforward, and yet it is impossibly hard for me. I love<\/em> evenings. They\u2019re when I feel most like myself \u2014 relaxed, social, creative. If I could design the perfect night, it would always include an inspired dinner (with dessert), a bottle of wine, the coziest loungewear I own, and a great movie or show curled up next to my husband. Early bedtimes have never been my instinct, and since becoming a mom, I\u2019ve often struggled with revenge bedtime procrastination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To help myself get into a better groove and set myself up for the following day, I’ve learned to live by the phrase “your future self will thank you.” And she does. When I eat dinner at a reasonable hour and swap wine for water and crawl into bed by 10, my morning self is deeply grateful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So this is the rhythm I aim for most days. I follow it about 80% of the time, because the 80\/20 rule feels like the only sustainable way to live. It leaves room for indulgence and spontaneity. And, of course, having a baby helps since her bedtime routine begins at six and signals wind-down time for the rest of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few of my favorite evening routines that make me feel better the next morning: <\/p>\n\n\n\n