From Chaos to Bliss: Powerful Mom Morning Routine for a Fulfilling Workday

So you woke up… If you are like the majority of moms on Earth, your morning is a mess. Sometimes things tend to go bad even before you realize the day has open your eyes. You wake up in an imperfect home (you skipped the evening cleaning, remember?), next to less-than-perfect people (and it’s worse if the youngest generation is already awake and seeking you), just to face the reality: life continues, it is a new day, and a new struggle. You need to get everyone ready for the day but, in this morning rush, it is your own readiness that suffers. To pacify the morning chaos and set you up for a fulfilling working day, you need an effective and realistic mom morning routine. A structure. Something stable and predictable to lean upon and, at the same time, something simple like ABC that you know always works. 

I know what you will say. You have already heard about morning routines, tried some, and decided they were not for you. Too dull and complicated. So why can a morning routine be rubbish, and how to fix it by creating your own morning ritual that 100% works for you?

So what’s wrong with morning routines?

A morning routine can be a morning killer.

There are so many unrealistic mom morning routine ideas from different lifestyle bloggers and productivity gurus that make moms feel miserable. They suggest that a mom morning routine should contain writing to-do lists, meal planning, power posing, reading motivational books, baking sourdough English muffins for breakfast, or doing a series of plank stands. 

Crazy… I suppose I am not alone, and other working moms also struggle to incorporate these absolutely amazing activities into their working mom morning routine. Let alone the postpartum moms with babies and dreaded mood swings.

Popular mom morning routines available on the internet usually have these flaws in common:

• they were created by people whose experiences/lifestyles differ from yours or are simply irrelevant (even if their morning practices look WOW).
• they contain too many activities and, thus, sound unfeasible. They may require some preparation, time, energy, or inclination. Do you also find writing to-do lists just to follow them during the day and mark things off as extra boring task to manage?

What is a sane working mom morning routine like?

She survived the night, and she’s got a crazy, busy working day in front of her. All she needs in the morning is a 100% accomplishable morning ritual that will set her ahead of the game. 

It must be a morning routine for mom that would work in every situation. Even if

• she slept only four hours;
• her kids are sick;
• she is a single working mom;
• the deadline is today, and she frets about it.  

The idea is to keep the morning free from fussing and doing abundant chores, and instead, fill it with activities that empower moms for a fulfilling working day. 

Below, I will give you my tried no-fuss, stress-free mom morning routine checklist that has worked for me for years.

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Minimalistic, four-step mom morning routine for a light and focused start

1. Wake up before your kids

Nothing can be more discouraging for a mom than waking up amid chaos when her kids are already awake and starving. 

No, I am wrong… Worse if they are already fighting and wake you to judge them. 

I used to have these horrible mornings. It felt like I was forced to play in someone else’s game without even knowing the rules. The game where, whatever you do, you are always behind.  

Want a game-changing trick?

Set your alarm clock at least 40 minutes earlier than your kids usually wake up, to start your day in peace and silence, enjoy some self-time in the bathroom, and focus. 

You will feel a tremendous difference not only in your composure but also in your relationship with kids. Once your basic needs are satisfied during this alone time, you can be more patient, present, and caring when your kids are awake.

2. Take care of your(outer)self

All moms go to the bathroom after getting up, but most of them leave too fast. Take your time to give your body proper care. For example, take a shower, brush your teeth, do your skincare routine (and do not forget the eye cream to brighten up your dark circles), do your makeup and hair, and put on fresh clothes. 

In a nutshell, do whatever makes you feel confident and beautiful during the day. 

Do it now, as if you would not have a chance to come back to your bathroom later in the day.

This mom morning routine step is very important. If you put it off, you may not be able to complete your personal care later in the morning, especially if you share your bathroom with other family members.

3. Sit in a quiet place and gather your thoughts

This is my favorite part of the day! After the bathroom, I grab a glass of water with a lemon slice, sit in my armchair next to the window, and listen to my thoughts. In the beginning, they resemble a stormy ocean, but as I start praying about this day and my family, the storm abates. 

I talk to God about my challenges and take some time to read the Bible to get encouragement from God’s words. I give my worries to Him and ask Him for the power to accomplish everything He has for me on this day. 

This part of my busy mom morning routine has been my solid rock for many years. I noticed that when I neglected this time of focus (on God), my day was less fulfilling. I used to be more irritable, distractive, and less grateful. 

In the long run, it had a really bad impact on nearly every aspect of my life. I really had a chance to explore all the shades of a grumpy mom mood, and it was horrible until I decided that I would never sacrifice this focus time for more sleep (or work) again. 

If you are not a believer, opt for meditation or other activities that make you feel focused and grounded, for example, writing a gratitude journal, diary writing, etc. It definitely should not be posting on social media or texting with friends as it hardly makes you more focused.

4. Eat a healthy breakfast

Now that our inner selves are also treated, the last step of our working mom morning routine should be fueling our bodies with a wholesome breakfast to provide the energy for a productive working day. 

I kindly recommend never skipping breakfast because doing so increases your chances of obesity. Coffee is great, but it shouldn’t be the only thing you have in the morning.

Breakfast should be your biggest and richest in carbs meal. Firstly, you need a boost of high-quality energy to jumpstart your working day. And secondly, because, in the morning, our bodies have the maximum ability to metabolize carbs, so these are your 100% guilt-free carbs.  

Avoid sugar-packed foods and instead opt for complex carbs such as oats, brown rice, sweet potatoes, etc. 

Complex carbs release energy slowly without causing the blood sugar roller coaster, making you feel dead tired by mid-morning. This usually happens when you eat simple carbs like white bread, sugar, breakfast cereals, sweetened yogurts, pastries, etc.

Great healthy breakfast options for working moms

• Boiled eggs
• Peas
• Beans
• Lentils
• Corn
• Hummus
• Vegetable salad
• Whole grain bread
• Oats
• Fruits (not fruit juices)
• Cheese 
• Unsweetened yogurt

A cup of English breakfast tea and wholegrain toast with eggs and ham are my favorites as this breakfast supplies the slow carbs and proteins while boosting me with caffeine. 

If you breastfeed, ensure you drink enough water or other drinks that help boost your milk supply, and avoid black tea or coffee as they have dehydrating properties.

If you and your family like to eat something that requires lots of cooking, prepare the ingredients the night before to make the cooking process as fast as possible. Also, I recommend eating breakfast alone or with your husband while the kids are still sleeping.

Again, this is my own preference as I love slow (and quiet) mornings, and eating alone gives me much-needed peace and concentration.

Why do you need a mom morning routine that is totally YOURS?

There is hardly such thing as the best morning routine for working moms that fits all needs and situations. We need to tailor-make our own routines because we are all different. 

For example, for moms who work outside their homes, the morning routine finishes the moment they get in their cars to go to work. For those SAHM (stay-at-home moms) or WFHM (work-from-home moms), the morning routine may last for hours and hours until dinner. So the last ones have more chances for English muffins, reading, meal planning, activities with kids, etc.    

Or, say, if you are a postpartum mom, your mom morning routine with baby will include breastfeeding and maybe even pumping. Since baby schedules are less predictable, your mom morning routine can be more volatile, as you have to be flexible and adjust to your baby’s needs.  

Some moms feel capable of loading the washing machine, vacuuming, and even journaling, while others struggle with making their beds and brushing their teeth. A complex mom morning routine would devastate them even more.  

Do not compare yourself to other moms, and never feel guilty if you do not have time or strength for morning yoga or writing inspirational notes to put in your kids’ lunchboxes.

One day, you will be able to do even more if you learn to pacify your morning chaos and adopt a simple but strong morning routine today. One small step after another.

I suggest (and it completely works for me) that, in the beginning, a working mom morning routine should contain only a few basic steps and then be expanded as a mom sees fit, depending on her mood, energy level, schedule, etc. 

Once the order is established and your mom morning routine runs like clockwork, you can add more elements to a stable system.

Give this mom morning routine checklist a try

The four steps of this simple but powerful mom morning routine will help you feel in control, beautiful, and full of energy to grasp whatever this day has prepared for you. 

This is actually a base, so when you feel ready, you can expand it with activities that help you live a more fulfilled life, both as a mom and as a worker. I would appreciate it if you tell me about your working mom morning routine and share what fuels you for a productive day!

I am here for encouragement and support, to help cool working ladies like you to lead fulfilling lives and careers, by ditching guilt and daily grind.

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