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The infamous miracle morning routine is a hallmark of productive and successful people everywhere.
You know how it should go. Wakeup at 6am, make your bed, drink a glass of water, exercise, journal some gratitudes and voila – you’re the next Oprah! Allegedly.
‘The Perfect Morning Routine’ sounds like a great idea at almost any hour of the day, except when my alarm sounds off at 6am. At this time, a wild rhino stampede wouldn’t motivate me from those warm, toasty covers.
It isn’t that I don’t want to get out of bed. It is a physical impossibility, as if the Sand Man decided to overachieve by piling 100 pound sand bags all over my body.
To be clear, I am not a morning person. My fiance basically has to nurse me a cup of coffee through a bottle like a baby lamb to just get me to open my eyes.
I eventually figured out why. It’s because your morning routine doesn’t mean sh*t if you haven’t set yourself up for success the night before.
If you want to have an amazing miracle morning, you have to have an amazing miracle evening routine.
Today I’m going to share the life changing system I discovered to finally achieve the mythical ‘7.a.m’ morning’ and generally kick-a$$ every day.
And, you’re in luck because I’m also including FREE wall poster PDF downloads.Enter your email to receive your free printable PDF poster below.
If you want to try this routine out, you can pin it to your wall as a visual reminder until it is committed to your memory like clockwork.
Nightly Routine
1. Start with tea
I click on the kettle to make myself a cup of sleepy time tea at 9:00 PM. Instead of putting any more food in my mouth, I focus on my tea. It is a soothing finale to my fasting window.
2. Floss and Brush, but also Netflix and Chill
Flossing and brushing isn’t exactly the highlight of anyones day. I am more motivated to perform this otherwise blasé task by making it a fun excuse to lounge on the couch for a few extra minutes.
I’ve turned brushing and flossing into a way for me to milk the last 10 or 15 minutes out of whatever podcast or a Netflix cliffhanger I’m having trouble tearing myself away from, while still signaling to my body that snack time is over.
3. The Clean 15
Studies indicate people sleep better in a clean, clutter free room. After all, a clean house is a clean mind.
Practicing the Clean15 will help keep your clutter sane so you don’t have to spend your entire weekend on a cleaning overhaul.
Whether it’s swiffing the floor or organizing a shelf, this is a ritual I practice every morning and evening. I’ve come to look at cleaning as an opportunity to meditate and show care for my belongings and environment.
4. Shower Hour
Research suggests that a warm bath or shower an hour before bedtime will paradoxically cool your core temperature. This drop in temperature signals to your body that it is time to sleep, and can help you fall asleep an average of 10 minutes quicker than normal. You can also take this time to luxuriate in your self care or skin care routine.
4. Charge your phone in another room
I leave my charger in the bathroom and set multiple music alarms to go off every ten to fifteen minutes.
Not only does it force me to get out of bed to turn off my alarm, but it also keeps me from Instagram-ing before bed or first thing in the morning and pursue more productive rituals instead.
5. Hydration Station
For ages I woke up a disgruntled, sleep-deprived coffee fiend, but it turns out it wasn’t the caffeine I craved. I was actually really, really dehydrated.
Instead of chugging coffee first thing, I now drink 16 ounces of water instead. Within moments I feel more awake and refreshed than I did nursing a dehydrating cup of joe.
Don’t get me wrong though. Coffee is still and always will be a critical part of my morning existence.
6. Victory Logs
Whether I’m starting my own business or working in corporate, creating a ‘Wins’ list or ‘Victory Log‘ is key.
If you have a day job, it is the perfect file to present to your boss when asking for a raise.
If you run your own business, the ‘Victory Log’ confronts you with your accomplishments and gives you the sense of progress so you don’t feel as though you are climbing a never ending work treadmill.
7. The ‘Tomorrow’ List
Jotting down my ‘To Do’ list for the next day saves me an hour of shuffling around on the Internet trying to remember what I’m wondering working on.
When I wake up, my To Do List is sitting right there ready to kiss me in the face. Emptying my brain of tasks also helps me sleep better instead of tossing and turning over unclosed loops.
8. Set my Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock
The Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock app tracks your body movement to lull you awake at the end of a REM cycle. Using it is the difference between waking up feeling dreamy and rested, or stressed by the jarring shock of being jolted awake from a deep slumber.
This is where I confess I am a nerd with a phone hoarding problem. I have an old iPhone I keep disconnected from a network to use as my Sleep Cycle alarm clock.
9. Bedtime Stories
Your brain is vulnerable to what you expose it to right before bed. Whether you land on writing affirmations, gratitudes, meditation, or journaling, any and all of them will result in better sleep and a happier tomorrow.
Once the lights are out, I visualize what my perfect ‘tomorrow’ will look like, including what I’m going to do when I wake up, how I will eat, and so on. I usually fall asleep before making it to noon.
So, there you have it. The nightly routine of a hardcore insomniac and night owl turned morning person.
Ready to try this out for yourself? Print out our free printable poster to keep this routine top of mind until you have it down like clockwork.
What is your nightly routine like? Is there anything you would add to this list?