A Simple Morning Routine for When Life Feels Overwhelming (Infographic)
The 10-minute (or less) morning reset can happen anywhere, even on your back patio (my favorite!). Scroll down for the full infographic.
Morning routines need a reset
The morning routines I see online make me laugh. You know the ones that start before sunrise and stack together multiple hours of meditation, workouts, journaling, reading, and productivity planning before the rest of the neighborhood has finished their first cup of coffee?
They can be inspiring, and I’ve enjoyed a 4am wakeup once in a while. But what I’ve learned is that missing out on rest can actually be detrimental to long term focus, the same way an all-nighter can impair cognitive function later that day or days after. Many of us are already starting the day exhausted, running on empty, and research increasingly shows that what our bodies and minds need most in the morning isn’t more pressure, it’s a moment to reset. Before adding more habits to our mornings, it’s worth paying attention to what the research actually says about sleep, stress, and burnout.
Our bodies naturally experience a cortisol surge within the first 30 minutes after waking, meaning rushing immediately into stress or hyperactivity can amplify the body’s stress response.
Studies also show 81% of adults report experiencing burnout, reflecting just how exhausted many people already feel. Meanwhile, Americans average only 6.5 hours of sleep per night, well below the recommended 7–9 hours adults need for healthy functioning. (Talker Research survey of 2,000 U.S. adults)
The start of my simple morning resets
Five years ago I found myself lying in a hospital bed after months of one life-altering event after another. My mom had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I’d just experienced my second miscarriage. A fall and concussion left me on bedrest with pneumonia. And now doctors were treating a blood clot in my lungs while I was on short term medical leave. For the first time in my adult life, my calendar was empty.
I realized something surprising: I had no idea how to begin my mornings without chaos. I had no idea how to carry about my day without prioritizing back-to-back meetings from 7am to 6pm. What could it look like to revamp my mornings completely? Could I take my first and best energy (best for me, I do realize some night owls may need to flip this script…) to reflect on the most vital things in my life? To focus on the big rocks?
I started with one simple habit: writing a few lines to God in a notebook. That’s it. Nothing fancy.
In fact, I was so sick and tired of being sick and tired, many of my scribbles were sentence fragments at best. Since I keep every notebook I’ve ever filled, you’re in for a treat! Here’s a photo of one of my first journal pages, which was actually a spare page in my daughter’s notebook. Note her backwards numbering and fabulous illustration of someone quite angry hollering at someone quite happy…her brother was curly-haired and, of course, wore a numbered jersey when he played rec league soccer (ha!)…
Personal prayer journal page from late 2020
The reality of resetting
The truth is, even when I had some extra time while on medical leave, those inspiring, beautifully drawn out morning routines weren’t accessible to me when I felt lousy. They weren’t realistic when reality included helping someone brush their hair or find their shoes, or practice spelling words once more for their quiz later today.
Instead of creating peace, complicated routines can actually add another layer of pressure. They suggest, even if nuanced, that if you just woke up earlier, tried harder, or stacked more habits together, you could somehow “fix” the chaos of your day. The truth is, most of us don’t need a more elaborate routine. We need simplicity. That’s why my morning routine became less about productivity and more about anchoring my head and my heart before the day began.
The 10-Minute Morning Reset
It started with a two sentence scribbled prayer, and now includes only four tiny steps TOTAL, to create stillness and reflection and improve my entire outlook and day. Each step can be completed in 1-2 minutes if you needed to, but expanded if you have extra time and want to spend more of it in any particular area:
First, create the vibe. This is important because, especially for morning-routine-newbies, you want to establish an atmosphere you enjoy and would like to return to. Think cozy blanket, warm drink, chair you like, pretty view, any one of these alone will help you feel hopeful about spending a few minutes in stillness at the start of your day.
Second, get out that pen and paper and jot down whatever is on your heart as a prayer. I refer to this as prayer journaling. Know that the Lord is meeting you there, however messy your situation or your journaling is. This is time to pour out your heart and trust that there’s goodness on the other side of this step. Even if it’s a simple, “Why, Lord?” or “This sucks.” He will meet you there and you’ll find transformation in the tiniest moments of putting pen to paper in prayer.
Next…read a thing! Now, for me, I love bible study as my reading. Scripture to start my day is always hopeful and because it’s a living word I find that the exact thing I need to hear or learn always comes out of that time meditating over a verse or passage from the Bible. But maybe you’ve just completed a Bible study, maybe you’re engrossed in a book or essay that you find inspiring. As long as it’s truth-centered, life-giving and doesn’t totally distract or drain you as you’re trying to kickstart your day—dig in.
Finally, get some movement in. I often like to use this time for a deep stretch to get the blood pumping. If I’m going to walk a kid to school right after, this is a good warmup time. If it’s a weekend and I have more time after my morning reset I’ll get outside for a long walk. In any case, incorporating a short bit of movement after engaging your spirit and mind is so powerful, you’ll find it wakes you up and helps to renew your energy even later in the day.
Download the infographic below to reflect on each step and how you can incorporate them into your morning for as few as 10 minutes of your day!
Steal my simple, 10-minute morning reset and transform your daily routine today.
Over time, these resets have a way of growing into something much bigger: a steady rhythm of peace, gratitude, and hope that carries you through whatever the day holds.
If encouragement like this is something you could use more of, I share a short weekly voice note and reflection with my newsletter community each week. You’re always welcome to join us. Tomorrow morning doesn’t have to start perfectly, it just needs a still moment to reset…you’ve got this!