To be honest, I have never been a morning person all my life. In fact, the very thought of waking up at 5, even before the sun rises, makes me yawn already! I see people of my age, younger, and older starting their day with writing journals, meditating, doing yoga, hitting gyms, and jogging for five miles.
For a long time, I thought a perfect morning routine meant waking up before sunrise and ticking off an endless to-do list. I eventually realised that the best routine is simply one that fits your lifestyle
However, the mere idea of starting my day with such high energy compels me to just lounge on my couch. So I am a lazy person, but that really doesn’t mean that I don’t have my own morning routine. It is not as energetic as others, but it is still meaningful.
If you are also a lazy head like me, you will enjoy reading about my morning ritual. This is the actual ritual that took me years to build and creates a big difference in my life.
Why Lazy People Need a Perfect Morning Routine
Before I share my not-so-common lazy day routine, I want to bust some notions associated with our kind of people. There is a popular belief that successful mornings are reserved for the energetic and disciplined individual. This is not correct. Rather, I would say that individuals such as myself, who struggle with mornings, need the most structure in their lives.
Without any routine, I used to wake up and check my phone for 40 minutes, rush to get dressed, not have breakfast, and go to work already feeling rushed. Does this sound familiar to you?
Having a low-effort yet purposeful morning ritual does not need willpower. It needs small yet wise decisions that lower the friction and make it easy for you to show up for yourself. And so I figured out some lazy day hacks that help me stay productive throughout the day without putting too much energy.
My Lazy Morning Ritual: Step by Step
Set Yourself Up the Night Before
A perfect lazy morning begins the night before. For about half an hour, I do three very easy tasks – I choose my outfit, I write down the three most critical things I have to do during the following day, and I make my breakfast for tomorrow in advance (normally overnight oats).
In fact, I put a water bottle on my side table and drink it the first thing in the morning after walking up. It may seem like a small task, but it saves a lot of decision-making in the morning.
Skip the Snooze (Without Hating Yourself)
In the past, I used to hit the snooze button three to four times in the morning. It was great for 30 seconds until the guilt took hold of me. But now, I leave my phone in the other corner of the room to force myself to get up to shut it off. Yet another advantage is that we all know how harmful the rays emitting from such devices are.
Yes, I did not like it at first. But when I stand up, I get up for sure. I stretch myself slowly and drink the water I had kept beside my bed the previous night. So, as soon as I am awake, I am never in a rush.
Give Yourself a Screen-Free First Hour
This one change has influenced my life the most today. I don’t check social networks, emails, or any news for the first hour after getting out of bed. This is not some advice that some productivity expert gave me. On the contrary, I noticed how different I was when I didn’t start my day with someone else’s content.
Instead, I take a cup of tea, spend a few minutes doing absolutely nothing, or listen to some soothing music. Even the mental health professionals recommend that we should avoid screens in the morning since it stops our brain from becoming anxious and reactive right from the morning of the day.
A Real Breakfast, But Keep It Simple
I used to either skip breakfast completely or eat something sweet and then wonder why I had crashed by 10 am. But seriously, skipping breakfast comes with some effects! Now it’s easy. Having a high-protein breakfast such as scrambled eggs with avocado, or Greek yogurt with fruit or overnight oats made the previous night maintains my energy effortlessly.
Therefore, consume healthy proteins and fats for sustained energy at breakfast time, rather than processed foods and sugars that spike your blood sugar levels. In the process of developing healthier habits, a good breakfast is one of the easiest things that you can reward yourself with.
The secret is doing it without effort. If it involves cooking something complex, I simply don’t bother. Therefore, I try to do as much as possible the previous night.
Swap Scrolling for Reading
Not everybody is an avid reader. The same was the case with me. But I developed a habit of reading solely to push away “doomscrolling” from my life. Earlier, I used to pick up my phone for all the morning activities, such as brushing or eating breakfast. However, now I reach for a book instead of my phone.
One pro tip is that “reading a book” doesn’t always need to be serious. I read a few pages of my favourite novel or an article I bookmarked in a magazine. From never picking up a book to looking forward to reading, I have come a long way as a lazy person.
Move a Little, Enjoyably
Exercise does not necessarily have to be hitting the gym or going jogging. I just go for a leisurely walk down the block. And that’s it. In order to make this process enjoyable rather than an effort, I would listen to a podcast or play my favorite music playlist.
Any kind of exercise, including light exercise, will help you get oxygen into your system and will make you more energetic and cheerful, thus making the lethargy associated with lazy mornings easier to overcome. This is one of the best lazy-day hacks I personally follow.
Why This High Energy Schedule Actually Works for Lazy People
Morning rituals typically don’t work because they are based on self-control. My morning ritual works precisely because it is based on getting rid of obstacles. There’s no need for me to choose breakfast, clothes, or tasks for the day because I decided everything the previous evening.
One thing follows from another very logically. You wake up, you have water, you have your silent morning, you read some books, and you go out for a walk. This is called “habit stacking,” and this is one of the most powerful techniques to create a high-energy routine without using motivation.
Additionally, sustainable routines do not require a lot of effort. The routines that can be done again and again are the most practical ones.
Conclusion
A perfect morning routine for lazy people is not about doing more; it is about doing less but correctly. Prepare the night before, avoid being caught in the snooze trap, ensure that your first hour of the day is protected from any screen time, have something healthy to eat, read a bit, and go for a short walk. These healthy practices are easy to stick to and at the same time potent enough to really change your life. Start from just one step today, and let everything else fall into place on its own.
One thing that I try to include in my daily routine is saying a gratitude prayer, and I haven’t added it yet to my morning routine because I need to do it daily. This practice helps me remain positive, blessed, and thank God for everything I have.
FAQs
- What is the 30 30 30 morning routine?
The 30-30-30 routine involves eating 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up, followed by 30 minutes of low-intensity exercise, such as walking.
- What are the 6 Miracle Morning habits?
The SAVERS method by Hal Elrod includes Silence, Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing (journaling) to create a perfect morning routine.
- What is the most successful morning routine?
A perfect morning routine is one you can follow consistently. Common healthy habits include waking up at the same time, avoiding screens, eating a nutritious breakfast, moving your body, and planning your day.
- How to start a healthy morning?
Start simple: prepare the night before, drink water after waking up, avoid your phone, eat a protein-rich breakfast, and take a short walk or stretch. Small, consistent habits are easier to maintain.
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