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50 Ideas to Help You Design Your Perfect Morning Routine

The internet is chock-full of examples of how the great and good organize their mornings. But the truth is no one can tell you what constitutes the perfect morning routine for you but you.

That’s because we all operate differently, with different biological rhythms, different preferences, and different productivity styles. One person likes to kick off their day with a five-mile run while another opts for gentle yoga and a third thinks they’re both crazy as she sips her third espresso in bed at 10 a.m.

So does that make all those posts on how to start your day useless? Certainly not. It’s just that you need to treat them not as a fixed menu, but as a buffet from which you can build your own perfect morning routine. Craig Kulyk gets that (thanks to Emilie Wapnick for the pointer). He’s pulled together the ultimate list of morning routine ideas to spare your clicking from site to site. The massive 126-item list offers all the inspiration you need to come up with your own perfectly tailored routine. Here is a selection of some of the best ideas along with links to further research and resources.

1. Loosen your muscles with a foam roller. “You’ll increase blood flow, improve your range of motion, and increase your chances of avoiding future injuries,” according to the list.
2. Do a short exercise session. Exercise is great for your mental and physical performance, and you only need to do 10 minutes to start making a difference.
3. Find a new healthy recipe. “One of the most common reasons we skip eating healthy is our lack of preparation. Spend a few minutes in the morning looking for recipes that excite you, and you’ll be prepared and motivated to execute on cooking healthy meals down the line.”
4. Drink a full glass of water. Your body will thank you and it couldn’t be simpler.
5. Drink coffee. Go ahead. As long as you skip the sweeteners, research shows it’s not bad for you.
6. Drink tea. Not a fan of water or coffee? Not only is tea healthy, but recent studies show it might even boost your creativity.
7. Brush your teeth … mindfully. You have to do it anyway, so why not take a moment to really notice what you’re doing? It will make you calmer and…