How You Create A Morning Routine That Actually Feels Good

Written By Alexandra Kellenberger
There are plenty of morning routines out there - both science-backed and experience-based - that promise that if you just follow their steps, you’ll feel amazing. The proven path to a better day, they say.

There are the CEO routines.
The Mel Robbins routine.
The Huberman routine.
The “most successful 1%” routine.
The Ayurvedic morning rituals.
The 5 AM club.

They’re not bad. They have their benefits. They might even be the perfect routine for you.

But not for everyone. Not for the individual.

Because guess what: they’re missing the individuality factor.

I tried them all, because I REALLY wanted to be that morning person - getting up and feeling productive right away, having it all together. The famous “5–9 before the 9–5.”

But I failed. At all of them.

Why? Because I was just stressed by all those to-dos hanging over my head right after waking up - all the things I was supposed to accomplish by 9 AM “to feel my absolute best.”

And if you miss one of them, your whole day feels ruined (I’m exaggerating… but you get the point).

I do love having some time to myself in the morning before the day kicks off. But first and foremost, it has to feel cozy. Aligned with my energy levels, my mood, and even the weather.

Yes - all of that matters.

So: NOPE. These hustle mornings? Not for me.

Are they for you?

If not, I’ve got a slightly different approach.

One that honours individuality.

One that honours you.

Why We Need Yet Another Morning Routine Approach

Creating a routine that truly honours you starts with understanding how your body actually wakes up and what it needs first thing in the morning.

And did you know? Your body’s natural cortisol awakening response (known as CAR) - a healthy spike in cortisol that occurs about 30–60 minutes after waking - is your body’s way of gently preparing you to meet the demands of the day. It raises alertness, boosts energy, and helps you transition from rest to activity.

This process takes time. In those first 15–30 minutes after waking, you’re experiencing sleep inertia, the grogginess that signals your brain is still transitioning. This is definitely not the moment to dive straight into stimulation. Instead, your body needs this natural warm-up phase to fully prepare itself.

When you immediately reach for your phone, check messages, or rush into tasks, you’re essentially skipping that gentle transition and adding an extra layer of stress before your system has even fully woken up.

Going with your natural rhythm might mean allowing those first few minutes to unfold calmly - waking up with your body instead of fighting against it. And listening when you’re body is ready.

And that’s exactly where intentionality begins - not with a checklist, but with awareness.

Additionally, studies confirm that the way you spend your mornings set the emotional and cognitive tone for the entire day.

So to make your day as aligned with you as possible, you should start it intentionally.

When I began introducing intentional choices into my mornings, the shift was incredible. Over time, I identified my staples - the things I love to do in the mornings depending on what my mind and body need that day.

And you can absolutely find them too.

Let’s explore how.

Finding Your Staples

Let’s turn this science into something practical - something that helps you create a morning routine that truly feels like yours.

First of all: How do you find your staples? How do you decide what you need each morning?

Honestly, just my humble opinion: choosing what you need each day - that’s real freedom, isn’t it?

Step 1: Tune In

When I first started this journey and had no clue what I actually enjoyed in the mornings, I gave myself five quiet minutes after waking up. I’d sit up in bed and just breathe.

You can call it meditation, visualization, or simply tuning into your intuition - whatever works for you.

The point is to notice how you feel, what your energy is like, and what you’d truly love to do right now to feel good. Choose this as your morning activity.

The science behind this simple check-in is powerful: Even brief mindfulness practices can increase gray matter in the hippocampus (important for learning and emotional regulation) and improve self-awareness. Over time, it also strengthens interoception - your ability to notice internal signals like hunger, fatigue, or emotional states.

You can also visualize your whole day - what’s the vibe, the intention?

Now, whatever you choose for your morning, just a small but important reminder: don’t grab your phone.

It might sound small, but this one habit alone (or rather, quitting it) can change the tone of your entire morning. Here’s why.

Why the Phone-Free Start Matters

When you wake up, your brain naturally transitions through different stages - from delta waves (deep sleep) to theta waves (dreamlike state) to alpha waves (relaxed awareness).

Grabbing your phone immediately bypasses these crucial stages and overstimulates your prefrontal cortex during “sleep inertia,” the natural transition from sleep to wakefulness.

Even more importantly, morning phone use creates dopamine spikes followed by deficits that set up craving patterns for the rest of your day.

While we can’t directly control dopamine levels through simple activities (the science is more nuanced than the “low-dopamine morning” trend suggests), avoiding high-stimulation content first thing helps prevent the spike-and-crash cycle that affects focus and motivation later on.

Step 2: Collect Data

Repeat this for a few mornings to gather some “data” on your energy levels, moods, and preferences.

Make a note - mental, physical, or digital - of what comes up for you.

And if you’re like me and experience time-blindness, track how long each activity takes.

About time-blindness: It’s a real neurological phenomenon, particularly common in ADHD (hello, fellow ADHDers), where disrupted internal timing systems make it difficult to estimate how long tasks take.

Tracking durations isn’t about rigid scheduling - it’s about collecting information that helps you plan realistically and reduce morning stress.

See this as an experiment. Make it exciting, channel your inner curiosity. It’s a wonderful journey to get to know yourself better. Because after all, you should know yourself best.

Once you have gathered insights about your mornings, you’ll start noticing what feels best - in other words, your unique staples.

My Morning Staples (For Inspiration)

And that’s it. Very unfancy. Super straightforward. But it works.

If you need some inspiration, these are my staples - usually in this order:

☀️ Getting some morning light (about 30 minutes by a window or outside, until I feel my body is ready to get going); it helps regulate my circadian rhythm and supports that natural cortisol awakening response. During this time, I love to read, journal, or meditate with a glass of lemon water and a Matcha Latte - still in my PJs, of course.

→ Personal (not paid) recommendations:
“Medito” is my go-to meditation app, with courses and daily meditations ; and it’s completely free!
For journaling, I use Diarium. It’s a one-time purchase (no subscription) that unlocks all Pro features, including cloud syncing and much more, similar to Day One.

🐾 Getting dressed in workout clothes and going for a short walk with my pup.

🧘‍♀️ Yoga session.
My favorite teacher is Charlie Follows; she focuses on strength and alignment and offers weekly schedules.

🚿 Shower and get ready for the day.

🥑 Morning snack and start work.

I switch them around, skip some, or replace them. And it’s so important to follow not a rigid routine, but a fluid one.

That freedom to adjust is exactly what keeps my mornings sustainable - and science agrees.

Why Flexibility Matters (According to Science)

Research shows that psychological flexibility - the ability to adapt your behaviour based on what you need in the moment - is fundamental to mental health.

People who use flexible coping strategies experience better daily adjustment and less anxiety and depression compared to those with rigid routines.

So if you skip the walk some mornings or have breakfast before getting dressed, you’re absolutely not “failing”; you’re keeping yourself mentally sane and allow your routines work for real life.

Final Thoughts

Remember: My staples are based on what my body and schedule need. Yours might look completely different - maybe you prefer journaling over walking, or breakfast before your shower, or twenty minutes of reading.

The point is that you’ve chosen them consciously, they feel good to you, and you have the flexibility to adapt them when life happens.

Thank you so much for reading all the way to the end.

I hope you found something valuable in here - something that makes your next morning feel a little more intentional.

I’d love to know:
☀️ Do you follow a morning routine?
☀️ Which of these steps resonated most with you?

If these kinds of conversations speak to you, make sure to subscribe to get access to the weekly Off Autopilot episodes and the occasional Letter of Lexie.

And if you know someone who could use a gentle reminder like this, share it with them - it might be exactly what they need today.

Have a wonderful morning! ☀️

Take care.

Love,
Lexie.

Enjoyed this post?
This is part of my written journey to help you slow down and live with more clarity and intention.

Continue the journey:
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Alexandra Kellenberger
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Why Intentional Living Matters - and How to Find Your Why