Perfect morning routine? It changes person to person

I have always been a morning person, but for the past 4–5 years, I was sleeping late and eventually waking up late. Now before starting my day and engaging with people around me, I need some time with myself in the first hour of the morning. And I was missing out on this time because I was waking up late.

To start waking up on time again, I first created a new “night routine,” which includes when I should sleep. Reading online, I already knew that you should sleep and wake up at the same time. I decided on my time and started following it strictly.

Now it’s been almost two weeks that I am waking up at 7 AM and consistently finding time for myself. But another problem came with it: what should I do in my “me-time” during the first hour of the morning?

I read a lot, so for a morning routine, I have also read countless pieces on what an “ideal” and “perfect” morning routine would look like.

Get up Get your body moving. Do not use screens in the first hour after waking up. Then do this and do that, and the list goes on and on and on.

And trust me, I have tried keeping up with this schedule. It works in the beginning because, as always, when you take up a new hobby, you’re excited to get on with it. But as you progress and days pass, you start to feel bored. The same thing happens with this routine. For the past 4–5 years, I have been trying to set a morning routine every now and then, according to what successful people on podcasts, in books, and in articles say.

But it didn’t work for me. Rather than a routine, it started to feel like a burden. As the days passed, I stopped enjoying it and eventually stopped waking up early.

But then I understood this point: there are some things I can follow, like not using a screen in the first hour you wake up. But after that, I don’t want to follow anyone else’s routine because it was not working for me. People say to read books; I tried, and it didn’t work for me. People say to exercise; it worked, so I continue doing this one. People say to learn about things you want to be good at; sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

So while doing yoga today, this thought struck my mind: I have a lot of other tasks pending on my hands and I am not taking out time all day to do those tasks. Let’s do these tasks in the morning. Because they are piling up and giving me anxiety, and since action kills anxiety, let’s just take this action in the morning itself.

This extra hour in the morning is for yourself, right? You don’t have to follow anyone else’s routine if it’s not working for you. But yes, they might give you an anchor in the beginning when you’re trying to set up this habit. However, if you feel like it’s not working for you anymore, you don’t have to keep following it.

A morning routine should make you feel energized for the day ahead. If getting on with the tasks I have been delaying for a long time gives me that energy, I would definitely want to go and do those tasks first without feeling guilty about breaking an “ideal” routine.

After trying so many routines, I feel like there is no “ideal” routine that works for everyone. It could give you an anchor to get started, but you’ll only be able to repeat it if you feel like it’s made for you.

So if you’re someone like me, who feels guilty about breaking the ideal routine people say you should follow, don’t be. Do what you like (again, this doesn’t include watching reels; it should be doing something productive for your body or for your soul).

Now, I’m off to do what I have been putting off for so many days. Even thinking about it makes me feel liberated.