I need to be upfront about something: I am not a 5am person. I’ve tried it. Multiple times. And every single time, I’ve ended up exhausted by Thursday and back to hitting snooze by the following Monday.

So if you’re looking for advice on how to wake up before dawn and crush a two-hour productivity block before the sun rises, this isn’t that article.

What I do want to talk about is how to build a morning routine that actually fits your life. One you can maintain through winter, through busy weeks, through the mornings when your kid is sick or your alarm didn’t go off.

Step 1: Audit What You’re Already Doing

Before you redesign your morning, pay attention to what’s already happening. For three days, just notice. What time do you wake up naturally? What do you reach for first? How long does it take you to feel properly awake?

Most of us already have a morning routine — it’s just not an intentional one. Maybe it’s scrolling your phone for 20 minutes, then rushing through a shower and grabbing coffee on the way out.

You’re not starting from zero. You’re editing what already exists.

Step 2: Pick One Anchor Habit

This is where most people go wrong. They read about someone else’s elaborate 90-minute morning ritual and try to copy the whole thing at once.

Don’t do that.

Pick one thing. Just one. Something that makes you feel good and takes less than 15 minutes.

Here are some options that actually work for real humans:

• A short walk around the block. Even five minutes of morning daylight helps regulate your circadian rhythm. The research on this is solid — morning light exposure improves sleep quality at night.
• Five minutes of stretching. Not a full yoga session. Just moving your body before you sit down for the day.
• Writing three things you’re planning to do today. Not a gratitude journal (unless that works for you). Just a quick brain dump so you feel oriented.
• Making your coffee or tea without looking at your phone. This one sounds small, but it changes the texture of your morning.

Step 3: Attach It to Something You Already Do

Habit stacking is one of the most reliable behaviour change strategies we have. The idea is simple: attach your new habit to something you already do automatically.

“After I turn on the kettle, I’ll stretch for five minutes.”

“After I brush my teeth, I’ll write my three things.”

“After I sit down with my coffee, I’ll take five deep breaths before opening my laptop.”

The existing habit becomes the trigger. You’re not relying on willpower or memory. You’re building a chain.

Step 4: Protect It From Expansion

Here’s the trap: it works for a week, you feel great, and then you start adding things. Five minutes of stretching becomes 20. A short walk becomes a run. A quick journal entry becomes three pages.

And then the whole thing collapses because it’s too long to sustain.

Set a time limit and stick to it. If your morning habit takes 10 minutes, keep it at 10 minutes. Even when you have more time. Especially when you have more time.

Consistency beats intensity every single time.

Step 5: Plan for the Bad Days

The real test of a morning routine isn’t how it works on a calm Tuesday when you’ve slept well and have nowhere to be. It’s how it works when you’re running late, didn’t sleep enough, or just don’t feel like it.

Build a minimum viable version. If your normal routine is a 10-minute walk and five minutes of journaling, your bad-day version might be one minute of deep breathing while the kettle boils.

The goal on hard mornings isn’t to feel transformed. It’s to maintain the habit loop so it’s still there when things settle down.

What the Research Says

A 2023 study published in the British Journal of Health Psychology found that habit formation takes an average of 66 days — not the 21 days we’ve all been told. But the researchers also found that missing a single day didn’t significantly affect long-term habit strength.

That’s important. It means perfection isn’t the goal. Showing up most days is enough.

My Current Routine

For what it’s worth, here’s what I do most mornings. Not all mornings. Most.

I wake up around 6:15. I make a cup of tea without looking at my phone. I sit on my back deck for five minutes and just drink it. Then I do about 10 minutes of stretching or gentle movement.

That’s it. Some days I journal. Some days I don’t. The non-negotiable part takes about 15 minutes, and it sets me up for a much better day than when I skip it.

No alarms at 4:30. No cold plunges. Just a quiet start.

Some workplaces are starting to recognise the value of morning routines too. I’ve seen companies working with AI consultants Perth to build personalised wellbeing nudges into their employee apps — little morning check-ins that help people start the day with intention rather than inbox panic. It’s a nice idea, though nothing replaces doing the work yourself.

That’s the whole secret, really. Keep it small. Keep it yours. And keep showing up.