5 Small Changes to Transform Your Morning from Frantic to Focused
Like it or not, you already have a morning routine
Welcome! I’m Dr. Jillian, a physician leader, mom, and coach who is on a mission to help other high achieving professionals and recovering perfectionists reduce stress and overwhelm, recover from burnout, and learn to live the lives they truly want to be living. This week’s post is the last in a series about how to bring stress relief into our days by incorporating it into what we already do (rather than adding one more thing to our to-do lists). Today, you’ll learn how to create a morning routine to get yourself in the right headspace to start your day. Subscribe here to get it straight to your inbox:
I’ve always been an early bird.
Before I had my son, I had a lot of time to myself in the morning, especially on the weekends. I used to wake early and have hours to myself before my husband woke up. I would read, drink coffee in silence, go for a walk, or head out early to the farmers’ market.
Now, things are very different. Bedtime with my toddler can be a battle, so I often end up going to bed later than I previously would which makes getting up early more difficult. And his early morning wakeups mean a lot more time playing with trucks and a lot less doing what I’d otherwise choose to be doing.
It’s not bad; it’s just different. And it has meant finding ways to be intentional about getting time to myself in the morning.
Mornings can set the tone for the rest of your day. But, for many of us, they often feel like a whirlwind, especially during the week.
Between getting ready for work, tending to family needs, and thinking ahead to your to-do list, it’s easy to feel out of control before you even leave the house.
But what if you could begin your day with a focused mind and less stress?
You can, if only you are intentional about it.
Here are 5 practical strategies to help you shift your mornings from frazzled to focused:
1. Create a Mini Morning Ritual
What it entails: When you wake up, set aside at least five minutes for yourself instead of diving into the demands of the day.
Why it works: Giving yourself a few moments to focus and set an intention (see #5) for the day can help you feel more centered and less rushed. This small pause signals to your brain that you’re in control, setting a positive tone for the day.
How to do it: Try something simple that doesn’t require much effort, like sipping a warm drink, taking deep breaths, or journaling a quick intention for the day.
I enjoy reading a book that makes me reflect and then journaling for a short period afterward. I set a timer on my phone to be sure that I don’t get lost in the activity, and I find that this helps me be present in what I’m doing rather than being pulled into the needs of the day because I feel like I don’t have enough time.
You might need to set your alarm a bit earlier than usual in order to make this possible for you, which means combining this strategy with strategy #2.
2. Start the Night Before
What it entails: Avoid morning stress by prepping a few things before bed.
Why it works: Knowing you’ve taken care of basics (like laying out your outfit, packing a bag, or preparing a quick breakfast) gives you a sense of being prepared, and it decreases the stress that get triggered in the morning when you feel like you need to rush. It minimizes morning decisions so you can ease into the day. You’ll have plenty of decisions to make later in the day.
How to do it: Set aside ten minutes before bed to do things like packing a snack/your lunch, organizing your bag, laying out your workout clothes, or setting the coffee pot to auto-brew in the morning (this is a must-do in my house!).
3. Embrace the Power of Micro-Mindfulness
What it entails: Ground yourself with one-minute resets.
Why it works: Even just a minute of mindfulness can reset your focus, reduce stress, and increase resilience to the day’s demands.
How to do it: Mindfulness doesn’t have to be meditation (though it can). It simply means paying attention to what’s happening in the present moment, on purpose, without judgement.
When you start feeling frazzled and like you need to rush through your morning, take a moment to pause and reset: close your eyes, take three deep breaths, and remind yourself that you have the ability to handle what comes your way because you’ve already handled everything that has happened in your life so far.
4. Plan Your Day with the “Top 3” Method
What it entails: Prioritize just three top priorities to accomplish each day.
Why it works: As I’ve said before, we can do anything, not everything. So, rather than having a long list that makes you feel overwhelmed, focusing on three key tasks makes your day more manageable and increases your sense of achievement.
Also, be sure that these tasks are achievable during a single day. For example, don’t list “write my book” as a goal. This is not specific or achievable in one day. Instead, you could say “write the first draft of the introduction for my book.” You could also say “write for 2 hours” if you want to make it even more possible for you to succeed.
How to do it: List your top three tasks on a sticky note or in your phone each morning. You could also determine the priorities for the next day before you stop work for the day which gives you more time in the morning to focus. If you get to more, great—but accomplishing these three things gives you a sense of control and success.
5. Transition to Work (or the Rest of Your Day) with Intention
What it entails: Set an intention for the day.
Why it works: Intentions can influence how you feel and how you approach the day.
How to do it: Try an intention like “I will do the best I can today” or “I will pause when I feel stress today” as a way to focus on how you want to carry yourself through your day.
For example, a colleague once said, “have fun today!” on their way out the door after an overnight shift. At first, I laughed and rolled my eyes a little. Work was incredibly busy at the time, so I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to be having any fun.
But, after a brief pause, I realized how limiting my thoughts were. I had been thinking “I don’t know how I’ll get all of this work done today.” And this was making me feel rushed and stressed.
I took a few breaths and asked myself what a more helpful way to approach the day would be. Eventually, I settled on “I’ll try to bring enjoyment to my day today.”
My day was still busy, but I spend the whole thing rushing and feeling stressed. I took breaks. I laughed with coworkers. And I made it through.
Now, I try to channel the spirit of that day more often when I’m at work, and it does make a difference.
To boost your intention, choose something that helps you channel the feeling that you want to carry into your day and listen to it on the way to work (or before you start work if you work from home).
This week, I listened to this 10% happier episode from last year with meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg as a way to try to avoid getting stuck in the negativity of the election aftermath. It was so helpful.
Your morning might be busy, but it doesn’t have to feel chaotic.
By using these 5 strategies regularly, you can shift from a rushed start to a centered, empowered morning. These small changes compound over time, helping you approach each day with more clarity, calm, and purpose.
If you missed the other posts in this series, you can find them here to discover how to bring intention to rest of your day:
You don’t need to strive for perfection with these habits. Doing them daily-ish will still make a big impact.
Super simple and actionable advice for a better morning. I do some of this especially the night before prep. My swim shorts and towel always packed in my bag in the hallway ready for my daily dip. Gonna share this in my newsletter on Sunday.