My Morning Routine Was Transformed by This One Expert-Backed Change

I’m always looking for ways to optimize my daily routine, but sometimes in the process, I end up getting overwhelmed and anxious about all I need to accomplish. I start my days incredibly optimistic about tackling all of my duties, but by 10 a.m., I often find that I’ve already veered so off course that I’m left wondering if it’s even possible to check off everything on my to-do list, still log off in time for a workout class and dinner, and somehow go to bed at a reasonable hour. That anxiety of being behind can ruin my days, and I’m tire of it.

But I don’t want to solely focus on squeezing the most out of every minute. I want to start my days intentionally and with a bit more joy rather than just rushing and then realizing I’m behind. So, the obvious person to chat with about my morning routine and what I can do differently is the happiness expert herself, Gretchen Rubin.

I’ve devoured every one of Rubin’s books over the years, from The Happiness Project to The Four Tendencies (this book gave me so much understanding about myself and my loved ones) to Happier at Home. Her writing — and her podcast — speak to that careful balance of productivity with the intentional pursuit of happiness, and I couldn’t wait to tap into her knowledge to see how she’d adjust my morning routine.

To start, I gave Rubin a peek into my typical morning routine as a freelance writer, which involves getting out of bed sometime between 6:15 and 6:45 a.m., heading downstairs to make a latte, and then jumping in the shower (I like my coffee a little bit less than hot, so the timing of drinking post-shower is perfect). I get ready for the day, then settle in the dining room, where I pull out my computer and planner and make any edits to the to-do list I made the night before, based on any emails that came through overnight. I reply to any immediate needs, then I jump into writing or other deep work.

My goal is to start writing early, but I almost always find myself getting distracted by all the little household and admin tasks, from wiping down the kitchen counters to sending out invoices. Before I know it, the morning is coming to a close and my Google Doc is still blank. This is where I get behind — and this is exactly where Rubin helped me.

When it comes to developing a successful morning routine, Rubin says, “Think about your chronotype.” If you don’t know what a chronotype is, it’s basically a person’s natural biological clock. Everyone’s a bit different — there are early birds and night owls, for example — and setting a daily schedule that aligns better with your chronotype can help a lot, Rubin says.

“There really are morning people and night people, and, often, when people talk about morning routines, they’re talking about morning routines for morning people.”

Morning people are those whose “power hours” are at the start of the day, meaning they’re most creative and productive in the morning. While I’m able to get up early, that’s not when my brain is firing at its fullest — and that’s the tweak I need to make. I’m trying to conform to an idea of getting the deep work done in the morning, but I’m actually more focused later in the day. “If you’re not a morning person, it’s okay to do your email, drudgery, and admin in the morning. What is right for every person is different,” Rubin says. 

For me, morning is the time to get through all the little tasks that are more rote. It’s when I should check my email, send off quick scheduling notes, and work through my nagging list of to-do items. If I try to dive into more critical work, I’m going to hit a roadblock and end up wasting time trying to make my brain work in a way it’s simply not wired to.

Of course, I also had to ask how I can intentionally add happiness to my morning, and Rubin suggested looking for one “special feature” each day. For example, looking forward to listening to the latest episode of my favorite podcast or reading a section of the newspaper.

She also noted that one of the most important factors in happiness is strong relationships with other people. You could set aside a half hour or even a few minutes of a morning to catch up with a friend or write a quick card to someone whose birthday is coming up. “Make sure your morning routine reflects what you’re working on in your own happiness right now,” Rubin says.

Lastly, Rubin warns not to place too much pressure on what you think the morning should be. “People feel like the morning is all about productivity, but it can be for fun!” she says. She notes that she has a friend who works in publishing and reads for pleasure for an hour in the morning rather than trying to do it in the evening, when it would feel like an extension of his workday. “Who says you can’t catch up on a show in the morning?” Rubin asks. “It feels illicit to do something unconventional!” An excellent reminder that it’s never too early in the day to take a joybreak.