How to Create a Chronic Illness Morning Routine
Morning rituals, no matter what time you wake up, can be key to how the rest of your day will turn out. Here, I will define “morning” as the 1-2 hours after waking up in the morning. Although some people like doing the 5am challenge or whatnot, if you are either a night person or a person with a chronic illness, waking up early no matter what, does not always sound pleasant or doable. So, after about 7 to 8 hours of sleep, whenever you wake up, that is your morning! Here's how to create your own chronic illness morning routine that will keep you productive and healthy.
Start Your Chronic Illness Morning Routine the Night Before
In order to have a productive morning, the most important step is actually preparing the night before.
Outfit:
Pick your clothes out for the next day, even if you are going to stay home. Having a fresh set of clothes on you will help jumpstart your morning.
Food:
Going out of the house? Prepare your meals and pack them up.
Staying in? You can still prep or write down what you plan to eat and organize the ingredients if you like to cook it fresh.
Makeup:
If you wear makeup, pick what makeup you will use in the morning. You may have most of your products set, but if you change around your eyeshadow or blush, choose which ones you plan to wear
Water:
Fill up your water bottle before bed. If you like cold water, you can put it in the refrigerator or leave it near your bed if you don’t mind room temperature water.
Prep your medications
Check your med organizer to make sure you have all the medication and preventatives you may need for the next day.
Alarm Clock location:
Move your alarm clock across the room and don’t snooze! (Okay, I don’t do this, I have my phone nearby with my alarm, and a backup on my Alexa device, but it works for some people!)
Making a To-Do List
In addition to preparing, make your to-do list the night before. This not only helps you unload your mind of anything floating around in it but also will help you kick off the next day since you will have a plan to work on. Your to-do list should not be a huge monster of a list. Try to stick to up to 7 actionable tasks that you will need to work on the next day.
After you make a running to-do list, answer these questions in a notebook each night. Some of your to-do list tasks should fill in a few of these. This exercise should be rather quick, about 5-10 minutes.
Questions for the night before:
What Appointments do I have tomorrow?
What is one task I would like to accomplish by the end of the day?
How will I take care of my chronic illness tomorrow? (self-care, medicines, appointments, or a mix thereof)
What would I like to learn tomorrow? (something short, small, or burning on your list)
What have I been struggling with that I need support and who can I ask? (illness, business, or life)
What is the one small task I will complete in the morning?
What else would I like to accomplish if everything else on this list is complete before the end of the day?
Here is Christy's example:
What Appointments do I have tomorrow?
Prospective Client Call @2:45pm (30 min)
Current Client Call @3pm (60 min)
What is one task I would like to accomplish by the end of the day?
Finish creating a package proposal in Dubsado
How will I take care of my chronic illness tomorrow? (self-care, medicines, appointments, or a mix thereof)
Foot Soak
What would I like to learn tomorrow? (something short, small, or burning on your list)
Read at least 5 pages of Expert Secrets
What have I been struggling with that I need support and who can I ask? (illness, business, or life)
Bookkeeping, a few different support groups I am in.
What is the one small task I will complete in the morning?
Download 3 podcasts to listen to later
What else would I like to accomplish if everything else on this list is complete before the end of the day?
Start a blog post from my running blog idea list
If that is overwhelming to you, it could be that you are spending too much time on each question. This is more of a free-flowing type of list. If you can’t answer, or you don’t have an answer, then leave it blank.
Some days there may be no appointments, because that is just how some days are. Or you may not feel like learning something, especially if you are having a chronic illness flare up. If you are not feeling well due to your chronic illness, it’s okay to skip anything on this blog post! Everything at your own pace!
Designing Your Chronic Illness Morning Routine
Now, on to an example of a chronic illness morning routine, I don’t always do this in order:
Try not to press snooze!
If you’re like me, you are still going to. That’s okay! We aren’t trying to be perfect. Just know that the more times you press snooze, the more tired you will be (something about REM cycles…) So, try not to...wake up with your first alarm.
Activate Your Brain
If you’re like me, (someone with POTS), you may not be able to sit up right away. Instead, I take it slower and start with activating my brain. I like to do some reading, listening to an audiobook, or playing a puzzle game. It's enough activity for the rest of my body to wake up.
Water (and Electrolytes)
This is probably one of the most important parts of the morning. You stopped drinking any water hours ago, and probably before you began getting ready for bed if you weren't mindful, your body needs to be rehydrated. If you are unsure of cold vs room temp, lemons vs no lemon, keep it simple. Pick the temperature YOU like and just plain water.
Aim for at least 8oz of water upon rising, but try to finish 32 oz. (or 1L) before the end of your morning routine.
Don’t forget to add some sort of electrolytes - since water alone may not be that helpful!
Prescriptions/Preventatives
This may be a good time to take any meds you should be taking on an empty stomach. And, sometimes, drinking at least a cup of water before trying to swallow meds, helps your throat out a lot.
Change
Try your hardest to change out of your sleepwear and into fresh clothes for the day. Even if that means going back into sweatpants, just make sure it's a fresh set of clothes.
Move your body
After being in one (or a bunch of odd positions) all night, you need to gently move your body. There are plenty of options, such as:
Light stretching
Shoulder rolls
Foam Roller
Low level vibration play (My personal fav!)
Or if you are physically able, a full workout routine.
Food
Eat a healthy breakfast. I know some people hate to eat in the morning, but if you find yourself tired, you may actually need fuel. Test out some different recipes to find what boosts your energy rather than dragging you down with too much digestion. (I like plant based protein smoothies!)
Affirmations
This can be before or after you eat or course, it’s not really time specific. The Miracle Morning really turned me on to affirmations. Do a quick set, my favorite playlist is by Meditation Zen - Guided Meditations Also, they are more powerful if you do this in front of a mirror. I know, I know. It’s a bit cheesy and woo woo but, hey I think it works!
Accomplish ONE task on your list
After all that, and your brain is active, your body is active..every part of you is awake, start on your to-do list by doing that one small task you planned out the night before. Achievements start your day off right.
Tips for Consistency and Adaptation
Be Flexible: Adjust your routine as needed, each day. It's okay to skip or modify activities if you're experiencing a flare-up or on a low energy part of your menstrual cycle.
Self-Care: Incorporate self-care practices into your routine. This could be a relaxing foot soak or a few minutes of meditation.
Seek Support: Don’t hesitate to ask for help from support groups or loved ones if you’re struggling.
Now for those of us with a chronic illness, all of this can get wiped out. That’s totally fine. But on days you are feeling good, try to implement the ideas above to boost your morning productivity. Creating a chronic illness morning routine that you look forward to is a great motivation to wake up every day and feel like you can take on the world!
Need help creating your own morning routine? Let’s connect!