When the sun rises late and temperatures drop, getting out from under warm blankets can feel like a marathon. I've worked with countless clients who struggle with winter productivity, and the secret isn't willpower-it's creating morning systems that work with the season, not against it.
After many years helping busy families and small business owners streamline their days, I've learned that winter mornings require a different approach than summer ones. Here's how to build a winter morning routine (affiliate) that sets you up for a productive day, even when it's dark and cold outside.
Jump to:
- Start the Night Before
- What to Keep in Your Organized Closet
- How to Make Masculine Days of the Week Clothing Organizer
- How to Make a Chalk Paint Days of the Week Clothing Organizer
- How to Make Repurposed DIY Day of the Week Closet Dividers
- DIY Affordable Weekday Clothing Organizer - upcycling project
- How To Store Clothing In Really Small Spaces
- Savory Eggless Ham and Dairy-Free Cheese Muffins Recipe
- Healthy Egg White Muffins Recipe with Broccoli, roasted peppers, and onion {dairy-free, gluten-free}
- Mexican Scrambled Egg Muffins Freezer Meal
- Greek Breakfast Wrap Burrito Recipe
- Create a launch pad (drop zone)
- What to Keep in Your Organized Entryway Landing Zone
- Step By Step Entryway Organization
- Before and After: Foyer Organizing Kids' Backpacks and Activity Supplies
- Wake Up with the Light
- Here's an Example of a Sunrise Alarm Clock.
- 13 Ways to Make Your Bedroom An Oasis
- Making A Bedroom Oasis Challenge
- Update a Small Bedroom for An Adult
- Move Your Body Before You're Fully Awake
- Warm Up Your Space and Your Body
- Build in Buffer Time
- Winter-Specific Productivity Boosters
- Tackle a Small Task Before Work
- Protect your Morning Routine
- Conclusion
Start the Night Before
Your winter morning routine (affiliate) begins the evening before. When mornings are darker and colder, decision-making becomes harder. Eliminate morning decisions by preparing the night before. The evening routine (affiliate) needs to be included. Visit our post for more on evening routines.
Lay out your clothes.
Choose your outfit, including shoes (affiliate) and accessories, before you go to bed. Keep a "winter morning outfit station" near your bedroom stocked with scarves, sweaters (affiliate), and layers you love. Check the weather to see if you need extra time and adjust your clothing layers. Visit my post on organizing your closet into outfits, and my DIY weekday tags you can make to keep your clothes organized during the week.
What to Keep in Your Organized Closet
How does your closet look right now? Can you find everything you need to wear when you need it? This is one of the most significant issues I encounter with my clients, based on my years of experience.
How to Make Masculine Days of the Week Clothing Organizer
Women are not the only ones who like to organize their clothing by the days of the week. Men also prefer not to think about what to wear during the week. Many famous people would rather wear the same thing each day than organize their clothing. But, if you like to change your outfits each
How to Make a Chalk Paint Days of the Week Clothing Organizer
If you don't know by now, I love to use a closet organizer to organize the week's clothing. I'm about to show you another set I made for my child's closet. These Chalk Paint Days of the Week Clothing Organizers are super easy to make, and I only needed a few things to make them.
How to Make Repurposed DIY Day of the Week Closet Dividers
Whether you call them day-of-the-week closet dividers, closet dividers, Monday through Friday clothing organizers, or anything else, these little day-of-the-week closet dividers are so helpful to help you manage your daily clothing.
DIY Affordable Weekday Clothing Organizer - upcycling project
With my kids and my busy schedule, we have gotten into the habit of doing laundry once a week.
How To Store Clothing In Really Small Spaces
Not everyone has large, beautiful, well-organized closets to hold all their lovely clothes.
Prep Your Breakfast
Set up your coffee maker, portion out oatmeal, or prep overnight oats. Having breakfast ready to go removes one decision from your groggy morning brain. I have some great make-ahead recipes you can set up on Sunday for the week.
Savory Eggless Ham and Dairy-Free Cheese Muffins Recipe
Breakfast anyone? Easy to make Mini Breakfast Eggless Ham and Cheese Muffins Recipe!
Healthy Egg White Muffins Recipe with Broccoli, roasted peppers, and onion {dairy-free, gluten-free}
Easy breakfast egg recipe for a quick, freezer-friendly breakfast.
Mexican Scrambled Egg Muffins Freezer Meal
Easy to make scrambled egg muffin recipe and freezer-friendly.
Greek Breakfast Wrap Burrito Recipe
Easy burrito that are freezer friendly.
Create a launch pad (drop zone)
Designate a spot near your door for everything you need to grab in the morning: keys, bag, lunch, and phone charger. Load it up the night before so you're not scrambling when you're half-awake. Check out my entryway zone posts below for more ideas.
What to Keep in Your Organized Entryway Landing Zone
Is your entryway a mess? When you enter your home, are there piles of things lined near the door? This area is called the entryway landing zone or drop zone. In this area, you place items that will be going out of the home with you and your family. It is an area that can
Step By Step Entryway Organization
When you enter your home, where do you place your stuff? Do you throw your coat over a chair? How about your bag? Do you place it on a nearby table? And, your shoes, do they end up near the front door in a pile?
Before and After: Foyer Organizing Kids' Backpacks and Activity Supplies
Like most parents, my kids are in after-school activities as well as during the school day, so to make my foyer a little neater and their stuff a little more organized, I wanted to create a space for them.
Wake Up with the Light
The following winter morning, routines are essential to stay productive. Our bodies are designed to wake with the sun, but winter throws off this natural rhythm. Combat seasonal sluggishness with strategic lighting:
Use a sunrise alarm clock (affiliate). These gradually brighten before your alarm sounds, mimicking a natural sunrise and making waking up less jarring.
Here's an Example of a Sunrise Alarm Clock.
Buy Now → (affiliate)
Turn on the lights immediately. Keep a lamp on your nightstand (affiliate) and switch it on before you even sit up. Bright light signals to your brain that it's time to be awake.
Open your curtains right away. Even on cloudy days, natural light helps regulate your circadian rhythm and boost your mood.
Check out my posts to make your bedroom more relaxing.
13 Ways to Make Your Bedroom An Oasis
Aw, the bedroom is a place where we can relax and unwind, right? I love a bedroom that has no clutter and that looks like a relaxing space so I can escape from my day to where I can relax and do whatever I want.
Making A Bedroom Oasis Challenge
This month's organizing challenge is to make a special bedroom oasis you will treasure each night and walk refreshed in the morning. To accomplish this, we need to break down the task into several distinct activities.
Update a Small Bedroom for An Adult
We recently updated our daughter's bedroom as a junior in college. She had a small room, and it was hard to fit a larger bed without sacrificing the space that she desperately needed for her crafts.
Move Your Body Before You're Fully Awake
I know, I know. Exercise sounds terrible when it's cold and dark. But movement doesn't have to mean a complete workout.
I found that as I get older, going out for a walk really does help me wake up and become more flexible before I start my day. Plus, it helps clear my mind and reduce my allergies. My allergist said I have allergies year-round, except for January and February, so walking outside during those months is actually more enjoyable than the rest of the year.
Doing some 30-60 seconds of breathing or stillness helps calm you down and improve your focus. Things like 4-4-6 breathing exercises, taking 10 deep breaths, or a 5-minute deep-breathing meditation, and setting a daily intention work great.
Below are some suggestions on what to do in the morning without doing a complete workout.
Do five minutes of stretching in bed. Gentle stretches while you're still under the covers ease you into the day and get your blood flowing. I found a few YouTube videos to help with morning stretches.
Walk around your home with purpose. Walk around the house and take two flights of steps. Walk from one room to the other room. Brush your teeth while doing squats. This small mindset shift signals to your brain that you're ready to be productive.
Consider a short morning routine task. Ten jumping jacks, a quick yoga flow, or even dancing to one song while your coffee brews can energize you more than an extra ten minutes of sleep.
Warm Up Your Space and Your Body
Cold environments make us want to hibernate. Create warmth strategically:
Pre-heat your bathroom. If you have a space heater or floor-heated pads, turn them on before you shower so you're stepping into warmth instead of cold tile.
Drink something warm first thing. Hot water with lemon, tea, or coffee not only hydrates you but also warms you from the inside out, making the day feel more inviting. My favorite is to drink chamomile tea with ginger and turmeric.
Keep a cozy cardigan or robe nearby. Having a warm layer to throw on right away makes getting out of bed more appealing. You will never see me without my thick wool sweater during these winter months.
Create a feel-good routine (affiliate). How about making a playlist to walk you up and enjoy your morning, or enjoying a cup of coffee or tea with a loved one, and watching the sunrise? Doing one small thing that makes you feel great will help you tackle your day.
Build in Buffer Time
Winter mornings come with unpredictable challenges: icy windshields, frozen pipes, or simply moving more slowly in layers of clothing. Try to build in some extra time in the morning to avoid rushing and starting your day off with stress.
Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier than you think you need. This buffer time removes the stress of running late when winter throws you a curveball.
Use the extra time for something you enjoy. Read a chapter while enjoying your prepared breakfast, enjoy your coffee without rushing, or sit quietly. This isn't wasted time-it's an investment in starting your day calm instead of frazzled.
Winter-Specific Productivity Boosters
Beyond the basics, these winter-specific strategies can help maintain all-day productivity:
Maximize natural light during the day. Work near windows when possible. Natural light exposure during the day improves nighttime sleep and next-morning energy.
Schedule challenging tasks for mid-morning. You'll be fully awake but not yet experiencing the afternoon energy dip that hits harder in winter.
Take movement breaks. Set a timer to stand and stretch every hour. Winter makes us more sedentary, which affects productivity.
End your workday with a transition ritual. Light a candle, change clothes, or take a quick walk. This signals your brain that work is over, helping you truly relax in the evening.
Tackle a Small Task Before Work
Let's start by completing one task to get motivated to stay productive. Below are some suggestions.
Make your bed. This classic grounding habit works because it gives you an immediate win. I do this every morning, and it helps so much - right when I get out of bed, not after a shower.
Clear yesterday's dishes. Your future self will thank you when you return home if you empty the dishwasher in the morning.
Write down your top three priorities. Pick something you must do, should do, and nice to do for the day. Knowing what you need to accomplish removes the mental clutter of figuring it out later.
Protect your Morning Routine
Once you've built a winter morning routine (affiliate) that works, guard it with your life.
Avoid checking your phone immediately. Emails and social media can derail your whole morning. Give yourself at least 30 minutes before diving into the digital world. Adjust your phone so it doesn't notify you until right before you leave the house.
Keep it consistent, even on weekends. Your body thrives on routine (affiliate). Waking at similar times every day, even on Saturdays, helps maintain your rhythm and makes Monday mornings easier.
Adjust as needed, but don't abandon it entirely. If something isn't working, tweak it. But resist the urge to scrap your routine completely just because it's hard one morning.
Conclusion
Your winter morning routine doesn't need to be elaborate or Instagram-worthy. It just needs to work for you. Start with one or two changes from this list and build from there.
Remember, the goal isn't perfection. Some mornings will be more complicated than others. But with systems in place, you'll find that productive days become the norm rather than the exception, even in the depths of winter.
Now it is your turn. What works in your winter morning routine? I'd love to hear your strategies in the comments below!
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