"I'm not a morning person" is almost certainly something you or someone you're close to has said multiple times before. It's a universally difficult time of the day, but perhaps the most important. The quality of your morning routine can affect the rest of your day, and for this reason, it does deserve special attention, even if it is difficult to get out of bed when you're comfortably cocooned in luxurious linen.

Establishing a routine better allows us to control our schedules rather than letting our schedules control us. That doesn't mean you need to tattoo 'Carpe Diem' on your arm, join the 5am club, and start your day with a 10km run, but it might mean you want to focus a little bit more on developing a routine that makes you feel enthusiastic and productive about the day ahead.

The pandemic has inevitably changed our day to day lives. For many of us, this means our mornings look a bit different now than how they used to, particularly for those who work from home. Below, six members of the Bed Threads team share the morning routines that they have personally developed to set themselves up for a productive day of work at home, and that might inspire your own routine. 

The Bed Threads Team Members' Working From Home Morning Routines

Genevieve Rosen, Co-Founder

The Bed Threads team is still working from home, which has helped me get into a better routine in the mornings after what was a rocky month or so adjusting to full-time work at home, at the start of the Sydney lockdowns last year. I have always been terrible in the mornings, but cutting out any sort of commute over the last few months has helped my body tune into its own waking cycle, and now I never set an alarm. This is a huge relief after a lifetime of snoozing and, as a result, rushing. 

This means I usually get up between 7-8am depending on when I naturally wake up, and have a hot shower before going on a short walk to get a coffee. I love this ritual and find the fresh air and change of scenery grounding before logging on around 9am every morning. Mostly I listen to music during this time and try to avoid anything too intensive or difficult. For me, it is about finding moments of peace before the day begins!

Wendy Fraser, Operations Director

When asked this question I have realised the shift to working from home has really changed my morning routine. I usually go to bed quite late, and will often do some work into the night.  My morning routine for a weekday starts the night before, when I see what I have on the next day and when I need to be at my desk.  I try to wake up without an alarm (but do set it for as late as possible - just in case!).  

While still in bed I will have a drink of water and watch/listen to The Wake Up, on my Headspace meditation app. Then, I will check if there are any urgent issues that may have come in overnight from the US - usually there is nothing that cannot wait, so I shower and get ready for the work day. I use this time to focus on being mindful and present, enjoying a hot shower and moisturising my skin - almost creating this as a ritual. Most days I intermittent fast so I will not eat until around lunch time. I normally go straight to my computer and launch into the day!  

If I have meetings in the calendar I will set a reminder alarm, so that I can focus on other work without having to worry that I might miss a meeting. On a Monday morning I will create a list of priorities for the week that could be relating to medium term goals, or more immediate requirements for the business, and use this to prioritise what I am working on. I try to resist my first coffee until around 10am, and get up and move around a little every hour.  

On the weekends my mornings could include meditating, going to the farmer's market, gardening, walking or coffee with friends and family, or just sitting enjoying the sunshine in our garden. I try to use the weekends as time to unwind from the busy work week.

Stephanie Squadrito, Marketing Lead

For the first time in my life, I actually have a very consistent morning routine. I'm not a morning person AT ALL, so being able to work from home for the past eight months has improved my routine so much. 

I wake up at 7.30am each morning with an old-school alarm clock radio (I keep my phone out of the bedroom at night). I down a glass of water, wash my face with icy water, and apply moisturiser and sunscreen. Then I get changed and head straight out the door for my morning walk. 

It's the same exact 3km route every day, and I see the same exact people going about their day which I find sort of comforting? I get a coffee along the way, and I don't listen to a podcast or music, as it's the one time of the day where I'm not consuming anything. It's nice to start the day with my thoughts only before reading the news or emails – a habit I started during lockdown.

Once I'm home I make the bed and tidy the house a little as I find it quite calming (lol). Then I settle down at my computer with breakfast around 9am – usually yogurt or a banana – to start my workday.

Lucy O'Donoughue, Social Media Manager

Excuse the cliché but I am not a morning person. I wish I was but every morning is a struggle to haul myself out of bed. Having said that, the mundanity of lockdown life definitely helped me create a 'morning routine', so to speak, so that I wasn't quite literally walking from my bed to my desk within a matter of minutes. 

I came to terms with the fact that I'm not an "exercise-in-the-morning" type of person a long time ago. So, instead of planning to workout and then feeling guilty for staying in bed, I decided that my mornings are allocated for much slower, ~soothing~ activities instead. I tend to wake up anywhere between 7-7.30am followed by immediately making the bed and getting dressed to avoid any temptation to jump back in.

Then, I wash my face, do my skincare routine (very simple routine of Vitamin C, moisturiser, and sunblock) while standing on my Shakti mat. Honestly, I have no idea if it actually helps me with anything but it definitely makes me feel like I'm at least trying to better my life. Finally, depending on what time it is, I read my book before it's time for me to log on for work. At 8.30am, I turn the radio on to the ABC, log on for work, and voilà! 

The best decision I made for my mornings has definitely been to take it easy. This way, I no longer feel that dreaded guilt for "not being productive enough". I actually quite enjoy my mornings now that I have a peaceful and calming routine! 

Ellen Dickson, Senior Designer

I've found creating habits in lockdown difficult after working full time in an office for four years before working with Bed Threads, but as the world begins to open up I'm getting better at creating a new routine that works well for me. I'm personally not a slow morning kind of person, as it's when I'm most motivated throughout the day. I love to wake up, get dressed, and head straight to the gym a few mornings a week as weightlifting is my favourite way to move my body. 

After I get home I have a nice warm shower. My skincare routine is my favourite part of my morning and I'll do it whether I've had a 'roll out of bed' morning, or a motivated gym kind of morning. It helps me feel fresh and gives me a calm and quiet moment to myself before a busy day. Finally I make an ice coffee, rain hail or shine, to sit down at my desk with and start the day.

Rachael Thompson, Editor

I am a notoriously poor sleeper but developing a more consistent morning routine has helped that a bit. I found the pandemic was what really changed how I go about my mornings. I typically wake up at 7am, even if it’s on the weekend. Waking up at the same time every day makes Monday mornings significantly easier for me and I don’t need an alarm anymore. 

I spend the next half hour having a glass of water, a coffee, and just spending some time with myself. I find opening the blind and window in my room straight away is a good way to wake me up or splashing some cold water on my face. Working from home means I don’t do much in the way of getting ready aside from making my bed, changing clothes, brushing my teeth, and doing a basic skin care routine. I have to make my bed every day. It really, really helps me feel organised and like I’m starting off my day in a productive manner. 

I like to start work around 7:30-8am as this is when I feel most productive and can get a little bit of a head start. I try and listen to the BBC Global News Podcast so I feel like I have more of an idea of what’s going on in the world. I find sticking to the same routine really helpful as it implements a bit of structure to my day and gives me feel more in control of the day.

Enjoyed this? Here are the Bedtime Routines of 6 Successful Women.