Here’s what I know to be true as a mom… When I get up before the rest of the house to sit quietly, read my Bible, drink some coffee, and move my body, I have a great day.
Sure, my kids may have interrupted my sleep the night before. And sure, I might be exhausted come 2 PM and ready for a nap.
But those moments in the quiet before the noise of the day are so worth it.
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On the other hand, when my day starts by pressing snooze three times, when I immediately fill my mind with other people’s ideas, or when I scroll through my email inbox or Instagram, it takes my mindset for the day in a whole different direction.
The reality is that the way we start and end our day matters deeply. They are a direct reflection of what is most important to us and whose we are.
In Proverbs 31 in the Bible, we meet this wife of noble character. She’s a woman who gets up before the sun to take care of herself and her family, doing whatever is necessary so they can be both prosperous and generous.
Meanwhile, multiple times in the New Testament, we see Jesus go off to a solitary place to pray and connect with his Father, like in Mark chapter 1…
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” – Mark 1:35
Now granted, there are definitely some of us who thrive in the early morning hours and many of us who don’t.
But there’s clearly something about the stillness of the morning that gives us a chance to connect with our Father before the interruptions of the day steal away our attention. And that, my friends, is why I love morning routines and daily rhythms so much.
Why Moms Need Daily Rhythms
When you hear morning routine, you might picture those picture-perfect women on social media… but that’s not what this is about.
Daily rhythms are about building simple habits that bring peace, help you hear God’s voice, and keep your day grounded in Him. Even a few intentional minutes each morning can shift your whole perspective.
I’ve experimented with lots of routines this past year, and while I’m not perfectly consistent, I’ve found a rhythm that helps me show up with more joy—whether I’m working, with friends, or parenting.
I want to share my routine with you, not as a rulebook but as inspiration for creating one that fits your own life. Feel free to borrow from mine—or use our tool to build your own.
5 Step Christian Morning Routine
There’s nothing super special or magical about my mom morning routine, but it has been wonderful for helping me set my mind on the things that matter before my day begins.
Ready to create your own morning mom routine? You can grab our free Mom Routine Worksheet free right here!
1. Get into God’s Word.
I’ve been setting an actual alarm clock lately, (not my phone!) that makes me get out of bed to turn it off. Go downstairs, get my coffee going, and read scripture for about 10 minutes. I really love the She Reads Truth studies because they are pure scripture.
If I’m not doing a specific study, I use my She Reads Truth Bible. There inside there are Bible reading plans for every book of the Bible along with supplemental scripture passages, or a bible reading plan for the year if you’d rather go that route! (You can find a list of other great Bible studies for moms right here!)
2. Prayer and silence: Wait on God.
This is one of those things that can be hard to prioritize because it feels like you’re doing nothing, when really it is so important. Depending on the morning sometimes I just sit in my cozy chair with a journal, sometimes I lay on the floor and stretch. If I can leave the house, I’ll walk outside for a few minutes, no headphones and just wait and listen.
I usually will start with a prayer, lay whatever is on my heart to God, and then just let it be silent. Wait and listen for what He wants to say, do or draw to my attention. This doesn’t have to be long and drawn out. Sometimes I have 3 minutes, some days I have 10. But it’s about making that space and practicing sitting in silence so we have space to hear God speak to us.
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” – Psalm 46:10
3. Move your body.
Rarely do I feel like getting up and moving my body, but the difference is astounding on the days that I don’t. Because God gave us our bodies, we’re to be good stewards and take of what we’ve been given! That means being careful of what we feed our bodies (although I do love dessert and fast food), and keeping them healthy.
You don’t have to be in the gym every morning or run marathons to move and take care of your body. Being a good steward of your body can mean taking a prayer walk every morning (see step #2) or making riding bikes with your kids a regular habit.
For me, I have a workout app on my phone that centers around 7-minute workouts- perfect for squeezing into my morning mom routine. (This one is my favorite, though there are so many options to choose from!)
On days when I have more time, I really enjoy these workout journals from Habit Nest. They currently have a weightlifting journal for the gym and a bodyweight journal for exercising at home. If you’re looking for a guided but screen-free option that you can do on your own time, these are wonderful.
4. Plan the day.
Last but definitely not least, I feel so much less stressed for the day when I go into it with a plan!
Now we all know that plans will shift and change, especially when we have kids at home. But I’ve found that having a general outline for the day and knowing what my most important tasks will be helps me to stay focused and not sweat the little things that don’t get done.
While my Google calendar is great, I’m still very much a paper and pen kind of girl. I’ve tried a lot of planners over the years, but time and time again I keep coming back to my Day Designer planner. I have the currently have their weekly, but they also offer daily planner options, multiple sizes and dozens of beautiful cover designs.
In my planner I usually mark down:
- My top 2-3 tasks for the day
- Any appointments or meetings
- What I’m cooking for breakfast and dinner
- A house chore or two that I commit to completing that day
There are so many great planners out there, so try a few out and see what works for you!
(Day Designer does offer a free daily planning page so you can try out theirs. You can grab it right here!)
5. Prepare for your family.
Depending on the day, this can look like packing lunches, putting last-minute clothes in the dryer, prepping breakfast, or getting the kids up and dressed. I find that when I’m already filled up spiritually for the day, this goes so much more smoothly and I have so much more patience with my kids.
Then, take a deep breath and let the day begin!
I know that mom life will sometimes feel like chaos, especially when we have young kids at home. As a major planner and a little bit of a control freak (can you tell?) God often has to reign me in with reminders from His Word like this one…
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”
– Proverbs 19:21
Some days you’ll have no minutes to prepare for the day before it starts, and that’s okay! We can always come back later to commit the rest of our day to the Lord, or even figure out an evening routine to reflect on our days.
The most important thing as moms is that we’re setting aside time to be with our Father, to set our hearts and minds on the right things, and to take care of ourselves as moms. Our people need us! And having a consistent mom morning routine is such a great way to make sure we can show up for them in the way that they need.
Do you currently have a morning routine? Have you thought about creating one in the past? What has held you back from getting started?
Want to dive in and create daily and weekly routines that make your mom life as close to stress-free as possible? Be sure to check out our Daily Rythym Reset, available now right here!