My Favorite Morning Routine Tools (Even After a Rough Night With the Kids)

I wake up at 4:45 a.m. — not because I’m a morning person, but because it’s the only time I get to myself.

By 6:30, my son is awake. By 7:15, I’m out the door if I’m headed into the office. Between prompting him to get dressed, brushing my teeth in a hurry, and mentally running through the day, my mornings could feel like total chaos.

But they don’t — at least not always — because I’ve carved out this quiet ritual that happens before the rest of the house stirs.

My routine isn’t glamorous. It’s 90% habit and 10% survival. But this little window of time gives me the emotional reset I need to meet the day with more patience, clarity, and energy — especially when parenting a neurodivergent teen.

Here are the tools I use every morning to stretch, ground, caffeinate, and recenter — even after a night of broken sleep or big feelings.