Tired of waking up sluggish, unmotivated, and stressed about your day? The six-step Miracle Morning routine might be just what you need to boost focus, energy, and clarity every morning.
As soon as we wake up, our brains switch into decision-making mode. Will you hit snooze? What will you have for breakfast? What will you wear today?
And all that decision-making—it takes brain power. That’s why a solid morning routine is often associated with increased energy and productivity and reduced stress. Routines are great for our brains; they reduce decision fatigue, enhance focus, and help build momentum for the rest of the day.
Which is why the most successful people in the world swear by a stringent morning routine—one that often starts before the sun rises.
Read more: How to Create a Soothing Bedtime Routine
Marie Kondo, for example, gets up at 6:30 am and opens the windows to let fresh air in before easing into her day with hot water or tea. Oprah Winfrey takes her dogs for a walk first thing, then practices meditation before exercising. And when Elizabeth Holmes was CEO of blood testing company Theranos, she notoriously wore the same black turtleneck every day (taking a page out of Steven Jobs’s book).
So if you’re someone who finds mornings, well… hard (raises hand), establishing a morning routine could totally transform your waking hours—and your day.
Enter: the Miracle Morning Routine.
What Is a Miracle Morning?
The Miracle Morning routine was introduced by author, keynote speaker, and success coach Hal Elrod in his book The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8 AM).
“An extraordinary life is all about daily, continuous improvements in the areas that matter most.”
The basis of the Miracle Morning self-improvement routine is six intentional steps known as SAVERS, which stands for Silence, Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, and Scribing (or writing), designed to uplevel your life, decrease stress, and boost productivity.
Your Guide to the 6-Step Miracle Morning Routine
Ready to try out the Miracle Morning routine for yourself? Here’s a breakdown of the six-step routine, plus tips for how to implement each one into your morning.
Silence
Silence is the anchor of the Miracle Morning routine. It sets the tone for your day long before the noise and busyness take over. This can look like sitting quietly in bed for two minutes before reaching for your phone, practicing deep breathing, using an app to meditate, or simply enjoying a cup of coffee without distractions. Whatever form it takes, stillness helps calm your nervous system, lower stress hormones, and create mental space before the demands of the day hit. Even just a few minutes of intentional quiet can boost clarity, lower anxiety, and help you enter your morning with more focus and patience.
Affirmations
Affirmations are powerful, personal statements that reinforce the beliefs and habits you want to build. You can write your own (“I am capable and steady today,” or “I show up with purpose and clarity”) or find prewritten affirmations that resonate with you. Once you’ve landed on an affirmation for the day or week, say it out loud a few times in the morning—and keep it handy where you can see it throughout the day. These aren’t cheesy pep talks. Affirmations help redirect your inner voice, reframe negative thinking, and prime your brain for confidence and productivity. Over time, affirmations can shift your mindset from reactive to intentional, making it easier to approach challenges with resilience.
Visualisation
Visualization is essentially a mental rehearsal for the day you want to create. Close your eyes and picture yourself succeeding at something specific: showing up confidently to a meeting, completing your workout, keeping patience during your toddler’s meltdown, or finishing a project you’ve been procrastinating on. Visualizing success helps reduce anxiety, increase motivation, and improve follow-through because your brain starts to see your goals as familiar pathways—not intimidating unknowns. You’re practicing the feeling of success before your day even begins.
Read more: 5 Types of Meditation for a Calm Mind
Exercise
Exercise doesn’t mean a 60-minute workout or a high-intensity class at sunrise—unless you want it to. This step is about waking up your body, getting your blood flowing, and breaking up the sluggishness of sleep. You can do a 10-minute stretch, a quick yoga flow, a brisk walk, or even a few jumping jacks in your living room. The goal is simply movement. Even short bursts of exercise increase endorphins, improve focus, boost energy, and support cognitive function, making it easier to tackle the rest of your day without that sluggish feeling dragging you down.
Reading
Investing even a few minutes in reading every morning can shift your mindset for the entire day. Reach for something uplifting, educational, or motivating. For example, a personal development book, a faith-based devotional, a business book, or a few pages of something inspiring. You don’t need to finish a chapter; a single paragraph that sparks a new idea or gives you a practical takeaway can be enough. Reading first thing helps you learn consistently, break out of mental ruts, and keep your brain sharp, even on the busiest mornings.
Scribing (Writing)
Writing is your chance to check in with yourself before the rest of the world chimes in. You can journal freely about what’s on your mind, list three things you’re grateful for, outline your priorities for the day, or reflect on what you’re working toward. Writing helps clear mental clutter, reduce stress, and improve problem-solving. It’s also a powerful way to track growth over time and notice patterns you might otherwise miss, like what energizes you, what drains you, and what matters most right now.
Miracle Morning Tips
Perfection Isn’t the Goal
Some mornings will feel magical…and others will be pure chaos. That doesn’t mean you “failed” your Miracle Morning. Think of this routine as a practice, not a performance. The goal is consistency, not perfection. Give yourself grace on the days that don’t go as planned. Remember: your routine should support you, not stress you out.
Do Your Miracle Morning In Your Own Order
The original Miracle Morning lays out SAVERS in a specific order, but you don’t have to follow it step by step. Some people prefer to exercise first to wake up, while others start with silence or reading. There’s no wrong way to do your routine. Experiment until you find the flow that energizes you most. This routine should fit seamlessly into your life, not the other way around.
Make a Plan For Your Week
Decision fatigue is real—especially in the morning. One way to reduce it? Plan your routine ahead of time. On Sunday, carve out a few minutes to map out your week. Decide what you want to do for each SAVERS step and roughly how long you want to spend on each one. Maybe Monday is a longer workout day, Tuesday is a heavy writing day, and Wednesday is focused on silence and meditation. When you plan it out, you spend less time thinking and more time doing.
Your Routine Doesn’t Need to Take Hours
There’s no requirement to wake up at 4:30 am or spend two hours journaling, reading, and exercising. Your Miracle Morning is customizable. It can take 10 minutes or 60 minutes—whatever serves your life in this season. Some mornings, you may have more time for silence and less time for exercise. On other days, writing might flow easily, and reading takes a back seat. Flexibility is part of the process. The real “miracle” is creating a routine that makes you feel grounded and energized, not overwhelmed.
A Miracle Morning routine isn’t about rigid rules or waking up before sunrise—it’s about starting your day with intention and creating small, meaningful habits that support the life you want. When you take a few moments for silence, movement, reflection, and growth, you set the tone for a calmer, more focused, more productive day. Start simple, stay flexible, and let your routine evolve with you. A better morning really can create a better you.
Read more: The Cozy Commute: How to Transition from Work to Rest Mode
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