9 Morning Routine Tips for Successful Women Founders

“I always try to remember that I’ll be the best me I can be if I prioritize myself.” – Michelle Obama.

Success and wellness are deeply connected, making it vital to nurture, prioritize, and care for ourselves. One approach worth adopting is creating a morning routine filled with self-care practices.

A morning routine is frequently recognized as a key component in supporting women founders, the “Janes of all trades and tasks,” who often juggle a plethora of roles and responsibilities. While many articles suggest what these routines should include, one fact remains clear: a morning routine enhances the entirety of our day.

As a licensed therapist and woman-owned small business founder, I do my best work, supporting clients in their relationships and emotional well-being, after completing at least four of the morning routine tips below. Contributing to others' wellness begins with being centered within myself.

Here are nine tried-and-true, simple, and stackable tips for creating holistic success—innovation, ideation, and impact—for women founders.

1. Establish healthy sleep hygiene.

Your morning begins the night before. Commit to a sleep routine—8 or more hours and a repeated bedtime—that increases your chances of restful, restorative sleep. It’s the foundation of everything that follows.

2. Invite stillness through meditation.

Take 5–15 minutes immediately after waking to be with yourself in silence or guided meditation. Whether through an app like Open, Calm, or Balance—or simply with soothing music or silence—gifting yourself this time helps you with emotional grounding.

3. Practice EFT tapping to reconnect.

Try finger or hand tapping for a few minutes each morning to release tension, reduce anxiety, or center your mind and body. Use a resource like the Tapping Solution app, a chart of key acupressure points on and around the body, and helpful, affirming phrases to tap into ease before diving into the day.

4. Take time to stretch.

Before you move into exercise or tasks, allow your body to show you what needs attention. A few mindful stretches can help you reorient, notice where you are holding tension, and return to yourself with compassion.

5. Make somatic movement a priority.

Whether it’s 15 minutes or an hour, make time for intentional movement that strengthens your body and uplifts your spirit. Physical activity supports your health while building resilience and flexibility in your daily interactions.

6. Choose an energizing breakfast.

Fuel and fortify your mornings with a nourishing breakfast. Find what works best for your body and build from there.

7. Commit to a daily walk.

Let walking become your go-to ritual for clarity and connection. Use it to engage with your neighbors, the natural world, the sun, and the trees—your external environment. Starting your day this way helps frame everything that follows.

8. Engage your curiosity.

Make a habit of reading, listening to, or viewing something new for at least 30 minutes. Feed your curiosity with fresh perspectives, especially on topics you're not an expert in. Learning something daily keeps your mind open and inspired.

9. Speak to yourself with compassion.

Develop a gesture or phrase of self-compassion to offer yourself during mixed-emotion moments. Gently remind yourself of your worth, humanity, and capacity to move through challenges with grace. Massaging your heart space or saying, “I matter,” are perfect morning practices before getting into the intensity of your day.

Whether you embrace all nine or begin with a few, your morning routine will lead you down a success-filled pathway.

If you want to start a new routine, reconnect to former rituals, or learn what energizes you, look to your body, mind, breath, and community, and make your morning the most revitalizing time of the day.