How does your partner fit into your morning routine?

My partner has their own need for their own successful routine, so we have a tendency to overlap only slightly in the morning. That said, they have done morning pages recently and found it has worked for them as well (though they prefer long hand, and I prefer doing it on a screen).

I’m married, and my wife usually stays in bed later than I do (although not always). She often asks me to wake her up at a certain time, and then we spend the first hour or so doing the same things together: drinking coffee and quietly working or reading.

My husband, Abi, usually wakes up thirty minutes after me. I often play a record from our vinyl selection—Tangerine Dream or Pink Floyd—to gently awaken him into some ethereal realm. And the smell of cinnamon from the porridge rises upstairs and lures him down.

Sometimes he is up before me to chop wood or open the farm gate, and then he makes breakfast for me. He gently kisses my head and places a plate before me as I am chanting or reading in my own world on the floor. He doesn’t interrupt me. He normally also has his own noise-cancelling headphones on as he listens to the news.

Silence is key for us in the morning—being physically next to each other in the same space but rising in our own rhythms.

Sometimes we clash on our needs and timing, and historically I have been a night owl and she an early bird. A few years ago, however, we became more aligned, which is really nice. If Beth goes downstairs to meditate just before I want to get up and do some stretches, this can be disturbing for her. We sync together pretty well now though, and we sometimes do a workout together, which is really supportive and motivating.

We pretty much just do our own things and give each other space in the morning; my partner usually leaves earlier than I do, so she is typically up and out of bed earlier than I am.

See above for tea/egg-making interaction. But my husband doesn’t talk much in the morning. He’s a night owl. I’m a morning person. The rule is that I can talk to him in the mornings and he will listen, but he won’t answer me until after 11:00am.

I have a wife who gets up before me, partly because she has to leave the house earlier than me to take our daughter to school before she herself goes to work, and partly because she takes much longer to get ready to leave the house.

We built our current house four years ago; after living in a much smaller space with a much smaller bathroom, we had a double vanity installed so we can both be in there at the same time, which we usually are. She’s at the sink doing things with her face and hair that I don’t understand, while I’m behind a glass partition getting blasted with too-hot water and steaming up her mirror.

My husband and I often swap travel schedules, so we spend time together mostly on the weekends. When we are home together in the morning during the week, we try to split duties. One of us prepares breakfast while the other makes lunches for school days. One of us feeds the dog while the other unloads the dishwasher. It’s never as seamless as I’m making it sound, but we embrace the chaos of life with small children and careers.

I would actually be fine working out together, but she prefers more privacy than I do! I have the most amazing life partner, best friend, and lover all in one.

The word “partner” implies that someone is working with you to achieve a common goal. So, yes, when I have a partner they are 100 percent behind me in everything I do, and vice-versa.

Having a busy routine, it can be challenging to find ways to fit a partner in without making self-care sacrifices. Luckily, he gives me all the space I need to do my thing, but I’m happy for him to join in once in a while, too.

I try to encourage him to meditate, but I’m also conscious of giving him the space he needs to come to it on his own. So occasionally we’ll meditate together. Also, sometimes before bed we will tell each other three things we are grateful for.

During the week he’s already off to work, so I have a nice quiet apartment, but on weekends we have our own routine.

My husband usually leaves the house around 7:00am and bikes thirteen miles to work, even in cold or rainy weather (he’s a super athlete). We don’t cross over routines at all—he usually just stops in and says bye before he leaves.

My three kids are a different story. Between 7:15-7:30am, I’m usually reminding the kids of what is happening that day and what they need to do to get out the door (get your snack, put on your shoes, brush your hair, brush your teeth, etc.). We have an au pair who lives with us and helps get them ready and takes them to school. If I’m on a call, the kids will write questions on paper or draw on my whiteboard, which is always entertaining when I’m on video.

I can’t do my stretches in bed because I’ll end up elbowing my partner’s head. She also makes it incredibly hard to get up. When she’s lying there all cozy and warm in the sheets, I can’t think of anything worse than getting up in our cold room and going about my business.

I just have to push past the intense jealousy and get on with things, though.

My husband typically sleeps a little later than I do, and he exercises later in the day. He gives me the space I need. I hope I do the same for him.

My husband wakes up around 7:00am, and most days I’m gone by then. I love having mornings to myself; that’s actually my favorite part of the routine. Everyone is asleep—husband, kids, even the dog. I love having that quiet time just to myself.

My wife sleeps later than I do, so my early mornings are part physical fitness and part getting out of the house so I can let her and the dogs sleep longer.

He hands me coffee first thing in the morning, as he’s usually up before me these days! His morning routine complements mine; he’s an entrepreneur as well, so he gets it—we are always going and have to consciously say, “Okay, time to turn off!”

In short, my husband helps me with… everything! He helps me get up on time (I’m guilty of snoozing) and cooks breakfast for both of us (we’ll share the eggs). Since we both run our own businesses, we are usually both running around the house trying to get emails done or scheduling different calls—and trying not to run into each other! We usually leave within twenty minutes of one another. Sometimes he’ll run to Starbucks if I’m running late and grab my mobile order for me! He’s everything!

Yes, he lets me have the space I need by sleeping until 8:00am. Sometimes he’ll cook himself breakfast and we’ll chat while I eat and email. He’s an incredible chef. Here are a few things he regularly cooks in the morning: eggplant, spiced chickpeas, and a fried egg with avocado and yogurt plopped on top; sweet potato mash with walnuts and a fried egg; vegetable omelette with homemade pinto bean hummus and toasted pine nuts. It is an extreme testament to my morning routine dedication that I cling to my yogurt-and-bar breakfast despite all this gourmet stuff.

My husband loves to sleep. As long as he doesn’t have to get up, he’s 100 percent supportive of my routine.

Prior to the stroke my wife and I had a nice kind of symbiotic relationship when it came to our mornings. We would each make our own breakfast and she would keep quiet during my meditation routine, then we would sometimes talk at breakfast and I would read the newspaper. It worked very well. She also works from home, so she wasn’t rushing out to a job or anything, so our lives meshed well.

Since the stroke, she’s had to look after me in a way that’s a bit of a burden and I feel bad about it. It’s lessening up a lot, as I become able to do more and more things, but she still has to make the breakfast for me and do the dishes, and things like that.

If I don’t wake her up, it’s all good. If I do, it’s not.

If you haven’t noticed, I’ve used far more “we” than “I” while describing this morning routine. It’s far more a household routine than an individual one. It does help that we have basically the same hope for our mornings: calm before the chaos. Most parents can probably relate.

My husband is a wonderful partner to help support me with this morning routine. As a public school teacher, he is up regularly and early every day. He always asks if I need help in the morning, and when I am running late, he makes my shake and coffee.

My boyfriend is actually part of my morning routine! We tend to spend 5-10 minutes in bed every morning talking before we get up to get ready for the day. Our routines are fairly similar, but he’s great about giving me the space I need for my own routine.

We are usually on different schedules and like to give each other space, but [when he has time] he has been known to comment on my print-on-print pairings! I love to wear a Terez printed legging with a printed top, sequin blazer… sequin anything, really!

My wife, Padmavathy, is the secret to my success. I am blessed with an amazing and inspiring wife who fits into my life and supports me through thick and thin.

We’re asynchronous, but sometimes we do end up leaving the apartment together for our commutes. Schedule permitting, I take Mango Roll on a longer walk on his running trail on days when we both work from home.

My wife and I are a finely tuned machine. On mornings when I’m in the office, she helps get the kids ready while I take care of the dogs. On mornings when I’m going to the operating room, I tiptoe as quietly as I can so as not to wake her!

My husband’s routine is very similar to mine. He likes to wake up early, but not as early as me—usually between 6:00-6:30am. He also begins his day with fresh lemon water, although he always adds a couple of teaspoons of apple cider vinegar. Next, he stretches and meditates. We usually do not say anything to each other for about half-an-hour to an hour.

My husband is gone before 6:00am, but one of the first things I do in the morning (while drinking my coffee) is text him to tell him I love him and to wish him a good day. We have done this every day since very early in our relationship. My morning wouldn’t be complete without it.

My husband is also into morning workouts. So his motivation aids mine. I get my space by getting up earlier than he does because I don’t like to rush in the morning. Rushing in the morning makes the rest of my day feel off balance.

She gives me all the space I need in the morning to perform my routine, so long as I bring her coffee!

My wife and I are a team in the morning; she does so much to make the routine work. She makes the oatmeal, for one thing! But she also really encourages me to do what I need to take care of myself. That support—both in words and in actions—makes a big difference. I try to help her as much as I can in return.

My husband is an early riser and usually wakes up at least an hour before I do. By the time I wake up, he is much more awake than I am. He allows me to have my space and wake up my way. We love watching the news or our favorite TV shows together in the morning.

I don’t have a partner, but I would hope that any partner who lives with me will know to give me the space for my routine. I’m not above separate rooms if necessary—I love how Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton “live apart together” in side by side townhouses, or how Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera lived in separate houses connected by a drawstring bridge.

My partner and I are exact opposites when it comes to most things in life, and our morning routines are no exception. She snoozes at least six times, using a silent vibration so as not to wake me. She sleeps for 1-2 hours after I wake up, checking in on me in the studio after she’s had a shower.

She lies in bed asleep while all this happens. Occasionally she’ll ask for a coffee.

My wife is absolutely amazing. She herds the kids in the morning because she knows I’m trying to do what’s best for our family through work and what we provide there. She’s so absolutely incredible for that.

I wake up hours before my husband does, so I have a lot of peace and quiet in which to do my routine.

I like to call my partner my “weekend boyfriend,” because he’s a consultant and travels to the East Coast Monday-Friday. It’s amazing. I can watch Great British Baking Show without judgement and he can’t steal the covers if he’s not there. I can also blast my weird music and not feel bad about waking anyone up.

We have choreographed our morning routines pretty well. She’s in charge of the kids while I’m out exercising, then I take them over when I return.

My husband is awesome and encourages me to go get some exercise, and we both pitch in to get the family ready for the day.

My partner is either up and out of bed before me or still laying in the sheets like my favorite cat. My morning routine doesn’t take very long, and she knows that I’m a less stressed out Aubrey Marcus when I complete it so she is thrilled when she sees my naked butt in the pool.

My wife is a rockstar. She totally handles the mornings with our three school-age kids. She gets them up, makes them a home-cooked breakfast, studies scriptures with them, and gets them to school in good spirits. It is amazing. I’ll often get back from the gym as they are saying a family prayer before school and I’m always impressed by the routine she has created for our kids.

Every day I have 4:00-7:00pm blocked off as family time to spend with my kids. This includes some free time, dinner, homework, and their sports.

My wife and I are typically on separate routines and allow each other space. However, we do enjoy the times when our schedules align and we can share a yoga and meditation practice or a hike. We’re thankful to live in an area with nature surrounding us.

My husband generally wakes up earlier than I do to meditate and exercise. I’m usually getting out of bed and showering by the time he gets back. We do a pretty good job of timing it right. Even though our morning routines have changed over the years, we’ve gotten really good at sharing a bathroom. We’ve done it successfully now for nearly ten years!

We wake up at the same time. She usually gets ready for her day while I’m reading the paper and triaging email, and then we have breakfast together. We rarely if ever get in each other’s way.

We get up at the same time every day, since the alarm rings for both of us, and he has a pretty similar morning routine where he also works out for ten minutes. Then he showers, then I shower, and then he makes breakfast while I get the kids.

I like greeting him first thing in the morning. Sometimes I ask him to help me wake up and he talks to me. I often make him mint tea as well, and then we read together.

My wife and family are prioritized elements in my current morning routine.

Our morning routine is together. Other than alternating workout days, we wake up at the same time, have coffee together, get our boys ready together, and get ready to leave the house together. It’s definitely a team effort to get everything going for the day.

My husband tends to get up about half an hour after me. We only have one child still at home, and she is fairly autonomous.

Our children are growing up. We have a son who is away at college and a daughter who is a junior in high school. Because she now has her driver’s license, she gets up and drives herself to early morning seminary (religious class) at 6:00am before heading over to the high school.​ Some days my husband gets up and exercises before heading over to the university where he teaches. Some days, but not all, we quickly check in with each other around 6:00am before our daughter leaves. We might have a quick breakfast or morning family prayer before they head off, and then I head back up to my office.

My wife and I wake up at the same time, take a thirty-minute walk, and make tea together. After that, we start our independent workdays.

My wife and I are both writers. She tends to be a night owl. I’m obviously an early bird. We structure our lives to support each other’s creative endeavors in many ways, so she’s always been generous about giving me as much space and time as she can in a life that is hectic and somewhat cramped.

That said, she can get upset if I make too much noise in the morning (“ruckus,” she humorously calls it). Likewise, I can get a little peeved when she wakes me up at night after she’s done with her work. These are just small inconveniences, though. I can’t imagine being with someone who didn’t support my creative endeavors and vice versa.

Now that we’re living together, our routines are very much intertwined. He always makes breakfast, which is so nice because that’s the sort of thing I’d likely blow off or have “on the go” if he didn’t.

We generally brush our teeth together, but the rest of our getting ready (once breakfast is done) is pretty separate; we each have the time we need to handle whatever it is we need to do alone. I generally have the more particular timeline in the morning, since he often works from home, and he’s awesome about pitching in to make sure I’m all set to go when I need to. We’re also great about reminding each other of things. “Did you take your vitamin?” “Don’t forget it’s going to rain later!” “I tossed your charger in your bag for you!” It’s a real team effort, and when I’m waking up on the road, I definitely miss having my breakfast buddy.

My wife Gia is typically sound asleep while I go about my morning routine. When I leave the bedroom, I always walk around the bed and give her a kiss on the head. Sometimes she wakes up, sometimes not. Sometimes there’s a little semi-conscious “Are you going? Ride safe.” But that’s about it. We’ve been together for over forty years and have never really shared the morning.

There’s part of me that feels like I wouldn’t be able to have my morning hours the way I do now if she were involved. Mornings when Gia has to be awake for something often upset my routine; suddenly, my time to myself (meaning me and my friends on the bike or me and Bear in the park) gets off track. As they are, I’m not disappointed that I don’t share my morning hours with her. But I don’t want that to sound wrong—if she wanted to get up and do these things with me, that would be thrilling. But that’s just not the way our relationship has ever been. I knew going in that she wasn’t the morning person I was. I would always need to go to bed early because I had to get up, she’d have to stay up late because she had to work, I’d wake up and she’d be going to sleep because she had stayed up late. We’ve just never been on the same biological time clock like that. And somehow it’s worked for us all these years!

My husband Theo is a huge part of my morning and my day, since he’s the COO of my company. He usually accompanies me on my hike, which is a great way for us to spend quality time together outside of the office. He’s been part of this company from the very beginning, so he’s very aware of how I work. He knows when I need space to get things done and when I want to talk things through with him.

My wife is usually resting peacefully, so there are no issues with sharing the space!

My girlfriend usually wakes before I do and holds onto me in bed, sometimes for hours, trying not to wake me up. Since she goes to bed well before I do, that’s her only chance to cuddle.

Sometimes she gets up to play with the kids so I can sleep, but usually I get up so she can have the time to herself, even if she just stays in bed to answer email or read the news on her phone. We work together, but most days we work independently in the morning, because she knows I like to have a few hours to wake up before facing the day. When we get really busy, she prods me to get to work earlier.

My partner is probably the only reason I haven’t succumbed to my laziest morning tendencies. He loves mornings, so he actually helps me form routines rather than hinder them. For example, he goes for a run after he wakes up, and that’s roughly the amount of time it takes for me to shower and get dressed. When he comes back, we’re both ready for breakfast and sometimes we travel to the studio together after that. He is also the one to drag me out of bed on the weekends when I’m hungover, for better or worse.

My husband is not really a morning person, but he always lets me do my thing. His work schedule varies weekly. Six months ago, I’d wake him at 7:30am. We’d look at memes for about twenty minutes. Then I’d return to drag him out of bed at 9:30am. Recently, he’s been copying my schedule. Imitation is flattery, I guess?

I usually make enough noise that she wakes up. Then it’s like a cartoon version of life. She goes one direction, I go the other, and we meet in the kitchen.

My family members typically get out of bed at 7:30am or later, so I have two and a half hours to do my thing.

My husband is not a morning person, so he doesn’t interfere with my morning routine at all as he’s usually still sleeping. He understands my rituals are very important to my well being.

I don’t have a serious girlfriend right now, but when I’ve had them, they pick up on how set my routine is and give me space. Some start burpees or some equivalent, too, and we make it a fun, shared habit.

My husband is a later riser than I am. He wakes up for prayer, but eight times out of ten he goes back to sleep for another hour or two, and then wakes up sloooooowly.

My partner and I have very different work schedules, and he is usually up at 6:30am and out of the house by 8:00am. Our schedules don’t really collide until the evening, which works out for both of us.

Before my wife and I had our son, the routine was less challenging. But now, in addition to taking care of myself and spending time with my spouse, we make our son’s needs a priority. My wife Dijana is really great and supportive of me and my professional goals. She really rocks!

I usually bark out orders and micromanage my husband in the morning. That’s why we start with the hug. It’s all downhill from there.

My husband usually gets up before me or around the same time, also on his own with no alarm. When he gets up, he takes quiet time for himself - catching up on news around the world, reading, etc. Usually, the first time we chat with each other is around the time our daughter wakes up.

My partner is so considerate and we are so compatible that I have all the space I need in the morning; however, she is a part of all that I do in the morning too. She drinks coffee while I drink water. We both walk the dogs and talk about the day, or about a vacation we would like to take, or we just chitchat.

My husband, Vivek, is an amazing partner. He helps me get the kids ready for school in the morning - it is nice to have some family time - though I must admit it usually feels a bit rushed in the morning regardless.

She is great about her morning routine too, and feels energized when she gets it in, so I usually wake her up when I come back from my walk so she can start her day.

My wife and I have breakfast together; it’s a habit we picked up after an extended trip to Europe one summer. We do our very best to have both breakfast and dinner together at our dining room table, no matter how hectic our lives are. It’s grounding and just incredibly nice in the middle of our fast-paced New York City lives.

My wife has her morning routine as well, which is different than mine (Zumba classes at a local recreation center).

I definitely have my own space, unless she sleeps in, which happens regularly when she and I have been up the night before watching a recorded Dateline or 48 Hours, our favorite TV shows. Although the stories are always the same (guy meets the love of his life, marries her, takes out a large life insurance policy on her, she ends up dead, and you find out he’s been having an affair the entire time), it’s riveting television worth staying up for. I highly recommend it.

My husband is up and out before me, so during the week we don’t really share a morning routine. On weekends, however, we both sleep in a little later; cuddle up and relax after waking; have coffee together; and talk, read the newspaper, go for a walk, and plan what we need to do and what we like to do together, and with whichever kids are around.

She usually sleeps longer than I do. One of my favorite sensations is that of her sleeping while I make my morning cup and tend to my email. Something about that feels incredibly tender and protective, as archaic as that sounds. Fortunately, she has really high EQ, so she knows that I need to begin my mornings as I do and gives me plenty of space. But she always checks in on me to welcome the day, which is such a sweet gesture.

My wife of thirty-six years gets up before me and follows her own routine. Having separate bathrooms helps and is key to a great marriage, along with having your spouse as your best friend and the person who will understand you no matter what you say or do.

My husband is out the door to catch the train around the time I wake up, so I often wake up to him saying goodbye.

When he crawls in bed with me, I know whether we’re going to have sex or not if he takes his clothes off. If we do, that’s always a mood enhancer, as my husband is a stud. But other than that, nothing changes.

My partner and I both live and work from home in our studio apartment—it has taught us to become relationship black-belts in coordinating routines, sharing space, and communication! Thankfully we both thrive on the same morning wind-up: reading, tea, meditating, journaling, and then digging into work.

I love having someone to chat with and share ideas throughout the day, and we have found creative ways to share a tiny space (for example, taking calls or doing podcast interviews from the walk-in closet). We do still navigate one major difference: he’s a big-time night owl and I’m a tried-and-true morning person. Somehow, though, we’ve found a way to co-exist! We’re always experimenting with different solutions and sleep times … and when necessary, ear plugs.

My lovely wife is the opposite of me - she likes spontaneity. But she knows that I’m a morning person and I like my routine. After forty-eight years of marriage, some things are sacrosanct.

It’s important to us to make time for each other every morning (when we’re both home, since we travel a lot for work), even if it’s just a few minutes of skin time where we do nothing else but appreciate our time together.

We really enjoy meditating together in the morning; even though there aren’t any specific interactions, it builds a deeper layer of intimacy between us. My partner is a tech entrepreneur, so he gets my life and my hectic schedule. We’ve learned to make it all work and to make time for each other in the process. It’s a juggling act, but all couples have to find a balance that works for them.

My husband, Logan, supports my morning routine. He enjoys going to bed later and rising later in the morning. We try and give one another space and quiet time in the mornings and evenings.

My husband’s an early riser, so he helped me become a morning person! He has his own morning routine, so we give each other space to do our routines and start our days on the right foot.

My partner is exactly that - my partner. We divide and conquer with the chores to get it all done.

My wife wakes up about an hour after me, so we have plenty of quiet time apart. We are on the same wavelength, and when I sit in the living room to read, she joins me when she gets up, reading a book of her own.

My boyfriend Ben tends to sleep through my morning routine until the kids get up, which I appreciate - it is good to have quiet time in the morning.

We do pretty well in the mornings. She is way better with the baby’s morning routine than I am and has it down to a science. But there are times when we both say screw everything, throw a coat on Myles, and go for a nice morning walk instead.

Sometimes my wife keeps sleeping after I’ve woken up, and she is up by the time I am back from the gym. We work together so we spend plenty of time together.

My wife’s wakeup time has influenced my wakeup time. She goes to the gym first thing in the morning and doesn’t get home until after 6:00am, so the first hour or so of my morning she isn’t around. After she gets home, we talk for about ten or fifteen minutes. Then, since we both place a premium on our own morning routines, it is mutually understood that she will go do her thing and I will do mine. That said, it did take us five or six years of marriage to arrive at this happy consensus.

My boyfriend is absolutely phenomenal with this. He is an athlete himself, so it is a no-brainer for us to do our own things in the morning regarding workouts.

And there is more accountability for us to push each other to sleep in and take recovery mornings.

I’ve designed my morning routine to work with and around my wife’s schedule. We respect each other’s needs for routine (our kids have routines as well) and rarely do we have anything that disrupts them. We’re lucky that way, I suppose!