There are so many books, articles, and blogs out there about the importance of a morning routine for a fulfilling, productive life. I will admit I may have read them all over the last three years. It has been my mission to craft a morning routine that actually makes me look forward to getting out of bed, which is increasingly hard in the cold winter months when I have the coziest freaking bed in the world. It’s like sleeping on a bed of clouds, wrapped in warm flannel sheets and a thick fluffy duvet engulfing you in sweet bliss while the vent from the heater blows billows of warm air down on you. I literally could not love our bed more, I may even have to do a blog post just about our bed to really paint the full picture but suffice to say it is NOT easy to want to part with that wonderful coziness. This means my morning really has to start off right otherwise I can find myself hitting snooze a kajillion times and jumping back in bed until the only thing I have time to do before I leave the house is throw on clothes and brush my teeth. So, as you can see, a dire situation with me and my morning routine thus the three years of research and testing things out. I’m going to share what works for me and provide a few options to try out so you can work to create your perfect morning routine and really look forward to starting your day.
For me, I need to know that the start to my morning is going to be slow, calm, peaceful and filled with something I truly enjoy. For me, that is a great cup of coffee. I use the Nespresso machine with their espresso capsules and their frother which creates the most light and airy milk you’ve ever had for a perfect latte. A good cup of coffee in a sexy mug first thing in the morning is a little slice of heaven. For you, it may be a hot cup of tea or some other beverage of choice. It doesn’t have to be a beverage even, just figure out what will work for you and be sure it is something you REALLY love and will look forward to.
Once I’m up and I’ve got my milk going in the frother I take about 3-5 minutes to stretch my entire body. This helps me to wake up a little and just feels really good. I go in my living room in front of our large window where I can also get any little bit of natural light during those times of year when the sun is up by 5:45am. Having either natural or even artificial light right away will help your body to adjust. This all ties back to your circadian rhythm that helps you wake up in the morning and fall asleep at night. Another fascinating subject I recommend you explore and which I will touch on more in a future blog about sleep and the importance of a great nighttime routine. Before I take a sip of my coffee I take my Seed prebiotic/probiotic and my supplements since my prebiotic/probiotic needs to be taken on an empty stomach.
After I’ve finished stretching and my coffee is all ready to go, I sit down at my kitchen counter with my notebook and my planner. I use one notebook for everything in my life, both personal and professional, as I find it makes it so much easier to have it all in one place that I can easily reference as needed. In my notebook I jot down the day of the week and the date and then I also note what day it is in my infradian rhythm cycle, what phase of my cycle I’m in, and maybe a small note about how I’m feeling or any symptoms I have. If you menstruate once a month, you hopefully have some idea of what I’m talking about and if not I HIGHLY recommend you read In the Flo by Alisa Vitti and get acquainted with your beautiful body. I cannot express how much this can change your life for the better if you learn about the phases of your cycle and the superpowers you can tap into during each phase. For example, today I am in day 24 of my cycle and day 9 of my Luteal phase so my focus is on details and completion of tasks making this a great day to write in my blog. So, after I note down those little details, I do my gratitude journaling. I sip my coffee and I write down five things I am grateful for. This could be something as small as being grateful for the amazing cup of coffee I’m enjoying in the moment or thinking about the smile I exchanged with the elderly lady I held the elevator for the day before. I think back over the last twenty-four hours and I look for those moments. Doing this small practice just helps me start my day in such a great mood because I am starting on a note of positivity.
When I finish my gratitude journal, I review my day in my planner, (yes physical planner, more on that another time) and then I write down the ten goals I am currently working on. I got this idea from the inspiring Miss Rachel Hollis which is something she calls 10/10/1. It’s ten dreams, over ten years, focused on one dream at a time. So I write down my ten goals I’m working on and then really hone in on the one I am currently working on. I meditate for a few minutes about how I’m going to be working towards that goal throughout the day and the week.
Next, I write down my 12 Rules For Joy. This is something I created for myself which is basically my set of mantras I want to live by every day to be the best version of myself. Check out my blog post and create your own 12 Rules for Joy. It may seem silly and repetitive but I like to write these down every day. I find when I physically write them it forces me to pause for a moment and think about how I want to show up in the world.
After I finish my gratitude journal, my 10/10/1 goals review, and my 12 Rules For Joy then I head out to our workout area. I have all my things like my yoga mat, my weights, my resistance bands, my Pilates ring, and our Peloton. I use an amazing workout created by and for women called Tone It Up. I cannot even begin to express how much this little app has changed my life but it has definitely been a game changer. I do a guided workout of about 20-30 minutes in length. I towel off, chug some water, then head back inside to have a boiled egg for some quick protein before heading upstairs to get ready for the day ahead.
I always take my shower the night before so it only takes me about 30-40 minutes total to get ready and out the door in the morning. On my way out I make my breakfast smoothie which consists of Tone It Up Vanilla Protein, flax seeds, frozen blueberries & bananas, a fiber prebiotic mix, amino acids, Tone It Up Marine Collagen peptides, and a super greens powder, with some almond milk and water all thrown into my blender for about 30 seconds. I throw the smoothie in my Yeti and head out the door, ready for another beautiful day of life on this earth!
So, to recap, here is what works for me. Hopefully you will find some little nuggets that work for you in creating your own morning routine that will have you popping out of bed and eager to start your day.
- Have something you really look forward to first thing in the morning to help you pop out of bed. On a small side note here: Do NOT hit snooze. Research has shown it really messes with your sleep cycle and makes you so much more tired than if you’d just gotten out of bed.
- Do a gratitude journal. Take a few moments to meditate and think about all you have that is good in your life and what you’d like to get out of the day.
- Move your body for 20-30 minutes to get your energy up. Or just get in a nice good full-body stretch.
- Eat a healthy but light breakfast that includes foods you actually enjoy eating. My morning smoothie is super delicious but also very nutritious. You can find a variety of smoothies to try here.
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