Better Than Coffee Morning Routine
“Routine, in an intelligent man, is a sign of ambition.” – W. H. Auden
I don’t know about you, but my mornings have a huge impact on how my day plays out. I like to build momentum, and get my day started on a positive and productive note. My morning routine does just that. It helps me set a solid foundation for the day and primes my mind and body. The way I see it, you either build good momentum or bad momentum. So I like to get the ball rolling in the right direction.
It took numerous podcast episodes, and endless self-help books to convince me that creating a morning routine was a key component in optimizing my day. All of the world-class performers have a few things in common, and one of those commonalities is a morning routine. I never understood the importance of this habit until I developed my own.
There are days where things don’t fall into place the way I want them to, regardless of how smooth my morning runs. And there are mornings where it looks more like I am on the last leg of a relay race, as I run around, throwing pillows and hurdling over dog toys. But more often than not, my morning routine sets me up for success and gives me a strong foundation to work off of for the rest of the day. And if everything falls apart after breakfast, I can still look back at the end of the day and say, I did SOMETHING.
Make My Bed
The first thing I do when I get out of bed is MAKE my bed. That way, I have accomplished the first task of the day. This is a big one in my book. Sometimes my apartment is a mess, my to-do list is endless, and my stress level is through the roof. Making my bed is the one thing that I can do to keep some sort of order in my life. We spend 6-8 hours, on average, in our beds every night. They play a huge role in our lives! When I make my bed in the morning, I feel like I am resetting my day. No matter how late, stressed, or rushed I feel, I never skip this step in my morning routine.
Hydrate
Our bodies are naturally dehydrated when we wake up, so it is important to rehydrate in order to nourish our cells and fuel the brain with what it needs to function. Right when I get up, I drink 16 ounces of filtered water to jump-start my system and boost my metabolism. It’s also a great time to get your daily intake of water (I usually recommend half of your body weight in ounces each day.) If you struggle with weight loss, this is a must.
Move
Before breakfast, I always make sure I move my body. Exercise has been proven to boost endorphins and I find that working out in the morning helps me stay focused throughout the day. My morning movement looks different every day. About 3-4 days a week I practice Ashtanga yoga. Other days I train at Onnit Academy for a cross training style workout. But my morning movement session doesn’t always involve weight lifting or putting my body is crazy positions. Sometimes it just means getting out of bed and doing a gentle flow or a few squats to get my blood moving. Morning movement primes my body and brain for the day ahead.
Meditate
I can’t express how important meditation is in my day. It has numerous benefits that I could write about for days, but I’ll keep it short. To sum it up, meditation makes space in my mind. It quiets the non-stop chatter in my head and gives me the tools I need to focus. Meditation is one of those commonalities I talked about that almost all successful people in the world partake in.
I’ll be honest, sometimes my meditation practice is only three minutes long, plus an additional two minutes of prayer. Other days, I meditate for roughly fifteen to twenty minutes. Regardless of the length, meditation is a tool that has helped me tremendously. If you are new to meditating, Headspace is an awesome guided meditation app you can use to get you started. I’m currently using the Insight Timer app on most days, and other days go without any sound.
Break My Fast
Breaking my fast is one of those things that gets me up in the morning. I’ve always had an appreciation for the meal and I think I always will. I’ve tried intermittent fasting before but it doesn’t work well for me. I found that 14 hours is my sweet spot, and the sweet spot for the majority of my clients. For those of us with hormone imbalance, intermittent fasting will only cause more disruption, but that’s another topic for another day.
Nine times out of ten, I make a smoothie packed with healthy fats, protein, greens, and adaptogens. I add frozen zucchini and cauliflower to my smoothies for thickness and usually top them with homemade Paleo granola and coconut flakes. I keep my smoothies fruit-free in the morning so that I don’t experience any blood sugar spikes and crashes. Having a solid breakfast full of protein and fats will keep you satiated and gives you the fuel you need to power through the morning and afternoon.
To-Do List
I create a to-do list every. single. day. I should rephrase that; I make a to-do list every single PRODUCTIVE day. When I skip this crucial part of my morning, I go through my day like a child who just walked into Chuck E Cheese… thank you ADD. I have a physical planner and use Google calendar (because it’s 2021 and it’s time to climb out from under the rock). I look at both my Google calendar and my planner and write out my top 3 things I need to complete for the day, star them, then write out the rest of the things I would like to accomplish throughout the day as well. It works, friends.
Every morning is different. I wake up with different emotions, feelings, and drive. Keeping my morning routine consistent will allow me to move past any excuses I might give yourself to stay in bed. Instead, it launches me forth so I can slay my day.
Keep in mind that the time it takes you to complete your morning can vary. As I mentioned before, sometimes my mornings look like a relay race. The entire process might take me 20 minutes to complete- from water to writing out my to-do list. Other days, I am taking my sweet time, spending an extra 10 minutes in meditation and even cooking up some pancakes. Stay flexible, and condense your routine when necessary, but don’t kick your routine to the curb. It will save you time in the long run... Trust me.