As we move into fall, schools have started and new routines are forming. This is the perfect time to introduce a new routine into your life. One of the most talked about routines these days is the morning routine. Some people would say a morning routine can make or break your day. There are articles about how very successful people have “amazing” morning routines that they attribute to helping them be successful.
Because of this, I wanted to share my morning routine to give some insight into how I manage the first part of my day. My hope is that this may give you some ideas or inspiration to build on your own morning routine.
Here is a list of things I do each morning to ensure a day of success:
I don’t always set an alarm.
This seems to be a debatable thing and I don’t know why. Some of us need to ensure we are up early enough to get all of our crap done before we run off to work, school, whatever. If I am not planning to go to a yoga class in the morning, I don’t have to set an alarm because my two year old will have us up by 7 am at the very latest.
I try to do some type of exercise first thing in the morning.
This consists of either going to a 6 am yoga class, doing yoga in my basement or going on a walk with my dog (or my two year old if she is up early). Getting exercise done right away in the morning ensures that I will fit it into my day. It is also a great way to get energy right away. I also think that it helps eat eat healthier throughout the day because I don’t want to negate the calories burned from my morning workout. There are so many wins, I can’t recommend that enough.
I drink water.
I am usually fairly thirsty in the morning so I tend to drink a cup of water soon after getting up. Drinking water in the morning helps to gets you hydrated right away. It can also help flush out toxins and stimulate your metabolism – i.e. more wins.
Check emails and calendar.
I don’t grab my phone right away, but usually within the first 30 minutes or hour of being awake. I like to know what my day is going to look like and see if there are any fire drills going on. Since I work for a global team, there is always a chance something needs to be taken care of right away in the morning.
I eat a filling breakfast.
I wouldn’t say that I eat a “heavy” breakfast necessarily, it is more filling. Most days I eat two eggs + veggies + fruit or else oats + scoop of peanut butter + fruit. Both of these breakfasts are usually 250-300 calories and keep me full well into the morning. I also find that starting the day with a healthy breakfast is a great way to jump start healthy eating for the day. Breakfast is a largely debatable thing these days with the intermittent fasting trends. So if eating in the morning isn’t your jam, then don’t do it.
I drink coffee.
I am not going to pretend like “I don’t need coffee.” It is definitely my addiction in life (well that + desserts) to the point where it is a joke at work that I am always drinking coffee. I LOVE coffee! Even when I was pregnant, I still drank decaf all the time because I just like the taste of coffee. I even tried to drink tea in the morning for about a month and still went back to my coffee. If you have young kids that don’t consistently sleep through the night (like I do) then coffee is a life saver in the morning to jump start your day.
Ensure lunch and dinner are planned.
Ryan and I are fairly diligent about meal planning so this usually doesn’t take much time. However, if for any reason a lunch isn’t made for the day then I will make it. Also, if dinner isn’t planned, we will talk about what we should have and who will run to the store if need be. Planning is a huge key to being successful (in many aspects of life actually).
Everyone’s morning routine will look a little different. Pick and choose what works for you. It may take some trial and error to determine what your best routine should be. But when you find it, it can bring a day full of success!
What is a key component to your morning routine?
