As someone who wears many hats throughout the day, my morning routine is imperative to helping me stay on track, ensure some balance and set me up for a productive day. I am a really routine-based person and somewhat of a creature of habit. I love knowing exactly where I need to be, what I need to do, day in, day out.
My mornings set the tone for my entire day. I know that if I don’t have a proper breakfast, get some movement in, get my coffee or if I didn’t get enough hours night before, I may feel more reactive, more stressed and overwhelmed during the day.
The following outlines my current morning routine, but as we are dynamic beings, parts of this will change overtime as life evolves.
7 – 8am (ish)
I don’t finish work until 11pm five nights a week, so I don’t tend to set an alarm unless I really need to. I usually wake up between 7-8am when I have worked late the night before. Sleep is essential for me. I try and get 8 hours, but perhaps half of the week, I am sitting on 6-7 hours. I’ll take a few minutes to adjust into the day and then get up.
Once I am up, I put on activewear straight away, which sets the tone for how I will begin my day. I then do the usual bathroom visit. I wash my face pretty much straight away. I love the fresh face feel and it really wakes me up, if I am still a little groggy. I also have a tongue scraper, which sounds gross, but as someone who tends to grind their teeth or sleep with their mouth open when extra tired or a little stressed, it really works wonders. I use one by Dr Tungs and they are a cheap and readily available addition to any routine. Once I’ve done that, I’ll have a big glass of water before putting on my runners and heading out the door.
8 – 9am (ish)
Mindful movement is a key part of my routine. Each morning I go for a walk for 30-60 minutes, depending on my day. While I am walking, I tend to tune into nature or plug into a podcast. Walking is for sure my favourite form of movement and I will ensure I go rain, hail or shine. Walking is also my meditation. I walk in mindfulness and really get in tune with my thoughts, my feelings, my movement and more. Around 2 days of the week, I add in 15-30 minutes of higher intensity movement, where I use a youtube video to guide me along. I also try and do some simple stretches most days too.
9 – 10am (ish)
Back from my movement and time for breakfast. I love breakfast and I am a creature of habit when it comes to what I eat. It most often involves a piece of fruit to begin (at the moment I am loving oranges!), then eggs and if not, oats. My current favourite is 2 eggs on 2 slices toast with avocado and some sautéed mushrooms/spinach on the side. This is also when I take my vitamins. I don’t take many vitamins, just magnesium and a probiotic, and the occasional multi or zinc, if I feel the need.
10am
Once, I have had my breakfast I look forward to my morning coffee. I tend to go to my local shop window most days. I love the ritual of this and I enjoy sipping on it while perusing the news or my emails. I tend to stick to one coffee a day, maximum two, although I wish I could have four and remain unaffected!
10am – 3pm
Every day in this time slot is different. Whether it be work for Optima (blog writing, client work, admin, social media), sifting through emails, listening to lectures and working on assignments for the study I am doing, following up on tasks for my other job and more. Around 11am, I’ll make a big smoothie to sip on, before having a nourishing lunch. I then start work at my other job at 3pm.
My days are very long so starting the day with so much self-care is key for me. Balancing my work hat, my business hat and my study hat, I owe my productivity, my zest, my attitude, my focus and more to my morning routine. In saying that, I try not to be too rigid either, so I am not disappointed if life gets in the way and I don’t achieve all of these things. If I need more sleep, I’ll roll over and close my eyes for a few more minutes. If I need another coffee, I’ll have another coffee. I am a naturally intuitive person, so I will adapt my routine to my specific needs on the day.
Your morning routine?
Remember friends, self-care is not selfish. Looking after ourselves is an essential part of a heathy and happy life.
Do you have a morning routine? If not, ask yourself what can you do to cultivate your own morning routine? If so, tell me about your favourite part.