Welcome back to another Health Wealth Wednesday. Piggy backing off of last week’s Last 90 Days Challenge post and one of the 5 to Thrive (wake up an hour earlier), I’m going to walk you through my morning routine.
I’ve spent the last 9 months developing my routine. I’ve fluctuated with my wake up time, whether to eat or wait until I arrive at work, adding and subtracting supplements, and so on. The only thing that has not shifted out of my routine is exercise. My goal is to workout 5-6 times a week, with Saturday usually being a rest day. Depending on how things are going, another rest day will fall on a weekday. Here’s a break down of what my full morning looks like right now:
- My alarm goes off at 4:35A. This a recent change in the last month. Previously I was waking at 5:00A, and months before that it was 4:00A. 4:35A has turned out to be the magic number. I know this is early, but it gives me enough time to get through all the things I enjoy before I have to focus on getting myself and the kid ready and out the door by 7:30A.
- I immediately change into my workout clothes, put in my contacts, and head to the kitchen to drink water. The first thing to hit my stomach every morning is room temperature alkaline water. I drink roughly 10-12 ounces. I’ve tried warm lemon water, adding a probiotic powder, adding ACV, and celery juice. I have to say, I hate all of them. Warm lemon water as the first thing to drink is horrible; I have never liked celery, so juicing it and forcing myself to drink it is torture; and I don’t think I have to explain ACV. What I will never complain about? Hydrating myself with straight water first thing. It’s refreshing and plays a significant role in waking me up in the first 10 minutes of my morning. As soon as I drink my water, I take my pre-workout.
- In order to give my pre-workout time to kick in, I then sit and meditate for 10 minutes. I use Headspace, the guided meditation app. I tend to stick to the courses that focus on a lesson each day. It helps me mentally prepare for my day ahead.
- Now it’s time to move my body. For the days my husband is away for work and I’m solo-parenting, I exercise in my room with the help of a fitness program. Right now this is Kelsey Wells’ PWR at Home through the SWEAT app. Every workout is a serious sweat session (no pun intended) and I’ve seen substantial changes in my strength. The workout program changes every few months. I’ve completed programs by Sarah’s Day, BodyBoss, and FitGirls.
- Once my workout is complete, I immediately wash my face and perform part of my skincare routine.
- I then head out to the kitchen for coffee, Start Today Journal, and whatever book I’m reading at the time. This is by far my favorite part of the morning. It’s my time to be present, reflect, and focus. Lately I’ve been going outside and watching the sunrise during this time (bundled up in sweats, a blanket, and the fire pit lit, hello Colorado fall).
- By this time it’s roughly 6:30A-6:45A. If I’m lucky, the kid is still asleep and I can start getting ready for work. This takes around 30-45 minutes. During this time I’ve moved from coffee to Ghost BCAAs Aminos in the flavor ___ and Whole Foods’ Supergreens to aid in muscle recovery after my workout. I combine them with 16 ounces of water, and it actually tastes awesome.
- Lastly, this gives me 20 minutes to get Isaac ready for school, my lunch and our bags packed, and out the door.
A few additional notes: >> I use my phone as an alarm, but it is always plugged in across the room. >> I don’t check social media until after I’ve journaled and read. Some mornings I don’t check it until my first break at work. I work hard to be intentional about this and not allow myself to get sucked into the social media scroll first thing in the morning. It is not good for a present, positive mental state to start my day. >> I continue to drink water throughout the morning. By the time I walk out the door, I’ve already consumed 32 ounces of water. >> Most mornings Isaac wakes around the time I’m wrapping up my journaling/reading time. This means my focus will shift to getting him dressed and settled before I start getting ready. >> I only read personal development books as part of my morning routine. >> This routine 9/10x continues on Saturday and Sunday. The only deviations are I might sleep a half hour longer, and I won’t workout on a rest day.
And, that’s it! I can’t stress enough how having a morning routine has changed my life. I know that sounds crazy, but I promise, I promise, I promise it is not. If you don’t currently have a morning routine, please do yourself a favor and give it a try. Start with a half hour earlier to read a chapter in a book, meditate, workout, or just sit with yourself and a cup of coffee watching the sunrise. You will be shocked how much better you will feel and look forward to every morning.
Until next time…
