What we do first thing in the morning can ultimately set us up for how the day ahead unfolds. Do you wake up and immediately grab your phone for a social media scroll? Do you head out for coffee first thing or are you a smoothie or green juice person? Do you like to start your mornings off with a good workout, class, or hike? Do you take a cold shower? Do you meditate? Are you a wake and eat kind of person? We want to know about your early morning habits, rituals, or if you have a specific morning routine. Are there things that you’ve started doing that have made a noticeably positive impact on yourself? Are there things that you have stopped doing that have done the same? Are there things you are trying to implement that are easier said than done? Is there a formula to your productivity, to your headspace and mood, or do your mornings tend to change day to day?
Tell us all about your morning habits in our discussion below.
Jen Read
June 11, 2019 at 10:46 amI’m a coffee first thing kind of person. I put a scoop or two depending on my day ahead of Moon Juice vanilla mushroom adaptogenic protein powder.
James Kicinski-McCoy
June 11, 2019 at 11:11 amI will happily join this convo because it’s something that I think about often. I am one of those people that strives for some life altering, day-making, step-by-step morning masterpiece. I’ll write elaborate plans that are jotted down with timeframes that include things like “6:30 am: wake up and drink 16 oz. of water and an ACV shot, 7am: get ready for pilates, 7:20 am: leave for pilates, 8:35 am: return home from pilates…” and so on. In actuality, my mornings currently have zero structure to them and I haven’t attended a pilates class in several months. The only thing that is a constant for myself right now is the need for two very tall cups of coffee — La Columbe cold brew with Barista Creamer unsweetened almond milk (it’s bomb, try it!) — and then it’s straight into work. I want to change this. Inspire me with your life altering, day-making habits ladies.
Raphaëlle
June 11, 2019 at 11:23 amSince i got laid off 2 years ago I have decided to start with sport every morning. It helps me focus and be positive. I found a job since then, even moved country but no matter what, taking some time for myself to move, stretch or breathe is now priority #1. I love yoga with adrienne on youtube, its an amazing, inspiring, simple, quick and cheap way to relax!!!
Daisy
June 11, 2019 at 11:42 amAs a college student, the summer is time for myself, however I work two jobs and one starts at 8am. I spend several hours watching YouTube videos on how to get in the habits of successful wealthy people or how to be a morning person and I fail. Typically I wake up at 7:00-7:15 and drink a water bottle filled with Alkaline water. I then take a quick 5-10 minute shower to get the nights sweat off of me. Do other hygiene things like wash my face and brush my teeth. I usually eat a quick breakfast like yogurt and granola, fruit, or a bagel.
Marla R. Horton
June 11, 2019 at 12:28 pmI have never been a morning person, preferring a late night and snooze-heavy morning. This, however, does not bode well for my writing. I work 8-4, M-F as an administrative assistant, which means many hours spent in front of a computer doing someone else’s typing. This renders my eye-sockets and attention-span incapable of any extra time in front of a screen in the evenings. My body and brain have come to this agreement:
M-Th, I set an alarm for 6:05 AM, five minutes after the coffee pot is set to start brewing. I wake up, brush my teeth, and follow the smell of Seattle’s Best (Dark Roast!) into my kitchen. I pour a cup (with Silk Almond Creamer!) and then sit at my desk and offer up my early morning brain cells to a cause that is, in my opinion, much worthier, albeit less lucrative, at the moment.
My body and brain can do whatever the hell they like Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning, which usually just means an 8:00 AM alarm, an Iced Dirty Chai Latte (with almond milk!) and a plain bagel with cream cheese from a local coffee shop.
bootsie
June 11, 2019 at 3:20 pm3 teas and a good sweaty workout/run. i do inversions, core work, pull up bar work, dance, jump rope, yoga, ballet type moves, all at home! get it!
Gabrielle
June 11, 2019 at 5:10 pmI wake up around 6-7 when my youngest awakes and nurse him in my bed for about 20 min. My two young kids fuss, whine and argue until I manage to get food in their belly’s. I usually scarf down whatever they are having (which is usually buckwheat pancakes). Then I make coffee and unload/load the dishwasher while listening to a podcast. Most days I then make a big fresh green juice and sip on that until lunch time. Then I brush my teeth/wash my face while the kids play (on good days, some days they just argue the whole time). Then we move onto our daily routine. I wish I was able to do more for myself in the mornings. I rarely get a full nights sleep between the kids, so waking up early would just cut off even more sleep. I’d love to meditate, eat slower, exercise, and actually “get ready”. I try my best to do these things later on in the day, since mornings are hectic with toddlers, but I’m most focused in the morning when it comes to exercising/meditating. Maybe when the kids are older.
Grace
June 11, 2019 at 11:06 pmFull time working mom of two very little people means mornings can be hectic but routine is QUEEN! So it’s up at 6:45, coffee and about 30 minutes for me. Then it’s off to shake the kids. Breakfast is consistent and healthy – yogurt, granola, and as much fresh fruit as we have onhand.
One thing I have been working towards is keeping mornings calm. If things are calm and deliberately unrushed, we tend to be happier and actually run on time better!
Susie
June 12, 2019 at 5:25 amI wake up around 6.30am and pour myself a cup
Of coffee. I turn the radio on and I check my emails on my phone and browse Instagram for a bit. Then I check all
The kids are up and ready for school. I check my
List of jobs for the day (I write these in the diary on Sunday for the week ahead) and usually head to
Do school drop
Off then to gym or catch up with a gf for another coffee.
Gaby
June 12, 2019 at 4:20 pmI like to wake up around 7am, roll out of bed at 7:15 or 7:30 and have hot water with lemon. I stretch for 5 minutes and meditate for 20 minutes, get ready to go, have some oatmeal (usually with fruit, cinnamon, and almond butter), and then it’s off to work!
Angie
June 13, 2019 at 4:24 pmI am but a humble servant in the kingdom of Toddlerland, and thus am at the beck and call of the inconsistent and fickle cries of a 16-month-old queen. After her morning shout (anywhere from 5:30-7AM), my fellow servant and I alternate jumping out of bed, attending to the royal diaper, and then bringing her back in bed to see if *maybe* this time she will see fit to fall back asleep with us. Typically until 7:30. Then, she and I amble to the kitchen for my favorite part of the morning, when I make coffee and she gabs at me from her highchair, banana in hand.
Adrienne
June 17, 2019 at 9:15 amTo me, taking quiet time (getting up before anyone else) in the morning is the key for me to get focused and ready to accomplish whatever I need to for the day. Mine’s not so life-altering but it helps me start the day with a clear head.
Straight to the coffee pot for the consistent, economical cup of Café Bustelo. I sip while checking email, doing sometimes useless browsing on the internet, sometimes something spiritually upbuilding. Then I’m ready to take on the day.
Massiel
June 17, 2019 at 9:18 amI love a good morning routine. It can vary slightly just depending on what I need (i.e. more sleep, dog caring, etc). Over the years it has stayed consistent.
Note: I am an alarm enthusiast 😀
6:30 alarm to wake up and drink lemon water (but it’s a process lol sooo) 6:45 GET up, use the restroom, and walk the dog. 7:15 yoga (depending on how long that at home session runs) 7:45 make breakfast shake which I’ve had for years and still not bored (ripple “milk”, banana, TJ multi grain oats, cinnamon, hemp seeds). My SO feeds the dogs in the morning. I gather my bag, and lunch, iron clothes and in the shower by 8:05 out and dressed by 8:30 and omw to work. Get to work and make coffee, check emails and create a to-do list. Then go on IG and/or read newsletters. by 9:45 I’m working.
I have alarms mainly so that it gives me like a ‘time-check’ reminder. I have been a chronically late person my whole life. I was sooo bad that I hacked my way to be a timely person.
Lara
June 17, 2019 at 4:07 pmI wake up and feed my cats, then I do my AM skincare. After my face is clean and moisturized, I eat breakfast which is usually cereal with almond milk. Then I get dressed, do my makeup, take out the trash, and head to work. Once I get to work I make myself a cup of coffee or green tea and then I’m ready to start my day 🙂 I prefer to take showers at night, so on hair wash nights I usually sleep with a braid in my hair to maintain my natural wavy texture without looking crazy the next day.
Mo
June 17, 2019 at 5:12 pmI am married and pregnant with my first child, so my current morning routine is bound to change soon, but I love taking time for myself before I leave for work in the morning.
2-3 mornings a week I’m up at 5:00am (I am trying not to keep my phone in my room so I don’t waste the first 5 minutes of the day on Instagram), turn off my alarm, put on workout clothes, and head down to make coffee. I LOVE to drink my coffee while I look at my phone, maybe read the New Yorker “Tables for Two” section, and then I leave to workout at 5:30. I’m home at 7:00 and have more coffee, breakfast, and take a shower. At 8:00 (more like 8:07) I’m off for work.
Even on the days when I don’t work out in the morning I find I really need about two hours of time to myself before I have to leave for work. So, I’m up 6 and reading, sewing, wasting time on my phone, cleaning the house, etc., before I leave at 8.
I don’t stay up past 10. I can’t! I’m too tired, and frankly I just care more about getting the rest I need and keeping to my routine. My friends all know that I will join for dinner but usually leave after that. And this was true before I was pregnant and couldn’t go out drinking!
Ellie
June 19, 2019 at 6:59 pmI also strive for the perfect morning routine but consistency doesn’t always work for me. Instead, I try to just leave some space in the morning. Maybe that’s 15 minutes, maybe its an hour, to do anything I feel like. I love to work on my hobbies in the morning. Illustrating, reading, writing, practicing dutch! Anything that feels like I already got quality ‘me’ time in sets me up for a good day.
In an ideal world, I would do an hour of kundalini, an hour of vinyasa, and celery juice before coffee. No where close to this now, but hey – we’ll get there.
Alexandra
July 5, 2019 at 10:37 amWell, my morning routine takes me 4 hours, but I’m religiously consistent about it. It means I’m often waking up at 4a to get out of the house by 8a, but it also means that all of my daily obligations/ temptations are out of the way and I get started on the right foot.
Let’s say I need to be in the office around 11a – I’ll wake up at 6:30a to leave the house by 10:30a. The schedule looks something like this:
6:30-7: contacts in, brush teeth, walk dog, clean litter box, take out trash, put away clean dishes from the night before
7-7:10: journal
7:15-7:45: workout at home on Tracy Anderson’s kickass streaming service. She’s the best.
7:45-8:15: extra streaming (if a video runs longer) and stretching
8:15-8:45: prep breakfast and eat while catching up on shows (no Netflix binging at night over here!)
8:45-9:30: shower, moisturize, skincare, and hair routine
9:30-9:45: get dressed (I always consult Dark Sky for weather specifics)
9:45-10:15: pray/meditate
10:15-10:25: makeup
10:25-10:30: Finishing touches, pack anything needed for the day, and get out the door
It’s long, but dang does it feel productive and I’m never guilty for missing an afternoon workout or feel unfinished. It’s just so calming to have a set time for everything. I’m really happy to have a full-blown morning routine, even if it’s totes extra.