At this point, I may as well have ‘morning person’ tattooed on my forehead. I never thought I’d be the kind of person that enjoys waking up at 5am, but I really am. There’s a magic in mornings, and I find that I’m the most productive in the morning.
I think they key to becoming a morning person is having a routine that you enjoy. One that you love waking up for. I’ve written about this so many times, but it wasn’t until I started getting DMs from you guys asking to link to a post with my specific morning routine that I realized I’ve never actually written exactly what my morning looks like. So I figured it was about time that I shared.
I learned very early on that I’m not the type of person that can get up and run out the door. A rushed start to the day makes me really anxious. So I have a morning routine that’s 1 hour long, that really sets me up for success. I’m always adding to this routine so it stays interesting, but it’s always tailored around a specific formula, which is The Miracle Morning meets The 5am Club basics.
5:30am: Wake up and Get Ready For The Day
I hate hitting snooze. I think it’s the biggest waste of time because the only thing it leads to is feeling more tired when I wake up. I get out of bed as soon as my alarm rings and don’t look at my phone.
While brushing my teeth, I listen to a podcast or audiobook on Audible. It just makes a mundane activity interesting, plus I’m all about multi-tasking. I then do my skincare routine and get dressed. Even though I work for myself, I always make an effort to get dressed. It somehow makes me more productive.
5:50am: Hydration + Meditation
I go directly to the kitchen and chug a big bottle of water and take my probiotic. Probiotics are what promote good bacteria in your stomach. It also keeps your immune system strong.
Meanwhile, I heat up a big mug of water, into which I add the juice of half a lemon and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. The benefits are plenty and I’ll do a whole other blog post on it. I take this to the couch with me and meditate for 10 minutes using the Calm app. I sip my warm water while meditating.
6:05am: Gratitude + Morning Pages
Starting the morning with gratitude really shapes my day. I write in my 5 Minute Journal first, which takes 2-3 minutes and helps me focus on positive things. Then I write my morning pages. This takes me about 15-20 minutes.
6:30am: Affirmations
I have a list of affirmations written down which I read out loud. This always reminds me about my goals and helps me start my day with purpose.
6:35am: Bulletproof Coffee + Read
This is the part I always look forward to. I love making my bulletproof coffee. The smell of coffee makes me so happy, it’s the best part of my day. And it tastes so creamy and delicious and has so many benefits!
Our brains are most primed to absorb information first thing in the morning, which is why I love to read/listen to an audiobook at this time. I always choose a business book, and take notes while sipping on my coffee. This is my time to think creatively and strategize. I give myself about 15-20 minutes.
6:50am: Emails
I start my day with emails. I write down my schedule for the whole day on my calendar and have my list of important tasks for the day written in my Productivity Planner so I don’t get distracted. Emails are timed – the goal is to get through everything in 40 minutes. During the winter, when I know it’s hard to get my steps in, I do my emails on the treadmill. Now that it’s warmer I do it on my desk.
After emails, every day is different. I time-batch everything. Each day is dedicated to a specific task. That way I’m not spending energy switching from one task to the other.
If you’re wondering, I don’t have breakfast until 11am/12pm. I like to intermittent fast and subscribe to the research that states that bulletproof coffee doesn’t break your fast. Of course, you should do your own research, but two great resources are The Bulletproof Diet by Dave Asprey and Cruise Control Diet by Jorge Cruise. Plus my bulletproof coffee keeps me full for a few hours. I always eat my first meal after working out.
Do you love mornings as much as I do?