ENHANCE YOUR MORNING ROUTINE (EVEN WITH A BUSY SCHEDULE!)

[grace.cdc]

Everyone is talking about the importance of morning routines lately. Some of the worlds most successful people wake up at the same time every day and carry out the exact same routine. For some, this is completely feasible. But for others (hey, moms!) we need a little wiggle room.

If you're a mom, or perhaps you work shift work, or your mornings can simply just be unpredictable, I'm sure there are times you hear "morning routine" and think "wouldn't that be fucking nice".

Life can get crazy AF and sometimes we're lucky to make it out the door in one piece in the morning. But that doesn't mean you can't at least enhance your morning to really set yourself and your day up for success.

There have been times where I start to think "damn, I've really gotten into a great morning routine" but then all of a sudden something changes with work, or Lily's home sick for a few days, or life just happens and I'm thrown all off. Not every morning looks the same for me but I have some specifics that if I skip, can really (like, REALLY) throw off my day and my mood. Some of these things I'm about to mention can really help you to be your best, most productive self. And others are just little tips to ensure you begin your day with some self-care  to really start your day on a positive note.

Shall we?

HYDRATE
Have your water bottle ready the night before so it's cold, infused with lemon, or however you like it when you wake up. Try to guzzle a litre shortly after you wake up. Overnight, your body dehydrates. Restore your hydration, do some good for your skin, AND I find this helps to encourage me to meet my water goals for the day.

DO ONE SMALL PRODUCTIVE TASK
You've heard all about how making the bed can set the tone for your day. For me, I'm being dragged out of my bed at 6am by my 4 year old begging me to make her pancakes. So, that's kind of my productive task. I make her favourite healthy oatmeal banana pancakes topped with natural peanut butter, and while they're cooking on the stove, I'll empty the dishwasher and tidy up the kitchen. What's something you can do every morning to get off to a productive start? Maybe for you it IS making the bed, maybe folding laundry from the day before... find something that YOU can do to get your day off to a productive start.

GET SOME FRESH AIR
I usually walk Lily to school in the mornings and notice the days that I don't, I'm just a little more groggy than usual. Take a quick stroll, walk the dogs, even just open the windows or drink your coffee on your patio. Of course this isn't always possible all year round (East Coast winter... I see you comin'....) so make sure to take advantage of this in any way you can, while you can.

MOVEMENT
Get your body moving! Of course, hitting the gym every am is ideal. But if that's just not in the cards for you today, at least get moving. Again, that walk outside. Or even just a stretch in the morning will do your body good. I honestly have a hard time getting to the gym in the mornings so to keep things efficient, I use Bailey Brown's BBFIT studio – amazing online workout videos that really kick your ass and can be done in 30 minutes.

LEARN!
Get outside yourself for a second. Take even just 10 minutes to read a few pages of a book, or listen to a podcast on your commute to work. Be open to new ideas and perspectives and let them in. Even taking those 10 minutes to hear a conversation about business or reading about someone else's experiences always helps me to begin my day with a fresh perspective.

CREATE A TO-DO LIST
But don't get too carried away. It's easy to get caught up in a to-do list and ultimately do more harm than good. This isn't something that should stress you out but rather just a way to lay out the most important things to get done today. Make a list and number them by importance from 1-7. Don't start the second task until you've completed the first, and so on! And if a few things don't get done, don't stress over it. Just accept it and make them a priority for the following day.

If your mornings are rushed, this is something that can be done the night before (I find sometimes I have a more clear vision of my following day the night before... ya know, when you're not rushed and stressed over it yet)

MAKE YOUR TEA/COFFEE A RITUAL
Or your breakfast or whatever it is you like to have every morning. I love to make my decaf coffee in a french press with Califia farms better half creamer and vital proteins collagen peptides (read this to learn everything you need to know about collagen!). It's kind of my little ritual that makes me feel good and takes 5 minutes. Maybe you have a superfood smoothie you like to make as you're running out the door to sip on while you listen to your podcast on the way to work. Or maybe you take your time sipping your tea while you read. Whatever it is, make it yours and make it a priority. If it makes you feel good and ads to your day, it's important, kay?

DO SOMETHING FOR YOU
Bottom line: always do something for yourself first thing in the morning. This was some advice I got from Tyler (ugh I hate to admit when he's right). When I was working from home, as soon as I'd get Lily to daycare, I'd feel like I had to start work right away even though I technically could have almost 2 hours some days. I just had a hard time relaxing not knowing what my day could throw at me. But he reminded me to always take time for myself first before my day started. Whether that was going to the gym, going for a walk, reading, taking time to shower and actually style my hair and do my makeup.... The mornings that I actually listened, I felt sooo much more relaxed and ready to take on the day.


TELL ME! What does YOUR morning routine look like? Anything you absolutely can't skip without throwing off your day?


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