Notes on my morning routine
“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.” That’s one of my favorite quotes when it comes to nutrition (mostly because breakfast is my favorite meal!), but I’ve realized that it also applies to my full commitment to a morning routine.
I try to start my morning in a calm and productive way to set the tone for the rest of my day–and then I don’t feel guilty about lazy, relaxed evenings after a long day at work.
I wake up early enough that I’m never rushed on my way out the door. My alarm usually goes off at 6:30 or 6:45am (depending on if I have to wash my hair or if I have a morning coffee date). I don’t believe in the snooze button, but I usually take a moment to snuggle and stretch before hopping out of bed.
I pop out to the kitchen to turn on the electric kettle and get a scoop of coconut oil. I take a quick shower while oil pulling, aka swishing coconut oil around in my mouth on an empty stomach. It’s an Ayurvedic technique that supposedly pulls toxins out of your body for oral and overall health: I’m not completely sold that it works, but hey, I haven’t had any cavities since I started.
After I get out of the shower, I put on my robe, sit cross-legged in bed and practice transcendental meditation (TM!) for 20 minutes. Multi-tasking: this also lets my hair air dry a bit before I have to start heat styling. You’re supposed to practice TM twice a day, but it’s pretty rare that I find the time later on in the day–so I make sure to do it as soon as I wake up.
After I finish TM, I sip on a mug of hot water (already hot from when I turned on electric kettle right when I woke up!) with a squeeze of lemon juice while I whip up a green smoothie. It’s usually a variation on this recipe (although right now I’m into swapping the pineapple for frozen mango). Sometimes I make a batch of fresh orange juice using my KitchenAid if I’m running early. Then I make a sandwich for lunch if I haven’t already batch-prepped a bunch of mason jar salads.
I figure out what to wear, finish styling my hair and put on my makeup. My standard work outfit is skinny jeans, a simple top, a cardigan and flats. Having a go-to uniform and keeping my makeup simple makes the “getting ready” portion of my morning actually the shortest and simplest part of my routine.
And THEN: I turn off airplane mode on my phone. That’s the key to my morning productivity: I turn on airplane mode before I go to sleep and don’t turn it off until I’m ready to walk out the door (usually around 8am). If not, I get so sidetracked by Instagram, work emails, etc. and then I’m distracted and rushing to get out the door on time. That is my single most effective hack for morning productivity.
I listen to a podcast while walking to the subway (current faves: StartUp, Reply All, Sounds Good). If I can get a seat on the subway, I’ll read a book for the 20- to 30-minute ride; if not, I’ll keep listening to a podcast. And then once I finally get to work: I drink a cup of coffee, eat a bowl of cereal with fresh fruit, read all my favorite blogs in feedly–and then get started on the rest of my day!
What’s your favorite part of your morning routine?
