Are you a morning or a night person? I'm a morning person, for surrrreee. It wasn't always this way though. Not at all. I used to be a total night owl. I wouldn't even think about waking up at 7 a.m. on a weekday. And a weekend, anything before 9 a.m. forget it! Time goes by though, things change. I sure did. Now I'm living the morning life and loving it.
I've been waking up early now for a few years so I've gotten the hang of early bedtimes and sunrises. There's just something special to me about being awake while to world is still quiet. It's very grounding. I'm able to start my day in a way that sets things off on the right foot, I believe. I don't hit the snooze button 30 times before rolling out of bed and rushing about my morning before running out the door almost late for work and stressed before 8 a.m. No thank you to that.
I like to do things a little differently than that and I thought I'd share for anyone out there who's either a morning person themselves or wants to become one!
I have two different routines that I usually do. One is for Monday's, Wednesday's, and Friday's. The other one is for Tuesday's, Thursday's, and Saturday's. Sunday is basically my free day to do whatever. I find that not doing the exact same thing every single day and switching it up a bit every other morning keeps me interested and excited when I turn off the alarm each day.
ROUTINE #1
5:30 a.m. - Wake up! Grab a liter of warm lemon water and drink it, usually while reading a few pages of whatever book I'm currently reading.
6:00 a.m. - Yoga. I practice yoga for about 45-55 minutes followed by a 5-10 minute meditation.
7:00 a.m. - Shower time! I love showering in the morning. It leaves me feeling fresh and ready to start the day.
7:15 a.m. - Breakfast! Banana ice cream breakfast, always. The flavors and toppings that I use almost always vary. Right now I'm digging mangoes and beet ice cream. I take my breakfast outside and eat on the patio while just listening to the birds and enjoying the serenity of the early morning.
7:45 a.m. - Get dressed, brush teeth, and get ready for work. It doesn't typically take me long to get ready so I never leave myself much time for it simply because I don't find it necessary.
8:00 a.m. - Grab my water, lunch, and head out the door! I always pack a lunch the night before and since I do that it changes the whole dynamic of the day. I don't have to worry about it in the morning and can just grab and go!
ROUTINE #2
5:30 a.m. - Wake up! Grab a liter of warm lemon water and drink it, usually while reading a few pages of whatever book I'm currently reading.
6:00 a.m. - Run. Running was my first two fitness love and I have recently gotten back into it. I'm loving it so much. I need to make a post dedicated solely to that, but anyways! I typically run for anywhere between 30-40 minutes. I head out before the sun peeks up from behind the hills and watch the world wake up as my feet hit the pavement. So peaceful.
6:30 a.m. - Mediate. I grab a seat on the porch or in the grass and do a quick 5 minute meditation to balance things out.
6:45 a.m. - Ten to fifteen minutes of yoga to stretch it all out and refocus. This short yoga practice always feels soooo amazing.
7:00 a.m. - Two words: Cold. Shower.
7:15 a.m. - Breakfast! Banana ice cream, of course. I usually toss in an extra banana to get in some extra calories since I know my body needs it after my run.
7:45 a.m. - Get dressed, brush teeth, and get ready for work.
8:00 a.m. - Grab my water, lunch, and head out the door!
I never use my phone during these first few hours. I find that focusing on myself gives me the balance I need to go throughout my day and take on anything that comes my way. I figure that I have plenty more hours to scroll through Instagram and I will survive by not checking it straight away. After doing this for a while I don't even have the urge to check it anymore. It's just one of those things that I'm able to put on the back burner.
These routines work really well for me and I love waking up each day to get things done before I officially start my day. I think that cultivating something positive like this in my life has truly helped me be able to be productive, healthy, and happy.
Are you a morning or night person?! Let's discuss!