From what I can tell, there are two types of people in this world: morning people and night owls. I personally have always been a morning person. Since having kids, I have realized that when I woke up early and did all of the things before everyone else in my house woke up, I got more accomplished – I felt better – I moved more – I actually had time for myself. Maybe you think I’m crazy, but listen – I run this blog, I am a wife, a mom to 2 girls, I am trying to lose weight and I work a FULL-TIME JOB on top of all that.
My to-do list is long and seems never-ending. I need every minute of my 24 hours that I can get. This is one of the reasons why I started my morning routine. My day is hectic. From the moment my girls wake up at 7 until 10pm when I fall exhausted into bed (or sometimes the couch), I am on the move.
I work full-time as a therapist (check out my DITL here) and I am booked every hour on the hour. Trying to squeeze healthy habits into my day seemed to be impossible. I am lucky if I have a chance to eat. There are evenings that I get home at 8pm – completely exhausted – nothing will get done because I am so tired. But since I started my morning routine – and implemented some habits for my health – it has saved some sanity, made me more productive, and an all-around better person. It really helps me set the tone for the rest of the day.
So after waking up at 5am, here are 7 things that I get done before the 7am “rush” in my house….
Drink Lemon Water – There probably is not another person who hates drinking wate more than I do. But I have been forcing myself to drink it because I know my body needs it. When we wake up after sleeping for 7+ hours our bodies are dehydrated. So I grab some ice water and a slice of lemon and drink about 20oz of it to help rehydrate me. I have noticed with drinking more water, my skin is not as dry in the winter, I am not as bloated, and I am not as tired during the day.
Start a Load of Laundry – I will throw in a load of laundry (if there is any to be done) and have it run while I am doing everything else. Before I leave in the morning I will throw it in the dryer and since my husband is home he will fold it for me and I will put it away when I get home. (He could put it away, but I have control issues and like certain things a certain way, in a certain place).
Exercise – My husband bought me an elliptical for Christmas (it was one of the gifts I have been asking for). I like to get exercise done and over with shortly after waking up because if I procrastinate on it, it will never happen. So I get on and ride the elliptical for about 30-35 minutes while catching up on a show, YouTube, or the news – whatever I am in the mood for. It’s not much but it helps start my day on the right foot.
Journal – After I exercise and then shower and get ready for the day, I sit down with my cup of coffee and I write down all of my thoughts, feelings, burdens – sometimes I will write down motivational and positive quotes. It is cathartic and helps me start my day with a positive outlook.
Write Down My To-Do List – Because what busy mom, wife, blogger, person doesn’t have one one of these? It’s important to have goals for the day, some direction. I usually make my to-do list for the day and make 1-3 tasks on that list a priority. After those 3 get done, anything else I get done is gravy. If something on my list doesn’t get done – it gets migrated to the next day.
Eat Breakfast – Eating too soon after I wake up id not appetizing so after I have completed my journaling and to-do list I will then make myself some breakfast. Whether it be yogurt, a smoothie, eggs, toast, oatmeal or even cereal, I have found that when I eat breakfast, I eat better during the rest of the day and am not starving by 10am.
Mapping Out My Day – The last thing I do in my morning routine is to check and see what I have scheduled for the day. What clients do I have coming in? What are they working on? What do I need to prep for my sessions? When is my first client? Are there any meetings that I need to attend? I have a planner specifically for work that I write down everything that I have going on for the week. I check my planner and map out my day and get things ready for what I have going on. (For $10 off an Erin Condren planner, check out my referral link here.)
I am not perfect. There are days that I hit my snooze button 10 times and am dry shampooing my way into work. It happens.
My morning routine helps me prepare for the day. It gives me time for me. And I get things done. Do you have a morning routine? What time do you wake up? Share your routine in the comments below!
You are truly an amazing person! The only time I’ve ever woken up at 5am was when I had to go to the airport for my morning flight (I haven’t rode on a plane for 4 years now)! As a University student with afternoon classes, I usually wake up at 9-10am. I find it crazy that even your kids would wake up at 7! If I told my siblings that they had to wake up at 7 for school, there will be lots of crying and moaning along the way, making our morning even more chaotic! Thank you for sharing this post! It was actually really motivational. I’m a night owl who’s more active at night. But I’ve always sense a sense of achievement whenever I wake up early to complete something. So I’m definitely going to try a bit harder from now on!
Awww thank you! You are so sweet! My husband is a night owl so I know how it is. But I enjoy the quiet and time to myself so 5am is not easy, but it’s necessary. Thanks for stopping by!!
Wow, I don’t know how you get so much done between 5am to 7am! I’m definitely a night owl, but I’d like to change my ways, lol. I don’t think it’s healthy to miss out on as much sleep as I do. Looking forward to reading your other “routine” posts for some inspiration!
Thank you! I appreciate you stopping by and checking out my blog! Sleep is definitely important, so I don’t blame you. Thanks for stopping by – have a good day!
This is a great list of items to do at the start of the day! Writing down my daily to-do list is a must!
Thanks! I love to-do lists – and just lists in general. They make me feel accomplished (especially when I put down things I already did just so I have things to cross off lmao)! Thanks for stopping by!