My Morning Routine

Here is some inspiration to start your day feeling awesome!

So… confession time.

I used to hate mornings. I mean H-A-T-E.

I had been a night owl my whole life and the idea of doing anything before school and/or work was completely foreign to me. My only goal in the mornings was to get dressed, look presentable and get some caffeine into my bloodstream.

That changed drastically in 2017. 

In 2017 I had to commute to a job that had me up early, sometimes 5:30am. Somehow someway my body adjusted and became comfortable rising with–or even before–the sun. Since then I’m pretty good at mornings and now make sure I have some quality time to myself before I start the day. My body thanks me daily. Trust me, no one was more shocked than me to discover I could actually “do mornings” (about 80% of the time). Proof that anything is possible, Mavens!

My Morning Routine

1. NO PHONE for the first hour of my day. I do not check email, texts or social media until after I have done my morning routine.

2. Feed my birds. I go outside and feed the birds (and let’s be real, the squirrels who are never far). I connect with nature.

3. 5-minute OUTDOOR meditation. No matter what the weather or how cold it is, I stay outside and do the following: The Breath of Joy (about 1 minute) and then focus on gratitude. I think of all of the things I am grateful for in life. I also ground myself and set my intention for the day (ie: powerful coaching sessions with clients, find clarity on a challenge I am experiencing, feel joy and contentment throughout the day etc).

4. Make a pot of tea (I’m an avid tea drinker) and a smoothie for after my workout.

5. Do a 20-30-minute (never any longer as that feels too overwhelming!) workout via YouTube. When I work out in the morning my mental health is sooooo much better for the entire day. I also have some physical injuries that benefit from consistent exercise. Some of my fave workouts are from PopSugar and Pamela Reif:

• 30-Minute Strength, Cardio, and Pilates Core Workout

• 30-Minute Pilates-Fusion Cardio & Full-Body Toning Workout

• 12 MIN AB WORKOUT - Medium Level / No Equipment I Pamela Reif

• 10 MIN ABS + YOGA - a slow and "relaxed" workout for super strong abs / No Equipment I Pamela Reif

• 12 MIN HAPPY CARDIO - a good mood High Intensity Choreo / No Equipment I Pamela Reif

And that’s IDEALLY what I like to do daily. The whole routine can be done in 45 minutes if need be, but I tend to take an hour and not rush if possible. Some days I have early zoom meetings so I abbreviate as needed, but I always do step 3, the meditation. For me that sets the tone for the day and keeps me from spinning out and feeling crappy.

Perhaps there are some ideas here to inspire your a new morning routine for you this year! My best advice is to just do TINY things consistently.

Forget about doing everything you think you “should” be doing in the mornings. It took me months to work up to this entire routine so be gentle with yourself. 

To your brave success,
Alana