How I Overhauled My Morning Routine

Is it just me or does it feel like I’m constantly being told what I should be doing in the morning? Drinking water, meditating, working out, journaling, eating a proper breakfast… all before heading to work at 7:30 am. The internet wants me to believe successful women basically conquer more in their 3 hour pre-work morning than I do in my entire day.

I always have grand plans for the morning, but more often than not I find myself running around with just enough minutes to brush my teeth, forget to put on sunscreen and run out the door. Did I set the alarm? I hope so. How many B12 capsules am I supposed to take again?? I haven’t even had coffee yet, HELP ME OUT WORLD.

When Care/of reached out to partner with us, I jumped at the chance to take my morning routine and give it a makeover. Care/of is a personalized vitamin subscription that sends you only what you need.

After taking a short quiz about your life and health, Care/of gives you recommendations for what supplements you should be taking based on your answers. You know, where you have to admit that you only eat one vegetable a week and that you never get more than 8 hours of sleep (unless you’re hungover). My answers made me realize the vitamins couldn’t get here fast enough.

I really loved this part since I’m always reading articles about supplements, but never really know which ones are right for me… so I buy nothing. #oops. Care/of took the guess work out of it aaaaand ships it to your door once a month. It even comes in personalized packaging that’s cute enough to sit on your counter so you never forget. (And yes, this is crucial because at 27 years old, I still can’t remember to take my birth control everyday.) I’m not going to lie, I felt fancy like Gwyneth Paltrow with a personal wellness coach and I liked it.

@mmaaggeenn

And since I know you’re wondering about the cost, Care/of is about 20% less than what you would pay for the same supplements in a health food store. You can also opt out of any recommendations and add your own. Which is AMAZING because…

Armed with my personalized vitamins, I was ready to overhaul my morning routine so I could finally become a successful member of society. Here’s what I did:

Step One: I looked at what works for me.

Sit down and look at your current routine. What is working and what isn’t? This may mean getting up a little earlier or cutting some unnecessary tasks… but don’t worry, you don’t have to wake up at 4 am to be successful.

Working out in the morning means I get my least favorite activity of the day over with first. If I push it off to the afternoon, that gives me time to come up with ample excuses as to why I shouldn’t do it. By getting my workout in before the day officially starts, I make better choices and can spend my after work hours with my one true love: Netflix.

Step 2: …and cut everything that didn’t.

Apart from the first 10 minutes where I am a walking zombie, I wake up ready to GO. This means that any “slow” activities like scrolling through social media (for what feels like 5 minutes but is actually 47), crawling back in bed once I’ve left it, meditating, journaling, etc. don’t work for me. And due to time constraints, neither does making lunch or washing/blow drying my hair.

Look at what you don’t have time for and cut anything that isn’t necessary. Then ask yourself how you can restructure your day.

Here are a few suggestions:

Pack lunch the night before
Shower in the evening rather than the am
Lay out clothes before bed (so you can check if they need steaming)
Pack your work or gym bag before bed
Go to bed earlier
Set your alarm just 15 minutes earlier
Build 20 minutes into your morning schedule for the unknown
Try not to scroll through social media when you first wake up

Whatever you decide, the most important thing is that it works for you and your body.

@sayyesblog

Step 3: I created a plan (and stuck to it).

Remember when you were a kid and your mom woke you up for school? You did the same thing every day. And it worked! Set up a timeline and stick to it. For the first few days, be flexible. You may have to move things around or ditch some morning to-do list items. Once you find a routine that works, stick to it. By planning my morning and following through, I found that I was never driving off in the morning wondering “Did I do this?” or “Did I forget that?”.

Step 4: I made self-care a priority. (no meditation needed)

Confession: at the “adult” age of 27, I still forget to brush my teeth sometimes. I KNOW. IT’S SHAMEFUL AND DISGUSTING. To combat my morning scrambling, I decided to get my bathroom sink a little more organized. For skincare, this meant purchasing two small baskets for under the sink: one for morning products and one for nighttime. By having the few items I need in a specific place, I was able to quickly grab them (no cabinet hunting required) and not forget anything. For my vitamins, I decided to keep them by the sink since the dispenser style packaging is so cute. This helped me remember to take them every morning (spoiler: I feel great) and it also ensured I took my daily medicine as well. After a week, I felt more put together and didn’t have a single halitosis morning.

@adancersplate

Step 5: I made breakfast a requirement.

For a good morning routine, every source agrees that breakfast is required. No, coffee doesn’t count. But that also doesn’t mean you need to spend 30 minutes making an organic vegetable quiche (unless that’s what you’re into). For me, that means making a smoothie and throwing it in the fridge to drink after my workout. If I need something in my stomach, I eat half a cliff bar before my workout. If your morning doesn’t really allow for breakfast, make something the night before or prep a meal that you can eat at your desk.

No matter what, skipping breakfast is not the answer. And sadly, neither is McDonalds. Studies show that skipping breakfast can lead to overeating throughout the day, irritability, and blood sugar spikes.

Step 6: I committed to doing one thing that sets me ahead for the day.

For me, I pour a big glass of water and spend 15 minutes tidying up. Some days that means my entire 15 minutes are spent unloading the dishwasher and wiping down the kitchen. Other times it means making the bed, sending the roomba off to vacuum, or starting a load of laundry. While I do my “chores”, I sip on the glass of water and in just 15 minutes I’ve got a tidier home and already knocked out some of my daily water goal.

For you, this could mean your least favorite chore, making a to-do list, or checking emails. Whatever you decide, making time to do something productive (even if it’s just 15 minutes) will have you starting your day on a more successful note.

My New Morning Routine

5:45am – Alarm goes off and small dog stomps on my head demanding to go out

5:50 am – Let dogs out, start making breakfast

6:10 am – Sip on water while I tidy up

6:30 am – Change into gym clothes and head to my workout

7:00 am – 7:45 am – Workout

8:00 am – Arrive home and jump in the shower

8:10 am – Morning skincare routine, take vitamins, brush teeth, throw on makeup and dry shampoo my hair

8:40 am – Run dogs out for a quick walk

9:00 am – Start working