I'm participating in the #last90days challenge that Rachel Hollis and her husband Dave are hosting. This week's theme is habits, and yesterday's live stream was about establishing good morning routines. They talked about the importance of not hitting the snooze button, and waking up at the same time everyday.
I used to sleep in. Then I became a runner. Summer months in Minnesota are steamy. My Texas relatives laugh when I say this, but it does get hot here. I'd rather run first thing in the morning before the blazing sun adds to the "feels like" temperature. And, it's great to have a run logged before heading to work. I also used to go to Body Pump at the Y at 5:30 twice a week. My husband thought I was crazy. He's the night owl of the family.
I had my daughter almost six years ago. That's another reason I get up early. In addition to squeezing in a workout, I also had needed to squeeze - I mean pump - before running. So, I've been waking up early to have an hour or two dedicated just to me for well over a decade.
How do I do this? It starts the night before. I put my breakfast and lunch together, setup the coffee pot, pick out my workout and work clothes, and go to bed pretty early - around 8-9 pm.
I don't always need an alarm, but I do set several on my phone and two on my radio. I try to avoid hitting snooze. If I do hit snooze, it's like stealing time away from myself. I need that time. When I don't have it, I rush through my workout, I'm impatient with my daughter, and sometimes it means I don't get the dog out for her walk.
What I do sets the tone for the day, both for myself and those around me.
The first thing I do is start the coffee pot. Then I drink 16-20 ounces of water. I don't sip it, I chug it, which is one of the tips from Rachel and Dave.
I heat up water for my Nettie pot, and I also heat up a lavender neck pillow. I wash my face and I might do a face mask. A few minutes of self-care warms me up, relaxes me, and clears the sinuses.
I have a couple of cups of coffee and try to accomplish at least one or two things. I might put away a few dishes, fold some laundry, and respond to non-work emails. I'm volunteering to help our PTA update their website, so I might work on that for a bit. I might do a little writing/blogging like I am today.
Then I have my pre-workout meal. This is a new thing I added to the routine in June. I used to workout on an empty stomach. 80 Day Obsession taught me the importance of fueling my workout, so now it's a habit. I eat a small meal with a veggie, protein, carb, and healthy fat (GRYt if you use the containers from Beachbody). My go-tos are:
Then it's go time. I clean up, make my Shakeology (I'll post my favorites another day), chug another 16 ounces of water, and try to get my daughter up to eat and ready to leave for school by 7:15. Then I'm off to work.
I feel more relaxed and less stressed when I'm organized. I've made my morning routine so enjoyable that I actually look forward to going to bed and getting up early. It feels great to have all of this accomplished before I reach my desk. Now it's time for me to do my workout...
What's your morning routine?
I used to sleep in. Then I became a runner. Summer months in Minnesota are steamy. My Texas relatives laugh when I say this, but it does get hot here. I'd rather run first thing in the morning before the blazing sun adds to the "feels like" temperature. And, it's great to have a run logged before heading to work. I also used to go to Body Pump at the Y at 5:30 twice a week. My husband thought I was crazy. He's the night owl of the family.
I had my daughter almost six years ago. That's another reason I get up early. In addition to squeezing in a workout, I also had needed to squeeze - I mean pump - before running. So, I've been waking up early to have an hour or two dedicated just to me for well over a decade.
How do I do this? It starts the night before. I put my breakfast and lunch together, setup the coffee pot, pick out my workout and work clothes, and go to bed pretty early - around 8-9 pm.
I don't always need an alarm, but I do set several on my phone and two on my radio. I try to avoid hitting snooze. If I do hit snooze, it's like stealing time away from myself. I need that time. When I don't have it, I rush through my workout, I'm impatient with my daughter, and sometimes it means I don't get the dog out for her walk.
What I do sets the tone for the day, both for myself and those around me.
The first thing I do is start the coffee pot. Then I drink 16-20 ounces of water. I don't sip it, I chug it, which is one of the tips from Rachel and Dave.
I heat up water for my Nettie pot, and I also heat up a lavender neck pillow. I wash my face and I might do a face mask. A few minutes of self-care warms me up, relaxes me, and clears the sinuses.
I have a couple of cups of coffee and try to accomplish at least one or two things. I might put away a few dishes, fold some laundry, and respond to non-work emails. I'm volunteering to help our PTA update their website, so I might work on that for a bit. I might do a little writing/blogging like I am today.
Then I have my pre-workout meal. This is a new thing I added to the routine in June. I used to workout on an empty stomach. 80 Day Obsession taught me the importance of fueling my workout, so now it's a habit. I eat a small meal with a veggie, protein, carb, and healthy fat (GRYt if you use the containers from Beachbody). My go-tos are:
- Spinach + Fixate breakfast sausage (recipe on Beachbody on Demand) + oatmeal + 1 tsp coconut oil
- Spinach + 1 frozen sausage (nitrate-free) + roasted sweet potatoes + 1 tsp olive oil
Then it's go time. I clean up, make my Shakeology (I'll post my favorites another day), chug another 16 ounces of water, and try to get my daughter up to eat and ready to leave for school by 7:15. Then I'm off to work.
I feel more relaxed and less stressed when I'm organized. I've made my morning routine so enjoyable that I actually look forward to going to bed and getting up early. It feels great to have all of this accomplished before I reach my desk. Now it's time for me to do my workout...
What's your morning routine?
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