I feel like every influencer or other popular person on the Internet has their own version of a morning routine. Calling it this I think makes it sounds very “official” and “la-di-da” when really all it is is what you do in the time between when you wake up and start work. Or between when you wake up and start going about the main part of your day. So in that way, I do have my own version of a morning routine and while it’s not very Instagram-ish it so far has kept me on track.
Why I Started Waking Up At 5 a.m.
My current professional schedule is from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. For the longest time, I would wake up at 6 a.m., go about drinking coffee, eating breakfast, getting ready for the day, and then walking into my home office to begin my remote work. This worked, and there wasn’t really anything wrong with it, but I eventually started waking up earlier at 5 a.m.
Do you ever feel like there just isn’t enough time in the day to do what you want to do? That’s how I felt. At some point I felt like in between getting off work, having a snack, working out, cooking and eating dinner, showering, and finally sitting down — there was only maybe two hours left in the day before I’d go to bed. So I tried waking up one hour earlier at 5 a.m. and that gave me enough time in the morning — while I was drinking coffee and before breakfast — to do my usual news-watching and take care of some items on my To Do list. And this is a practice I maintain even now so I can get more done when I’m awake and still go to bed at 10 p.m.
Except for weekends. On weekends I wake up at 7 a.m.
My Daily Morning Routine
I use the Sleep/Wake Up alarm on my iPhone to wake up. This means my phone alarm wakes me up at 5 a.m. with very gentle, calm music that starts off very quiet and gradually gets a little louder until it wakes me up. It’s a much nicer way to wake up compared to the traditional rings/beeps of an alarm clock.
Morning Yoga & Stretching
About a week ago, I started integrating a short 5-Minute Morning Yoga routine into my mornings. Right after I wake up and turn off my alarm, I roll out my Blogilates Yoga Mat and do a few stretches that really wake up my mind and body. I think it’s good to have a little movement when I’m still feeling groggy; this helps me feel more prepared for the day and helps me feel better diving into the other aspects of my morning routine.
Drink Water
I keep at least one if not two water bottles next to my personal laptop right in my little personal desk area. I try to remember to fill it up the night before, but either way I make sure I drink water before my morning coffee. That hydration thing is kinda important.
Ginger Turmeric Shot
This is something I picked up when I was in Iceland. At my hotel in Reykjavík, when I visited in December 2021 through January 2022, the hotel served these little orange ginger shots for breakfast. Supposedly the combination of ginger and turmeric helps digestion and these little shots just tasted so good. I absolutely adore the taste of ginger and this was a practice I wanted to bring back home with me. Does it help with my digestion? No idea. All I know is that it tastes good and I love it.
Gratitude Journaling
This I started maybe about a year ago. I have a little Gratitude Journal from the By Samantha March brand that I write in every morning. I take a few moments to jot down some things in my life that I’m grateful for. It’s very simple but I feel like this is part of what makes me a happier person. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with thinking about all the good in your life and being thankful for them before you enter another day. I think it promotes mindfulness.
Locked On Avalanche Podcast
This part of my morning is dependent on two things: 1) If the Colorado Avalanche played the day/night before, and 2) If they won said game. After I have my quiet time in the morning, I’ll pull up the Locked On Avalanche podcast on YouTube and listen to the commentators talk about my favorite hockey team.
Reviewing My Weekly Goals & To Do List
By this point, I’m wide awake and ready to take on what’s in front of me. I take a look at my weekly goals and To Do list and figure out what I’ve accomplished. I’ll skim over the day’s schedule, monitor the items I haven’t completed yet, and see what I can do real fast in the morning before I have breakfast and coffee. This is essentially my status update for the morning, followed by one in the afternoon after work.
Enter: Morning Part 2
At 6 a.m., it’s time for the latter half of my morning. I’ll eat breakfast, drink my coffee, watch the news, get all ready for work, and be in my home office by 7 a.m. After going to bed at 10 p.m. the night before, I feel well rested enough to launch into the workday without feeling sleepy.
