If you were to ask me a year ago if I had a morning routine, the answer would have been no followed with a laugh. I honestly think that working in film and living a life that was so all over the place for a while was what made creating an epic morning routine so hard for me. There’s this piece of me that is terrified of the idea of living a boring life and doing the same thing everyday, you know?
However, slowly but surely over the last 2 months, my morning routine has clicked into place. So I thought I would walk you through what my mornings typically look like, why I do the things I do and how you can create an epic morning routine that sets you on fire for the day. Interested?
I don’t wake up to my phone
Through a series of events that start with Hurricane Michael and end up with me getting a sunrise alarm clock, I’m at a place in my life where I don’t use my phone as my alarm. For me this means, my epic morning routine essentially starts the night before. I plug in my phone across the room, ask google to play my night rain music and proceed to do all the other little things before bed.
I always have my do not disturb set at night so I’m able to give myself a little digital detox and avoid aimless scrolling before I sleep. But that same do not disturb is set to stay on until around 7am. Now this doesn’t mean that I don’t look at my phone at all in the morning. Typically I’ll check the weather if needed or see what workout I’m doing that day. But I use my sunrise lamp* to wake me up and then I’m not tempted to curl back up in bed scrolling through my phone.
I Lay Out My Clothes The Night Before
So here’s the thing about laying out your clothes the night before. I get that it sounds cliche or whatever. But I’ve realized that if I show up to the gym loving my outfit, I feel so much more confident and ready to crush my workout. And as much as I’d love to pretend that I can pull together the perfect outfit every morning at 5am, I’d be lying. Which means, I now lay out my top, leggings and sports bra the night before. Plus I’m also less likely to wake up and realize I have no clothes to workout in. Ya know?
When you want to create a new habit in your epic morning routine, such as working out, the best thing you can do is make it easier on yourself. By removing my phone as a distraction and not having to spend the extra time looking for clothes, I’m much more likely to get up, ready and out the door!
I HAVE A GAME PLAN FOR MY WORKOUT
Listen I’ve been there. You show up to the gym. Walk a bit, throw around a few weights and then leave. But you never really feel like you’re making progress or seeing results. If you take classes, you’re sorted. All you have to do is show up and do the work. However for those of us who prefer the gym, having some kind of outline of what you’re going to do for the day is incredibly helpful.
It’s taken me some time to find the plan that works for me but I’m currently working through Linn Lowe’s Strong & Lean*. For the record, I freaking love it. And yes, there are some days I show up to the gym and just decide to walk. However, I now have a rough idea of what I’m going to do when I get to the gym. So instead of wandering like a lost puppy, I can get in, smash out a workout that makes me feel great and proceed to go about my day.
If you need to deviate from the plan, by all means do so. But not having a plan is still a plan, just a bad one. Creating new habits and having an epic morning routine you love happens little by little. If working out in the morning is something you want to add to you routine, make it a point to create a plan and be honest about if it’s something you’ll actually stick to doing.
I MAKE TIME TO GET QUIET
If could be 5 minutes or 20 minutes (on a good day) but no matter what I make time to be quiet in the morning. For me, this means doing my morning pages, writing in my journal and occasionally a bit of meditation. I’m currently working to put meditation into my routine so I can really stick with it. And so far I’m enjoying having it there again.
Journaling has been a game changer for my mental health (see video below) and helping me get to know myself again. Taking the time each morning to really focus on what I’m thankful for, my goals and any problems or thoughts I need to get off my chest helps me step in my day on the right foot.
MY ROUTINE
If you were to come spend a morning with me, here’s what it roughly looks like:
5AM – wake up, make my bed, brush my teeth, get dressed, fill my water bottle, BCAAs & electrolytes up (yep, I have 3 different drinks), take the dogs out and head to the gym. This takes me anywhere from 20-30 minutes.
6/615AM – I typically workout for about an hour depending on the day. When I get there, I’ll double check my workout to see what I need to grab from my gym bag (resistance bands*, ankle strap*, etc) and then I go warm up.
7/715AM – Done with the gym. On my way home drinking my electrolyte water*. I sweat a ton and adding this in has really helped keep me hydrated.
745AM – Home and time to shower.
8AM – I make a Fab 4 smoothie and drink it while I’m getting ready.
830/845AM – Done getting ready. I’ll either make coffee or tea and sit down to do my morning pages.
9AM – I’m ready to work and dive into the day.
I DIDN’T DO IT ALL AT ONCE
I’m sure that routine looks a bit much for some people. And what works for me, may very well not work for you. You might not have time for a long workout or to travel to the gym in the morning. There’s nothing wrong with that. I work from home so for me I’ve found that the extra time in the morning is my gift to myself. By showing up for myself first thing every day, I feel more centered and able to deal with the day ahead. Plus, I know I’m way more likely to workout when I do it first thing.
The other thing about my routine is that I didn’t do it all at once. I started with one thing: I made it a point to workout first thing in the morning. When I was in college, I was the most consistent with working out because I did it first thing. So when I sat down to look at how I wanted to start my day and what I really wanted to do, I used things I learned from a time when I was successful doing them. And then I added bits from there. Little by little my routine fell into place when I found something I wanted to add in or change.
These days my epic morning routine is what grounds my day. I feel calmer and more prepared. My mental health has changed for the better because of it. Plus, it puts me in a great mood for the day! Whatever you want your morning routine to look like, be patient with yourself while you’re getting there. Focus on adding/changing 1 thing every two weeks. And before you know it, you’ll be so in love with how you’re starting the day that joy will creep into the rest of the day. Just take it one step at a time.
What about you? What does your epic morning routine look like? Do you have a routine you’re obsessed with? I’d love to hear from you! Be sure to leave a comment below and let me know! Until next time. Xoxo, Savvy
