7 Things You Should Do Before 9 AM
Make Your Bed
This is something I have religiously been doing for the past year. I now feel like I can’t properly function without a neatly made bed. I work from home and I’m the kind of person that NEEDS a clean space in order to get shit done. Making my bed now sets the tone for my entire day. I wake up, brush my teeth, tap my Nespresso machine to get my coffee going and come back to make my bed. I’ve just accomplished something within the first 10 minutes of waking up. I find that to be a small victory.
Wash Your Face
With cold water. Wake up and show up.
Work Out + Shower
I was NEVER an early riser. Recently I have been taking my sleep routine VERY seriously and I have finally incorporated a few things into my wind down routine that have allowed for the first time, literally, in my entire life (lol) to wake up feeling well-rested. (More on that in a later post). Back to working out… Once you have a solid sleep routine, you’ll LOVE cranking out your workouts in the morning. There is SO much time for other activities in the evening after work: read a book, finally begin to chip away at a long-term goal you’ve been dreaming of or just melt and do nothing at all. Sometimes that’s pretty dang nice and necessary.
Even if you aren’t going to the gym or a workout class, just MOVE. Do some yoga in your room, stretch, go for a walk… MOVE. You’ll be more focused throughout the day, will have less distractions if you are a social butterfly at the gym, it’ll help boost your metabolism and burn phat ;) if you’re doing HIIT workouts, it leaves time for other priorities, and lets be honest, you’ll be less likely to skip your workout if you tend to talk yourself out of your evening workouts!
Drink a Protein + Collagen Shake
Fuel and replenish after working out to avoid becoming malnourished and HANGRY!
A little lesson on collagen… in a nut shell, it improves: skin, hair, joints, muscle growth and metabolism. Ladies LISTEN UP: “Adding collagen to your diet may significantly strengthen your nails and teeth, reverse hair loss, reduce joint pain, and increase the firmness and smoothness of the skin. Collagen is also useful for reducing stretch marks and cellulite.” Source
I switch off between these two brands:
Read/Listen to Something Uplifting/Motivating
Aside from making your bed and already accomplishing more than most, read a few pages from a book you’ve been trying to crack open or listen to a motivating podcast for 10-20 mins. Here are a few of my favorite books and podcasts:
[Books]
The Promise of a Pencil, Adam Braun
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Mark Manson
The Surrender Experiment, Michael A. Singer
[Podcasts]
Expanded, Lacey Phillips
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
School of Greatness, Lewis Howes (Ugh, I love him but he’s taken.)
Meditate or Journal on Your Intentions for the Day
Both meditating and journaling help reduce stress, anxiety anddd help expand your self-awareness. I’ve chatted about this before and I’d LOVE to say it again; I deeply believe self-awareness is one of the most powerful things you can learn and cultivate. But that’s a whole different discussion ;). So! In short, meditating and journaling on your intentions for the day will further set a good tone and help you map out your priorities.
Clean to get Clear
I don’t know if i’m the only one who is like this but I cannot stay focused if my workspace is messy. First of all, having a clean space just FEELS GOOD. It makes me feel polished and capable of getting shit done! Clean your space, get clear on your day and get after it.
Ok, that’s all I got :). If you have any other morning routine must-dos, please share them with me! I’m always on the look out for the latest life hack.
