My Morning Routine

Sure, some of us including myself, treasure our mornings, but how many of us are actually making the most out of them?

I believe mornings to be my sacred “Me Time”. An inspiring morning routine is a main factor to boost productivity and have a more enjoyable day. These early routines and rituals breed success and sets the tone for the rest of the day. I’m sure I’m not the only one who wants to contribute to a healthy and prosperous life, but you have to chose to commit.

Having a productive morning routine lowers daily stress, gives you a clearer mind throughout your day, helps you accomplish more, increases health and happiness, and most importantly, it builds momentum to grow everyday which is the key to long term success.

Start taking steps to success by creating a fundamental morning routine. Figure out which good habits you want to stick to in the morning to tailor to your own personal life. Below, I will share my step by step morning routine and rituals, that kick start my day.

My morning routine begins the night before. I like to typically be in bed no later than 10:30-11:00PM. I like to have 7-8 hours of sleep. Not more, not less.

10:00-10:30PM: Put my phone on the charger, away from my bed. I do not like to have any screen time 30 minutes before sleep. For this reason, I also do not have a TV in my room.

I pull out my journal and write down my to-do list for the following day. I write down 1-3 top priorities for the day. I also write down my intention for the day. What realistic mini-goals I can get done to help me reach my monthly macro goals.

I open my blinds and curtains half way. I love natural light and waking up to the sun peaking through to my face.

I read a book that is not related to work. Any career, entrepreneurship, finance genres, I save for my morning or day time reads. I get so many ideas and excited when reading work related books, that I constantly feel the need to take notes, and write ideas down. Therefore, I stick to more spiritual, biography, or history books before bed.

Using essential oils such as lavender and roman chamomile before bed, helps put me to sleep. These aromatherapy scents are known to have relaxing, soothing and calming properties. I put the oils in a diffuser or rub the oils directly onto the back of my neck or bottoms of my feet.

Zzzz…

7:00AM: Wake up. I love to wake up without an alarm. I only set an alarm if I have to be onset early for a shoot. I first reflect on my dreams. Typically, I write my dreams down. I have a dream journal for over 2 years now. You will be surprised what you will find out about your subconscious mind, once you start analyzing your dreams. To read more about Dream Journaling, click here.

Sometimes, I will check my angel cards especially after a strange dream. My best friend Kiki got these for me as a birthday gift and I love them. I use the cards to help guide me through my day and help raise my awareness.

I then mentally list 5-10 things I am grateful for that day. Sometimes, I’ll journal this as well. It usually starts with how grateful I am for my pets, because when I wake up they are all snuggled together and are so loving and adorable. I just love them so much!

Next, I envision my perfect day as I chug a bottle of water that I have on my nightstand. Every week I fill my nightstand drawer with 7 water bottles, 1 for each morning. It’s so important to drink (room temperature) water immediately upon waking. Your brain is 75% water, so this refuels your brain and rehydrates your body, since your body naturally gets dehydrated after a long sleep. This helps flush out toxins, clears skin, fires up that metabolism and provides your cells with needed water.

Afterwards, I open my phone to ONLY check the time, see if there is any emergency texts, and then check my Gabby Bernstein Spirit Junkie App for my daily affirmation. If you like affirmations, this is a good app to download to your phone.

Ok, time to physically get up. As soon as my feet hit the ground I start stretching. I stretch for about 15 seconds per position. I proceed with light yoga poses. I then do 3 sets of 30 squats very quickly, and bounce with my arms straight out. I do this every morning to drain my lymphatic fluids.

Next, I make my bed (so I don’t get back in it) and I like when my room looks tidy and put together.

Off to the kitchen I go, to make a hot cup of tea (Yes, even in the summer on hot days) and add Manuka Honey and a Lemon.

I take my supplements which include Vitamin C, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Omega-3 Fish Oil, B-12, Folic Acid, Spirulina, a probiotic & Evening Prim Rose.

I then go into my living room, light up some sage and do a quick 5 minute meditation with deep breathing, usually with one of my cats in my lap. I like to do a creative visualization meditation to help my creative juices start flowing through my head. For this, I typically search for 5 minute morning meditation in my YouTube App and pick whichever video stands out to me.

After my quick meditation and while I’m still drinking my tea, I like to pull out my Passion Planner and look over my to do list for the day. The passion planner has helped me a lot with organizing my goals and priorities. This is a great tool for productivity.

Next, I rinse my face with warm (not hot) water, followed by applying moisturizer. I’m currently using CeraVe face lotion AM with SPF 30. I do not use any cleansers in the morning. I keep it simple.

Then I like to participate in a creative endeavor, even if I only have 15 minutes to spare. Usually, I write. Whether it is a blog post or any ideas flowing to me for my business. Other times I decide on playing my piano. Some days if time allows, I’ll do both.

It’s usually about a good 45 minutes after waking that I start to make myself a healthy breakfast. I eat 2-3 scrambled eggs in the morning with a side of avocado. If I’m making avocado toast, I use gluten free bread. I am not entirely gluten free, but I don’t want to fill up with gluten while beginning my day.

After breakfast I pick up my book. I’m a firm believer in always better-ing yourself and boosting your knowledge. How I see it is simple: If you want to be more wealthy, study wealth; If your seeking to be happier, study books on happiness; If you desire to live and be healthier, then ready and study health books. There’s so many good options out there to choose from! Even reading 10 pages a day, will be helpful for your journey to creating a better life.

10:00AM: I listen to classical music and begin my work day. I also make myself a green smoothie using local, organic greens and protein. After my smoothie is done, I sit in my office. I check all my social media accounts and then my emails. Don’t forget that email is someone else’s request of your time. Prioritize your daily morning tasks before starting your work day and tackling your emails.

If I have to be onset earlier, I try my best to go to sleep earlier resulting in waking up earlier, to stay on track with my morning schedule.

How you start your day, is how you start your life. Creating good habits and a good morning routine is critical for lifetime success! Knowing exactly how the first 90 minutes of your day looks like is powerful and will help you feel in control and productive. The goal is to work smarter, not harder. Start your day on the right foot and avoid feeling overwhelmed and disorganized. Remember to be present. Don’t live in the past of yesterday, which is over and don’t live in the future of tomorrow, which creates anxiety. Be present. Good Morning to you!

Things to AVOID in the morning:

-Hitting snooze over and over. This starts your day with weakness.

-Checking email before 10am.

-Artificial lighting. Natural lighting environments increase productivity and provide mental and visual stimulation that is necessary to regulate human circadian rhythms. (And it will lead to substantial energy savings)

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