The Best Way to Wake Up Is
With a morning routine.
What happens first thing in the morning sets the tone for your entire day. For me, it's important that I kick things off on a positive note. I'm more productive in the mornings, I like getting the important stuff done while my body and brain are fresh.
What's the 'important stuff'?
Self-care, fitness and nutrition. I'm more calm and clear all day long when I make these a priority first thing. I have tons of energy, feel alert and ready to tackle the day. Putting my own self care first has built up my confidence and I'm showing up as a happier human for others.
My Morning Routine:
The easiest way to wake up is:
Without hesitation when my alarm (or my husband's alarm) goes off. I no longer hit snooze. Your body gets a hit of adrenaline when your alarm goes off so I take advantage of that instant awakeness and get out of bed right away. If you hit snooze, your body restarts the sleep cycle making it more disruptive and harder to get up when the alarm goes off again, and again, and again...
Try to go to bed at a decent time and around the same time each night. In fact, my hubs and I are in such a good routine going to bed by 11pm/at the same time every night that we're both waking up naturally around 6/630am so we don't even need the alarm. Getting up early has changed the game for him as well, maybe I'll get him to tell us about it in a future post...
Then I RUN.
Right when I get up. I rustle my run gear out of the closet and run along the river a couple of blocks from my place. I run 3-6 miles 4-5 days a week. If I don't run, I'll still do some kind of workout, usually yoga or strength training. I take a good 30 minutes to stretch my hips after - I learned a tough lesson earlier this year when I could barely walk because my hips were so tight. I have a few key stretches I do now and it's completely changed how I feel and how I move.
I listen to Podcasts when I run. It depends on what I feel like, some mornings I want to learn something work related, other mornings it's wellness. I'm a big fan of hilarity and multi-person podcasts. That's So Retrograde and Almost30 are two that fall into the latter category that I rely on when I need a boost, it feels like I'm running with my girlfriends.
Followed by a shot of...
Apple Cider Vinegar. I take a quick sip - it's likely about 1-2 tbsps. After that it's lemon water to hydrate. I'll drink a bit of l. water before I run, a full 10oz after. Apple Cider Vinegar has several benefits, I find it helps my digestion and clears up any yucky bacteria.
I use the Headspace app...
to meditate after I run. It's great for keeping me in a routine. Running is like meditation for me but this is different. The stillness helps clear my mind and put my brain at ease. I enter the day's tasks more relaxed because of it.
Coffee time!
I am IN LOVE with my coffee right now. I use Four Sigmatics Mushroom Coffee Mix grounds and add Ghee and MCT oil to it. Just 1 tsp of each. Then I put it in my Vitamix so it gets all frothy. DREAM. I honestly feel less jittery and more alert drinking mushroom coffee, I'm a total convert.
If I'm out of mushroom coffee mix grounds, I'll use normal coffee and add 1/2 tsp of Sun Potion Cordyceps. Again, the mushrooms are for alertness but they have heaps of other benefits, read more about them here.
I have this for breakfast everyday:
One of Kelly Leveque's smoothies (usually her Spa Day smoothie). I heard her on Almost30's podcast one morning and was captivated by what she had to say about hunger hormones and blood sugar so I bought her book 'Body Love' (which is full of info and recipes) and am now one of her biggest fans. If you're struggling with energy spikes and crashes throughout the day or want to improve your diet it's a must read.
I'll sometimes add things to the smoothie that she doesn't have in her recipe. I'll add collagen, bee pollen and Sun Potion Cordyceps for example, it depends on what my body needs.
Not only are her recipes nutritionally loaded, there are beauty benefits, I see it in my skin health!
