How to Attempt to Become a Morning Person

Alarm goes off…hit snooze…alarm goes off…scroll Instagram…alarm goes off…shit, it’s an hour later and I’m late!

This is me, every single morning and I’m sick of it. You, too? If so, let’s work togehter to try a few things that may help us to finally be morning people. Okay, scratch that, I will never wake up chipper and ready to take on the day (talk to me after my first cup of coffee and about an hour after I’ve risen from the dead). But in all seriousness, this is one of the things I beat myself up over the most, because I don’t feel productive most days. I roll out of bed late, drag Tayler to school like a zombie from the walking dead, come back to drink my morning coffee, get ready (which by the way takes me an hour lately because i walk all over the house - look at my phone, get distracted with the clothes in the dryer…you get the picture) and before I know it it’s 11 o’clock and I’ve accomplished NOTHING.

Well, instead of thinking about all the ways I could be more productive and beating myself up I’m remembering that it’s a new year, new me and same goes for you! I’ve started a new morning routine and I have to say, so far it’s really been a game changer! These are just a few things that really work for me and help me to have the most productive day possible.

morning routine

Wake up call: Instead of waking up to the alarm on your phone, try investing in an actual alarm clock. I just started using one that has a light that gets gradually brighter after time so you aren’t so inclined to hit snooze right away and can wake up at your own pace. After I get out of bed, the first thing I do is make the bed. This really sets the tone of the day and helps me to feel more put together.

Time to get ready: Because i am not a morning person, I’ve realized over time that I am more productive when I shower and get ready before Tayler wakes up so I’m not trying to multi-task. I was taking her to school and going straight to the gym, but by the time I got home and did my whole getting ready routine, it was almost 11am and half my day was gone. Now, I aim to work out at the end of the day if I know I have a jam-packed schedule.

Skincare routine: This is also a time when I take care of my skin. I have noticed how much my complexion has improved since I started really paying attention to my morning skincare routine just as much as my nightly one. I start with the BeautyCounter Nourishing Cream Cleanser on dry skin and then let it soak in while i’m in the shower and at the very end I take it off with a warm washcloth. I follow up with the Countermatch Intense Moisture Serum and the Countermatch Adaptive Moisture Lotion. The combination of these 3 makes me skin glow and keeps my dry skin extremely moisturized throughout the day (especially in this cold weather).

Beauty & Hair: Most days I would leave the house without make-up and forget to even put it on if I knew I was working from home, but I realized how much better I felt about myself when I spent at least 5 minutes on my make-up and styled my hair. I always wash my hair at night so I can blow-dry and style before bed. This is one less step I have to do in the AM and your hair will actually look better after it’s been slept on. Must have beauty products include: Dew skin tinted moisturizer, blush, mascara primer, mascara, lip sheer.

After my routine: Tayler wakes up, I get her dressed and ready for school. This is when I also have an 8 oz glass of water with 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar. This is great for the digestive system and helps the hunger pains right off the bat. She eats breakfast at school so she is usually fairly quick at getting ready.

Time to start the day: If I’m working from home I come back to make my coffee and morning smoothie (you can find that recipe here). Drinking my coffee is my favorite part of my morning. I probably should do this first thing before I even get ready because I am literally a walking zombie before this moment, but I like to be able to sit down and actually enjoy it. Since I eat a ketogenic diet, I sometimes make bulletproof coffee or I just add some powdered MCT Oil and Collagen proteins since I don’t eat breakfast until about 11 or 12 (I just invested in a Nespresso machine and it’s been a game changer). While I’m having my coffee, I check my emails and write my to-do list for the day.

Okay, so there you have it. In a nutshell, I try to start the day as calm as possible as to not feel rushed. Having a routine really helps me to feel more balanced and ready to take on the day instead of wondering about with no agenda. Hope this helps some of you who also struggle with mornings. And in case you’re wondering, this entire routine takes me about an hour depending on how much I get done before Tayler wakes up (she is 2.5 and having her up early can throw this entire thing off, in which case, I do the best I can).