5 Things That Start My Day Off Well

How my day starts shapes my entire day, so I’m fascinated by people’s morning routines and tips. It’s the foundation of the day, so I strive to start it off on the right foot!

Wake Up With Plenty of Time to Spare —

I’m a morning person and hold the quietness of the dark house before everyone wakes up sacred. It’s not because I’m a unicorn and magically wake up feeling ready to jump out of bed, there are mornings I don’t feel like getting up, just like everyone, but it’s a habit that I’m committed to because it’s the foundation of my day. I need that time to myself to get the day started on the right foot so I can be the best version of myself.

Coffee First —

I’ve got to have it. Like, first thing. I wake up for that first sip, and I can’t imagine life without coffee. Our favorite coffee is hands-down STUMPTOWN HAIR BENDER. I used to get beans, but now I prefer their ground coffee because no one (including myself) wants to hear the grinder noise so early in the morning, and they grind it perfectly. We use this CHEMEX POUR-OVER GLASS COFFEEMAKER with these FILTERS. Honestly, it’s slightly more work than your normal coffee pot, but the coffee is next level. It removes all the bitterness and allows you to make the coffee as strong as you want, and it’s still smooth and delicious.

Nurious My Mind —

While I’m making my coffee, I read THIS and THIS. This is because I’m an OVERTHINKER (WOOF!), and if I don’t nourish my mind first thing in the morning, I can have these (unproductive) circulate conversations with myself. So I focus on my mindset to center myself and start my day with gratitude and motivation.

Exercise —

I used to be insecure about how much I needed to move my body to be my best self. If I was in a bad mood or short-tempered, my family and KCD used to be like, “Meg, do you need to go for a run?” and I used to get SO MUCH MADDER (HAHA) when they said that, and was like no(!), it’s because I’m mad about x,y,z, but honestly they were always right. I can regulate my emotions and patience much better when investing this time in myself. Running (and now pilates) is how I come back to myself. I need this focused time to get sweaty and push myself — for my brain and body.

Get Dressed —

This sounds so basic, but since staying home with the kids (for some of you, maybe it was starting to WFH (more) during the pandemic), I’ve let myself go a little. Someday I can spend the entire day in workout gear (and I’m not talking about cute athleisure, like my sweaty workout gear) because I don’t prioritize being showered and dressed in the morning. Because, let’s be honest, some days, getting the kids dressed and out the door is a victory! But, the days I get dressed (even if it’s just into my mom uniform (STRAIGHT LEG JEANS and a WHITE T-SHIRT), I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER. So, I’m really going to try and work on being more consistent with this — not for what anyone else thinks, but for myself.

What morning routines do you have, or what morning routines are you trying to establish? I’d love to know in the comments!