The Value of a Morning Routine

June 21, 2024

The Value of a Morning Wellness Routine

I love having a strong morning routine! It helps me stay committed and accountable to my inner wellness. It also gives me time to make myself a priority in my life. Most people are creatures of habit, so once something is a habit, it is easy for me to keep doing it.

Below I share my morning routine. Maybe something here will resonate with you or inspire you to try something new!

  1. Sleep: I get 7-8 hours of sleep – I am committed to this more now than ever! I used to get 5 hours of sleep, and as I have gotten older, that just isn’t enough! I feel so much stronger and energized now that I get more sleep.

  2. Lemon Water: I start the day with a 24oz Yeti of room-warm temperature water with ½ a lemon and a few pinches of electrolytes. I drink this over the first hour or so that I am awake.

  3. Matcha Tea: After helping to take care of the dogs and emptying the dishwasher, I make a matcha tea with ashwagandha in it. At first, this tasted like drinking grass, but I am used to it now, and can appreciate the dose of greens in my morning.

  4. Journaling: After my tea is ready, I return to my room to my reading chair where I journal in The 5 Minute Journal about what I am grateful for, 3 things I can do to make my day great, and then 3 intentions for my day/life. I also take a few moments to pause, reflect on feeling grateful, and enjoy the beautiful scene of nature outside my window.

  5. Instagram: I often post on Instagram after this to add fresh content to my story to start the day.

  6. Meditation: I then meditate for 20 minutes. I have just started doing Transcendental Meditation and LOVE it! I find I am more relaxed during my meditation, and having thoughts with this method is a way of releasing stress.

  7. Green Tea: After my meditation, it is time to make a green tea which I drink during my workout. I have also started taking Kion aminos before my workout which I feel are helping me build muscle.

  8. Exercise: I then go and exercise. I am fortunate to have a full home gym, and I love being in the energy of that space. I turn up the music and rotate my workouts with a weight training routine that I follow on the Sweat app. I vary that with Barre Class, an elliptical workout or a walk outside or on my walking pad under my standing desk. As I have gotten older, I find it is important to keep up with the weights to maintain strength and leanness. I typically walk 10-12K steps per day so while the cardio is important, I enjoy the benefits I am seeing physically with my weight training.

  9. Shower and start my work day.

  10. Intermittent Fasting: I normally stop eating by 9 pm and don’t eat again until about noon the next day. I find with lemon water, matcha, and green tea, I am not hungry until mid-day.

There are some days when I can’t follow this routine exactly as planned, but 90% of the days, I am committed to this routine, and can feel the health benefits from every step listed above.

What is your morning routine and can you add something to help with your inner wellness?

~JC xo