Shelby’s Simple and Effective Morning Routine
By: Shelby Williams
I used to HATE mornings but after I had Holden I realized that I really needed some “me” time in the morning to be my best self. When I was woken up by a screaming kid, I felt frazzled, impatient, and overwhelmed. I do this morning routine M-F and let myself sleep in as much as Holden does on the weekend. Now, I find that on Mondays I am excited to do my morning routine! I keep this really, really simple. It is just nice to wake up to a quiet house, drink coffee in peace, get some sunshine, and bask in this sacred time. Instead of feeling frazzled, I feel grounded, calm, positive, and ready to start the day.
From waking up to when I start work, this usually only takes 20 min. Lastly, if you have a hard time waking up in the morning, remember that your day starts the night before. Make sure to get in bed early to give yourself time to wind down and relax. I like to take magnesium glycinate to help you me relax - click here and use code GETGREAUXING.
Sleep with my phone in the other room so I have to get up to turn the alarm off
Ok so yes mornings are very hard for me. Before I started this trick, I would snooze for about an hour (no exaggeration). Now, I put my phone in the bathroom while I sleep so that I have to get up to turn off the alarm. This is still so hard for me but my partner helps keep me motivated. I don’t know how I can climb mountains with no problem but can’t wake up in the mornings…. Anyways, my partner helped me with waking up early by motivating and reminding me that I will feel soooo much better if I get out of bed and have some time to myself first. This is so challenging for me to do in the morning but 1000% worth it. I usually wake up at 6am which gives me enough time to have a full morning before I am on mom duty.
Brush my teeth & skin care
I brush my teeth right when I get out of bed. Your mouth has collected bacteria as you sleep and you want to get that all out. Then, I will do my morning skincare routine and finish off with a few cold splashes of water to really wake up.
Make my bed
This helps me to feel like I am ready to start the day! I started doing this the last few years and it just really makes me feel satisfied when I see my bed made. Like I am a real adult or something :)
Water, coffee
I then head to the kitchen and chug a bunch of water. I like to do electrolytes when I have them. It is hard for me to keep up with drinking water recently so if I start my day with a bunch of water then I feel like I am starting out hydrated instead of being behind from the beginning.
I love my coffee first thing in the morning. It is one of my greatest joys. But I found that my hormones, blood sugar, and anxiety are a lot happier if I don’t just have plain black coffee. I need something to even out the jolt of caffeine that will have me in a major plummeted blood sugar attack if I drink it alone. I like to mix my coffee with ghee and collagen. Bonus points if you can eat a little something with your coffee, but I just can’t this early.
Mindful time
I then take my coffee into my yoga room and just tune in. This room is full of plants and morning sunshine and is just so lovely to sit in. Exposing yourself to sunlight when you wake up in the morning will regulate your circadian rhythm. It helps you to wake up, decrease stress, increase energy, and improve sleep. I would love to be outside sitting in the sun but I live on a main road, so window sunshine it is!
Then, I see what my mind and body want. Usually it’s a little bit of stretching, shaking things out, meditation, non fiction reading, or EFT tapping. Check out these videos for some lovely morning yoga or meditation. This helps me to feel centered and ready to tackle the day with a positive start.
Work and breakfast
I will then do some work until Holden wakes up. After he wakes, we make breakfast together and hang out. I already feel like I got so much done before Holden woke up so I feel I can really sit down with him and relax and give him my full attention.
I hope sharing my routine gave you some motivation and ideas :)
