One of my goals for 2019 is to revamp my morning routine in order to better set myself up for a successful day. I am lucky that on days I go into the office, I don’t have to be there until 9 AM and, with a 15-minute commute, don’t have to wake up particularly early. This gives me the opportunity to wake up in a leisurely fashion, taking time to anchor myself and set my intentions for the day ahead. My aim is to have my morning routine and “me time” take no more than 30 minutes so that it feels like a gift to myself each day rather than a chore. Since implementing the 30-minute morning routine for success that I am sharing with you today, I have noticed that I enter the day feeling more centered and ready to take on whatever challenges lie ahead.
SCRAPE TONGUE AND BRUSH TEETH
The first step in my 30-minute morning routine for success involves a somewhat gross-sounding practice, tongue scraping. I was first introduced to tongue scraping by Lauryn from The Skinny Confidential and, oh my gosh, my life is forever changed. By scraping your tongue in the morning BEFORE you drink any water or eat breakfast, you remove the bacteria from your mouth that has built up over night instead of swallowing it. I follow-up my tongue scraping practice by immediately brushing my teeth with charcoal toothpaste, a great way to whiten and brighten your smile, to get all remaining bacteria out. I LOVE starting the day with a squeaky-clean mouth.
DRINK 16-OUNCES OF WATER
Once my mouth is clean, I wake up my body by drinking at least 16-ounces of cold, refrigerated water. Our bodies are made of up to 60 percent water and, after going 8 hours without any liquid, hydration is key. Cold water first thing in the morning is beneficial for many reasons including:
- It fires up your metabolism.
- It helps flush toxins out of your body.
- It helps make you feel fuller so you don’t end up eating as much at breakfast.
COMPLETE A 10-15 MINUTE WORKOUT
Hydration needs addressed, I next squeeze in a quick workout. I complete my main workout of the day after work but have made it a priority this year to get a quick 10-15-minute routine done in the morning. By getting a few minutes of strengthening in first thing, my body is warmed up and better prepared to take on the day. A quick AM workout also ensures that I get some physical activity in each day, even if the day gets away from me and my best laid plans for my evening workout go out the window.
My top three favorite morning workouts are:
MEDITATE FOR 5-10 MINUTES
Once I have drunk my fill of water and completed my morning workout, I close myself off in a quiet space, get comfortable on my yoga mat, and do a guided mediation for 5-10 minutes to center myself. My specific meditation depends on how I’m feeling. If I’m having an anxious morning, I choose one that aims to still my mind. If I have a day ahead where I have meetings or an event scheduled that I need to get geared up for, I might select a guided meditation focused on confidence.
I use Insight Timer for my meditation needs because it is free and offers a wide variety of guided meditations, ensuring I can always find the perfect option. My go-to morning meditations this January are for self-love and confidence, anxiety, and relaxation and can all be found on the Insight Timer app.
DRINK A MORNING SMOOTHIE
Once I am hydrated, my body is warmed up, and my mind is centered, I sip away on a healthy homemade smoothie as I shower and get ready for work in the morning. I make batches of smoothies a few times a week in the evening, ensuring my husband and I each have a healthy dose of greens and fruit to start off our days with. By making smoothies ahead of time, I don’t have to hassle with the blender in the morning and know that I will kick off my day in a healthy fashion.
My go-to smoothie recipes are my Morning Magic Smoothie, my Power Cleanser Smoothie, my Tropical Sunrise Smoothie, and my Immune Boosting Smoothie.
There you have it, my 2019 30-minute morning routine for success! When I first began implementing this routine it felt like more of a chore than anything else. I found that by adding one new practice a week – i.e. focusing on tongue scraping and water intake week one, then adding in a workout week two, meditation week three, and focusing on nourishment during week four, I was able to take away a lot of the stress involved in making these changes.
It is amazing the difference a mere 30 minutes of self-care first thing in the morning can make in our lives. Since implementing this routine, I have found that I enter my day much more centered and ready to take on the day ahead.
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