Another day, another bright and early morning!
I’m starting to think that I need to move to the east coast and put myself in a different time zone – at least then my hours of sleeping would shift from 10 PM – 4 AM to 12 AM – 6 AM, which seems a little more acceptable by normal standards.
But really, I’m not complaining. I mean, sure… waking up at 4:30 makes the day super long, and I usually feel like I’ve been up forever by the time the late afternoon rolls around, but I honestly adore the early morning, and having a good 4 hours to attend to other things before I even have to think about getting ready for work isn’t something that I’d willingly give up.
Why? Because it gives me the opportunity to calmly gather my thoughts before the craziness of the day sets in. Because taking some time to reflect on my goals helps me set myself up for the kind of day that I want to have. Because I can’t avoid it, so I may as well make the most of it, right? Kidding on that last one. Mostly 😉
I do love my morning routine, though, and I figured it would be fun to give you guys a glimpse into what it looks like… because I’m nosy and I just assume other people are too. And since yesterday’s post was kind of wordy, I’ll let the pictures do [most of] the talking today…
The very first thing I do (well… second… but I’m not willing to show you the first 😉 ) is drown my stomach in copious amounts of water. No lemon (it makes my stomach feel wonky), just water. I try to drink at least 2L of water a day (lately it’s been more like 3), and I probably get through a good quarter of that first thing in the AM.
Next comes tea. Winter, summer, home, or travelling, I always have a cup of this tea first thing in the morning. I.am.obsessed.
Some quick stretching while I wait for my tea to cool.
With my tea brewed (and cooled), I’ll light a candle and sit down to do some quick journalling/meditation. This is something that I just started doing recently (before, I would start my day on the computer), and I have to say I’m a huge fan. It felt a little awkward and forced at first, but it really does make a difference in how my day pans out.
After that, I’ll usually spend some time on the computer, either putting the finishing touches on my post or catching up with blogs I follow while my breakfast cooks.
And then it’s time for breakfast [by the computer]. Can’t start my day without it.
With food in my belly, I start to prep for the day. Brush teeth. Shower. General maintenance.
… put my face on…
… put some [real life] clothes on…
Aaaaaand then it really depends. Sometimes I’ll go for a walk; sometimes I’ll spend more time on the computer; sometimes I’ll study; sometimes I’ll have a quick chat with J if he’s around; sometimes I’ll party like it’s 1999… Anything to kill some time before I have to get to work.
So there you have it… how pretty much all of my days start out. I’ll admit that I wouldn’t mind if they started out a little bit later, but seeing as I wake up with tonnes of energy and don’t find myself dragging through the day, I’m not going to worry about it too much for now.
Hope your guys’ days are off to a great start too! See you tomorrow for WIAW!
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What time did you wake up today?
What was breakfast this morning?
What’s an essential part of your morning?
I used to have to get up for work at 2:30am to get to work at 3:30 am for the 4am show! Yep… That was AWESOME! When you wake up that early though, you’re almost “drunk” tired so it’s funny. I would work out during break around 7am and then be back at it until 12:30pm or so. Then I would be on a little bit of a high and crash around 4pm, however, I couldn’t really sleep until 9 or 10! HA! I feel you lady, but we all get on routines, which helps!
I wake up at 6 everyday to get ready for work at 7:30. I wish I had more time to relax and prepare for the day but I just can’t get out of bed earlier unless I have to get a workout done in the AM.
I’m impressed with your morning routine! I need to be better about drinking water in the AM. How often do you sleep in or over sleep? I overslept (not too late but long enough to miss my yoga class) this morning and am feeling so sluggish because of it. I much prefer getting up early, but here and there, my body says no thank you!
I actually can’t remember the last time I slept in. Maybe in Vegas after a late night? But even then I was up at like 6:30 😆 My body just naturally likes to wake up – no alarm or anything.
I drink a lot of water first thing in the morning, too. Mainly because I wake up parched and also because I know for the next couple of hours I’ll be drinking nothing but coffee. 🙂 This morning I woke up at 7:00 and kept trying to fall back to sleep until giving up at 7:45 to walk Elmo. Then, some good stretching, coffee, and Kelly & Michael. I really want to start journaling more but my perfectionism doesn’t allow me to just write. I always act like I’m writing a novel or something and plan out what I’m writing, which totally defeats the purpose of a journal. Oof.
While I’m a lot better with mornings that I used to be, my happy time to wake up is still 7:00-7:30. My natural inclination is stay up until 11 or 12, so 7:00-7:30 still allows me the perfect amount of sleep. I was up at 6:25 this morning though – damn work/wanting to work out before work.
An essential part of my morning is puppy cuddles. Atticus is definitely getting to the super-cuddly lap-dog phase (when he’s not feeling particularly hyper), so in the morning if he wakes up with me he’ll snooze on my lap while I eat breakfast/am at the computer. Other than that, a ton of water in the morning – I try to minimize drinking in the evening so i’m not up during the night, so i’m usually really thirsty when I get up.
Breakfast this morning was protein oats in a peanut butter jar with a bit of wildberry jam. But now I’m hungry for lunch…bah 25 minutes until my break!
I think you have a great morning routine! I’m able to get up at 6:40am and get my morning started pretty quickly. I never eat breakfast until I’ve been awake and moving for 3 hours – then it’s an avacado and hard boiled egg. Gets the body moving with lots of protein. Thanks for sharing your mornings!
Avocados and eggs are seriously one of the best combos. Have you ever tried them on toast with a sprinkle of salt? Divine.
I didn’t get up till about 7:15 today. My fiance and I didn’t get home until late and both were a little lazy getting around this morning. Caffeine is an essential part of my day…as is laying in bed for at least 5 minutes before getting out of bed– helps me prep for the day!
Most of my mornings are exactly the same and I tend to work around 10-12 which allows for my routine. I wake up at 6, and absolutely love the calm mornings I have. I go for a walk, drink 32oz of water, have my coffee, blog read, and then start getting ready after at least 2-3hrs of “me time.” It’s something I adore and wouldn’t give up!! This morning I had cereal…for the first time in FOREVER! It was so good.
How do you only sleep 6 hours? I need at least 8, 9-10 is ideal. I’m kind of ridiculous…
I prefer to start my day with a workout. It’s my “me” time. I would like to start AM journaling, but I’m always in such a rush in the morning (I love my sleep and am not an early morning person unfortunately).
I really have -no- idea… I keep waiting for it to catch up to me, but it hasn’t so far. Fingers crossed.
I would absolutely adore waking up this early too if i knew it didn’t mean i would be dragging by lunch time haha. I slept in till 7:30 today since i’m running after work, and I have to say it was glorious! I think I got a little over 8 hours for the second time in two days…a girl could get used to this 😛 an essential part of my morning is a good breakfast with tea and some blog reading while watching whatever i dvred the night before. I like starting my day with some fun stuff and good food, so those things do the trick 😉
I wake up super early too! I kind of like it because I feel like I get more day to enjoy. I also really enjoy the quite before the rest of my fam wakes up. An essential part of my day is coffee, for sure.
I have read SO many things about how it’s good to get up early and get the important things done (Which could just be chilling!) before the day really “starts ” 🙂 I’ve been trying to get up earlier and it’s SO nice to not rush around in the morning!
I love the mornings as well! I don’t get up quite as early as you, but I can definitely relate to how the morning holds a special place in your heart as being you “me time”. There’s something about the quietness and serenity that get me ready for the day :).
I need to be better about drinking as much water! Do you ever drink coffee, or do you mostly stick to tea :)?
I definitely drink coffee! Love that stuff <3 I tend to have it a little later in the morning, though... usually around 10 or so.
I typically get up at 6 a.m. I haven’t this summer, but today I did and when I go back to school I will. I either go to the gym or go for a run. Or lately I’ve been having quiet time for the first party of my morning. If I do go to the gym then I spend the rest of my morning slowly getting ready. Love mornings 🙂 I enjoyed getting to peak into your morning routine!
You should totally move to east coast, that way we could be up at the same time together! I love the early mornings – I don’t mind waking so early because it is my optimal time for getting things accomplished…I actually woke up and decided not to have my oatmeal concoction and went with ezekial raisin toast with pb, a little banana and blueberries. Not sure what came over me but it was delish! Of course lunch today will now be steel cut oat, greek yogurt and fruit parfait. I can’t go without having it at some point each day.
😆 I’m the same exact way. There’ll be the odd time that I’ll crave something other than oats or cereal in the morning, but it’s always bound to make an appearance later in the day.
I live on the east coast and I wake up at 4:30ish too! I start my day with a morning warm up, CNN, blogging, and breakfast which is usually cereal or hot quinoa flakes!
thats early, but if you works for you why change it! On my work days im up at 530, today I didnt wake up until 830! woo hoo! You remind me that I need to stretch more 🙂 THanks
I usually get up between 5-5:30am and although I dread it 9 times out of 10, I get over it in about 5 minutes and then love the extra time I get from it. I always feel like I’m missing out on time if I wake up later than 7am, so I try to keep this consistent even on the weekends (sometimes this is difficult though).
Waking up that early everyday would leave me with a 7 o’clock bedtime or extreme amounts of coffee. Most of my mornings include coffee anyway. I’m a big fan of drinking lots of water in the morning. I feel better hydrated and aim to get half my water intake by noon.
I used to always wake up early, but I have started sleeping in more. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I live in a basement now, so I can blOck out more light. I have always woken up with the sun, so if I don’t have good blinds, I may be up at 5am depending on where I am!
Sounds like you found a beautiful way to fill your morning hours. I am considering myself an early bird getting up around 6 every morning 😉 , since my boyfriend is more of the “I can sleep until 2 pm if you’d let me” kind of guy. And I would never give up those morning hours which are just mine. I even thought about moving my sleeping schedule to get up like half an hour earlier to have a bit more time for my yoga session before heading to the office. And that is something else that I enjoy: starting work early. Since I can decide whenever I like to come to the office and do my hours, I usually start around 7 am and am done in the early afternoon. That gives me the feeling to have so much more day left to fill with things I love.
I used to consider myself a morning person. Until I met you, that is. 4am?!? That’s just crazy. Although, I had the 12-6 schedule going for a while there! Damn school. Your mornings do sound pretty relaxing though. I love having time to move slowly in the morning. It just starts my day off on a nice, relaxed note, rather than a rushed and stressed one.
That sounds like such a relaxing, good start to the day — I wish I had time/the will to get up earlier!! The alarm goes off at 6, and i usually turn it off and then get out of bed at about 6:20! Breakfast this morning was a smoothie with chocolate protein and frozen banana/berries (I have yet to try to sweet potato yet!) — i think the essential thing in my morning is my coffee, puppy snuggles — oh and a shower – can’t function without one!
Your morning sounds equally a nice! Puppy snuggles would definitely be on my list if I had a dog as well.
So, I seriously wish I woke up at 4:30 a.m. everyday. I could get SO much done that way. I get up at 6:45 every morning and am out the door for work by 7:30. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that since I can’t get up that early, I workout and shower in the evening instead of the a.m. Maybe one day I can train myself to get up that early.
I can’t eat super early in the a.m., so I bring my breakfast to work and eat it around 9 or 9:30. This morning it’s a chocolate banana protein smoothie. Yummy!
Um, were we totally thinking on the same page this morning? Haha, I swear our posts are quite similar;) This makes me even more convinced we’re super alike. I’m pretty darn sure my mornings are almost identical to how you start yours and not too surprisingly I’m an early riser as well.
This morning I actually woke up quite late (for me) 6:00!
What a beautiful, relaxing morning routine! I love mornings too, especially in the summer when you can catch the sun rising. It’s perfect. I’m on summer holiday now, but my regular “teacher routine” starts at 4:45, but it’s all rush rush rush. Although the streetcar ride to work, even I can get a seat by the window, is nice and calming. Enjoy your day!
Waking up that early would drive me bonkers, and that really says something since I’m a morning person. Then again, I have this problem where I always have to feel so darn “productive.” It’s kind of annoying, really. No partying like it’s 1999 for me… at least not on weekday mornings.
I have that same issue with productivity… I actually think that’s part of the reason why my brain wakes me up so early – it feels like it needs to start crossing things off the to-do list so they don’t pile up.
An essential part of my morning is getting my sweat sesh in, although I simultaneously look forward to and dread rest days. Look forward to because that means I can “sleep in” and generally be a little bit lazier. Dread because my morning workout is like my meditative time–it’s just me, my thoughts, and the open road (or, in most cases, the treadmill. :P) I’d love to be able to wake up earlier in the mornings because I always feel so rushed trying to get things done on time (and I’m just terribly late to everything anyways), but I suppose, like everything in life, that’s both a blessing and a curse. 🙂
I also woke up at 430 today! I’m thinking we should be breakfast buddies or something since we are the only two awake at that hour…
Deal! But I think our time zones are different 😛
I woke up at 5 this morning, (or made me wake up), – my normal time when I get a workout in before work. My meditation is essential for my day, as is a good amount of water with lemon and acv – these 4 things (meditation, lemon water, ecv, workout) are so important for my day and I absolutely live it. Even on vacation I normally start my days like this. There is of course 1-2 days I sleep in (Sat or Sun) – and this is just as blissful for a change. And yes, I can sleep till 9 easily, despite being a morning person.
Yes, you should move to the east coast! 🙂
I love this.. my favorite thing is to take mornings slow and not be rushed. I don’t think 4 will ever be my awakening time, though! I would like to start waking up earlier to get things done before the craziness of the day comes. I’m still on honeymoon time, though.. tomorrows wake up will be quite painful! haha
I woke up at 8:30, am going to have oatmeal (best thing ever!) and i can’t live without tazo zen tea in the morning!
I love these type of posts.. you know getting a sneak peak into your everyday life, Ha Ha!
I wake up at 4 AM every morning, and the first thing I do [besides give Joshua a morning kiss] is write in my journal. I make it a point to write what I’m grateful for, and any thoughts that I may have at the moment.
I’m actually envious of your wake up time! I have to set an alarm just so I don’t sleep until 9. I am a morning person at heart, but my body disagrees.
And I’m envious of your ability to sleep in! The grass is always greener… eh? 😉
I woke up at my normal time which was after snoozing my alarm 4x. I don’t do well in the morning. I had some dry Honey Rice Puffin’s — my fave! I seriously don’t have anything essential to do in the morning aside from just getting ready for work.
I woke up at 6:30 this morning! A lot of mornings I wake up around 5:50, though, so that I can get out for a walk before work. And my morning is never complete without a little blogging time! 🙂
I used to hate waking up early. I mean, I’ve always been a morning person but I usually was out of the house within 15-20 minutes of waking up. Now that I’m awake by 6 almost every morning, most of the time I have 2 hours before I have to be somewhere. I read blogs, books, lay in bed and respond I texts. I like the extra time in the morning now before I have to be somewhere. I can’t go anywhere until 8 anyways living on a boat, so it works out quite nicely for me and forces me to relax.
I absolutely love this post. I am such a HUGE fan of early mornings and getting up early and enjoying my mornings is what I do on a regular basis. I don’t have to get up nearly as early as I do, and a lot of people think I’m crazy waking up so early if I have no need to, but my early morning time to myself definitely helps me get my day off on a good note. I wake up by 5 am usually every morning during the week, a little later on the weekends, but still have those quiet mornings all to myself. LOVE them…wouldn’t give them up either. 🙂
It’s crazy because I used to be the complete opposite – there were days where I’d be going to sleep at 4 whereas now it’s the time I wake up. Never say never, I guess…
Today I woke up at 6:20. Usually I wake up anywhere between 5:30-6:30. If I work out first then I’m out the door by 5:45, but if not i get to lie in bed til 6:50 🙂 which i love to do and just gather my thoughts, think about whats ahead for the day and all of that. and breakfast hasnt happened yet, I’m not sure what i’m in the mood for. i do have a huge nonfat blonde misto next to me though 🙂
😆 Still with the mistos?! I have to admit that I haven’t been faithful to my cappuccinos 😕 But I’m starting to crave ’em again so one might make an appearance soon.
Today, I woke up as usual around 6am, and ate a breakfast of Barbara’s Bakery Snackimals (YES, like you, I finally purchased a box – today, I tried the vanilla flavor… so yummy!), Special K Red Berries, Yoplait 100 Greek Peach yogurt, a banana and coffee!