My Morning Routine

How we begin our morning sets the tone for how the rest of our day will go.  If we've hit snooze half-a-dozen times before getting up and rushing out the door, we will most likely feel hurried and scattered for the rest of the day.  If we skip out on a nourishing breakfast and instead opt for coffee and a candy-bar, our blood sugar levels are going to be all out of whack, making it hard to focus and maintain our energy.  When we begin our day with intention, the rest of our day will follow suit.  That's not to say that frustrating things aren't going to happen (coffee spills occur and no one can predict traffic) but that we can at least do our part in trying to set the tone.

Since my adolescence  I've come to savor my mornings.  I like to start them early and spend my time waking up.  I try to spend some time in reflection and in prayer before moving on to eating a filling breakfast and getting ready for the day ahead.  These mornings aren't always what I intend them to be, sometimes I wake up, roll over and immediately grab my phone.  Others, I stay in my pajamas past noon and eat cake for breakfast.  I've noticed though, that when I take the time to get up with the sun, reflect, and nourish myself my days tend go a lot better. 

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6:00 AM

Wake up.

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6:15 AM

I wash my face, mist, and moisturize while Kyle get's up and makes us coffee.

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6:30 AM

By now I've settled onto the couch with my coffee and toast and am ready for some time reading the Bible, in prayer, and in reflection.  As the sun begins to rise I open the windows to let in the light.

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7:30 AM

I get up and go make the bed, straighten up the house, and open the rest of the blinds.  I'll get dressed, put on some minimal make-up and then go make some breakfast.  Breakfast can range from anything from oatmeal with granola and berries to boiled eggs and toast.

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8:00 AM

I sit down in our home office with a glass of water, ready to start the work day!  I turn my phone off of air-plane mode and check my various social media accounts and that of my clients.  I then move on to checking emails before starting work on personal and/or client projects.  My to-do list does a great job of keeping me focused and on track!

10:30 AM

If you couldn't tell already I eat a lot... so this is usually when I get my mid-morning snack and take a few minute break.  I usually have a salad or fruit with a cup of tea.  I sometimes throw a load of laundry in the wash or give myself a little massage with my foam roller sitting back down to work.

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10:48 AM

After my mid-morning snack I'm usually pretty energized and feeling creative so I'll often take any photographs that I need to take, work on some blog posts, or plan out posts for my clients.

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12:20 PM

Lunch time.  On a typical day I'll have leftovers (i.e. rice + wantons) and a salad with some kombucha.

Note:

There are certainly mornings where this routine is thrown out the window - where I sleep in, go straight to my phone, have cake for breakfast, etc.  I also serve at a local soup kitchen one morning a week.

Reference:

Photography by: Zoe Grant | Styling by: Anna Eskridge