Wake up Sunshine!

One of my biggest obsessions of 2021 was the discovery of how effective my day, demeanor, and focus dramatically changed when I started getting up at 5 am and perfected my perfect morning routine.

This obsession started after a rant sesh with my therapist about how my chaotic messy life never allowed me any time for myself. I was always late or in a rush, juggling a million things, completely unorganized, with a brain capacity to only keep track of what was happening at that exact minute.

She gifted me a book called “The 5am Club” by Robin Sharma and it completely changed my life. Grab it, read it, and share it because it is 1000% worth the read.

The benefits that I get with my morning routine and why I try to protect it at all costs.

1. Increase in Productivity

2. Keeps me motivated from falling into bad eating patterns.

3. Significantly improved my energy and focus levels.

4. Assists with my mental health, eliminating the stress of being late or unorganized.

5. Most importantly, gives 2 solid uninterrupted hours to focus on just me.

As you review my morning schedule below, keep in mind that I have designed it in a way that works best for me. I will highly recommend folks to try it but also find alternatives in the routine that works better for you (than share it!).

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4:45am: Alarm Rings!

Hop your ass out of bed and don’t even think about it! Turning your alarm off and laying there debating if you should actually get up is a waste of time as your brain will auto-default to “nope stay in bed”. This is also not the time to check texts/emails/social.

It takes me 5mins to get out of bed, put on my workout clothes, and get my ass downstairs.

4:55ish: The Pups + Water

I spend another 5-10mins or so getting the pups out to the backyard for their much-needed bathroom break while I down a full cup of cold water to shock my metabolism.

5am: 20min Sweat Sesh

DO NOT go to the gym! This isn’t a “let's spend 10-15min+ driving to the gym to be there for 20mins and spend another 10-15mins+ driving back” sweat sesh. The drive alone will kill a solid 30-45mins of time or more. This is a solid 20min sweat sesh in your home. I put some jams in my ear, jump on my elliptical and sweat it out for 20 mins and 20 mins ONLY. This is not the time to get cray and do a 30-45min + workout, you can do that in the 2nd half of your day if you have the time. 20 SOLID SWEATING MINUTES to shock that body and wake it up. If you don't have a cardio machine at home, hop on Youtube and Cardio Dance for 20mins.

5:20-5:30: Stretch + Strength

I like to spend between 8-10mins stretching and adding a few push-ups, sit-ups, and squats (max of 3 sets of 10 each).

5:30am: Shower

A quick shower and get ready for the day.

6am: Reflection + Prep

I spend about 20 mins journaling and reflecting on how I am currently doing. I love Jenna’s “How are you really?” journal. Get deep! Write about things living rent-free on your mind, your current mood, what's bothering you, and what you plan on focusing on for the day. Some people may choose to meditate instead of journaling which is also a great alternative.

I usually design my day the night prior, so I spend 5-10mins giving it a glance to remind myself of where the day is headed.

6:30am: Read.

If Milah has school I will read for a good 30mins before getting miss McBratty up at 7am. That allows me to spend quality time with her by getting her dressed for school, last-minute study guides, and having breakfast. But on days when she is off, I will read for a full hour.

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SLEEP: If you go to bed around 11pm/midnight please don’t get up at 5am. I can’t express enough the importance of getting full 7-8 hours of sleep every night. I am usually in bed by 9:30pm. I take a hot shower right before to decompress which allows me to knock out quickly. If for any reason I happen to stay up later, I am not waking up early. Sleep is extremely important. If you need more convincing, please read “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker which is absolutely fantastic.

SUNDAYS: I sleep in! My body happens to be used to being up early so “sleeping in” usually means until 5:45/6am ish, however, I don’t set my alarm and I am up when I am up.