8 things I do before 8AM

These are things that really try my hardest to do first thing in the morning because they set the tone for the day, and I hope they help you too!!

1. The very first thing I do when I open my eyes in the morning (around 7:10), other than whisper to Penelope that she is the best thing that has ever happened to me and that I love her so much, is wash my face and put on my daily morning skincare (post coming VERY soon, look out for it!) I do this first thing when I wake up because I like to let the products that I put on my face actually have the time to sink in before I apply my makeup for the day (if I’m wearing any that day)

2. and 3. actually go together, water & vitamins! While I’m doing my skincare and brushing my teeth, I drink a huge cup (usually 20oz or so) of water. I’m constantly drinking water throughout the day, so when I wake up from an 8 hour slumber, you better believe my body is going to be thirsty and need water. This is also a great time for me to take my handful of vitamins (let me know in the comments below if you want a blog post about the vitamins I take, I know this can be a kind of personal subject but I’m happy to share!)  

3. water and vitamins 

4. After that, I crawl back in bed for a few more minutes of snuggling with Penelope. During the snugs session, I set my timer for 10 minutes. I try to answer as many DMs and respond to as many comments on IG as I can before the timer goes off. I understand that for the normal person, this may not be a step you need to take, but before I started the blog, this is the time where I would look at my to do list from the day before and write down ONE thing that I told myself I was going to do the day before that I never got around to doing and make that a priority that day. An example is yesterday I needed to ship some clothes back and I didn’t get around to it, so I wrote down post office. I love writing things in my notes app (actually I love a real notebook but I use the notes app for this bc my notebook is on the table in the living room usually) because that way, I can go back to it throughout the day and physically see what I need to get done. Also, it is unrealistic to think that you will be able to complete your task every single day, LIFE HAPPENS and thats ok, but at least you wrote down what you wanted to get done, so the next day you have a better chance of getting around to it rather than forgetting about it! And as obvious as it sounds, writing it down helps me remember because I know myself, and if I don’t write it down I will absolutely forget about it throughout the day. So if I open my notes app half way through the day and see that note that I wrote earlier, it’s kind of like an “aha” with a side of  “Oh crap” moment that pushes me to get it done, whereas, if I hadn’t written it down I wouldn’t have even remembered because I am, as my mom would say, a space cadet. She used to tell me that I would forget my head if it wasn’t attached to my body. Whoops!! Once my alarm goes off, I know it’s onto number 5!

5. Make the bed. I started making the bed within the first 30 minutes or so of me waking up about 6 months ago and it has helped my productivity SO much throughout the day. Who would have thought that something so simple could be so amazing for your productivity?! Since I work from home, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t’ difficult to stay in bed an extra 15 mins and or get in bed for a quick 10 min nap when I hit that 4pm slump, but making the bed in the morning actually tricks my mind into thinking that I can’t get back in because its already tidied up for the day. Try it for a week and let me know how it goes!

6. Breakfast! I used to do intermittent fasting for about a year before I saw my naturopath in January, who told me that although it works wonders for some people, my body/hormones/thyroid isn’t cut out for that, so about a year ago I started eating breakfast within an hour of waking up and OH. MY. GOD. You would think I would have been smart enough to realize the reason I was so sluggish in the morning was because I had no food in my system to fuel my body, but I didn’t put two and two together until she spelled it out for me. The change I not only saw in my mood and energy levels but also in my body was indescribable. So, needless to say, I will be eating breakfast everyday for the rest of my life hahaha. Also, breakfast is my favorite meal so it works out perfectly. If you want to see a what I eat in a day, let me know below!

7. Movement! After I finish breakfast I like to get some movement into my body for 5-10 minutes. Not to be confused with a full blown workout, although that works for some people and more power to them! But at this point in my morning, I have a full belly of water & breakfast so I want that to digest first before I workout. My 10-15 min movement is almost always a walk with Penelope. I love getting outside at this time of day because it’s still pretty quiet and since I live in LA that sun is almost always shining at this hour! If you don’t have a dog, or maybe you live somewhere that is super cold and just can’t bring yourself to go on a walk, no biggie. There are tons of ways to get the blood flowing indoors! Do some light yoga, stretching or dance around the living room!

8. Last, but DEFINITELY not least, I sit down at the table and I make a to do list for the day. This list is a list of all of the things that I want to get done and it doesn’t have to be just for today, either. I usually make a daily to do and a weekly to do list. But in addition to writing down the to do list, I try to tackle the toughest task FIRST. I am known to be a procrastinator, just ask Jon. I tend to leave the big projects to the last minute, (packing is a great example for me) which actually hurts my productivity in the end because I’m subconsciously carrying the weight of this huge task throughout the day, which means I will actually be less productive.

And thats all of the things that I TRY to do before 8AM! The title of this blog post could also be 8 things I do within the first hour of waking up, as I use this as a guide to start my day on the right foot, but it doesn’t always have to be before 8AM. If you have to be to work at 8AM, or you work nights and don’t wake up until noon, thats ok!! It’s more so to set the tone of your day! Let me know if any of these things help you feel more productive throughout the day 🙂 Let me know some of your morning routine that you do that sets the tone for your day! I’d love to try some out!!