I am not a morning person. I never have been. I used to emanate an evil aura in the early a.m., and unfortunately, I was also a notorious “hit snooze” culprit, so my alarm going off for a couple of hours every morning also ruined the moods of everyone around me.

However, mornings, while limited in hours, are the most crucial time slot of the day. The energy that you start your mornings off with shapes and forms the rest of your day, so it is essential to plan your mornings out deliberately so that you satisfy your nutritional, spiritual and mental health needs. 

Morning routines will look a little different for everybody, but what’s most important is your consistency with them. In order to fully commit to productive mornings, you need to be waking up at roughly the same time every day, avoiding your phone until you can truly afford to be distracted, and preparing your mind, soul and body for the rest of your day. These are the most fundamental gifts that you can give yourself. 

I choose to plan out my mornings on a written schedule; it varies slightly depending on the day of the week (might do a bit of yoga in the park on Saturdays). It’s all about finding what works best for you.. I have a tendency to write literally everything in checklist format, because I feel accomplished every time, I cross something off my list. Walk my precious sweet dog… check.

But to spare y’all the unnecessary components of my schedule, here is what my mornings generally look like:

7:30 a.m. Wake up. Take health shots (i.e. charcoal and ginger, for detoxing). Drink a glass of water with one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (detoxing, antibacterial properties, improves cardiovascular health, clear skin, anti-aging) and fresh lemon juice (digestive health, antioxidants, immune system health). Crush a clove of fresh garlic and cut it into small pieces (to activate the enzyme allicin), and swallow with water (for anti-inflammatory, antioxidative and antibacterial properties). Take probiotics.

7:50 a.m. Breakfast: protein shake. Wash dishes immediately after.

• Protein powder of your choice (I use pea protein)
• Liquid of your choice (I use soy milk)
• Green powdered supplements (i.e. supergreens powder, sea greens powder)
• 1 large carrot
• Handful of spinach
• 1 finger of fresh clove of turmeric 

8:30 a.m. Pray. 

• This step is especially important because at this point, I’ve prepared my body for the day, but what about my soul? Spiritual health is the most neglected aspect of most people. It is pushed off to times of crisis, but why wait until you get to that point? Begin building your relationship with the Lord now, and you will have His strength to lean on every moment of every day.

8:45 a.m. Get ready. Do skincare. Moisturize.

9:30 a.m. Begin day! Take care of everything that you need to at this point. I try to maximize the sunlight I get to every day and incorporate some kind of exercise or weightlifting into my routines. 

At this point, I have prepared my mind, body and soul for the day. I feel fully energized, and eager for what is to come. I’ve learned over time that while hitting snooze several times is more instantly gratifying, rushing over your morning routine in order to get to work or school ends up damaging you more in the long run. If you’re tired, adjust your nighttime routine, or look to nutrition, building a more relaxing atmosphere, or exercising consistently to naturally build your energy levels. Hustling through your precious morning hours only creates a feedback loop; you won’t be prepared for your day, and your body, mind and soul will pay the price. Everything gets pushed back a couple of hours, and once again, you’ll find yourself going to sleep too late and then waking up tired. Break this cycle.

As with all habit building and life changes, what’s most important is committing to a couple of changes at a time and executing them in the long run. People who change little at a time, but fully dedicate themselves to these changes, prove more successful in long term growth than people who try to do too much and lose momentum. 

Stay tuned for Healthy Habit Building: Nights!