My Morning Routine: How a Health Coach Starts Her Day
Morning routines set the tone for your entire today. And did you know that most successful people have them? They sure do! So today I’m sharing my morning routine and everything I do to start my day off right.
After posting this photo on Instagram yesterday it got me thinking about my morning routine. And more specifically, how a morning routine really impact the rest of your day. It sets the tone for your mood, productivity and overall energy for the next 24 hours. Big time.
And whether you consider yourself a morning person or a night owl, the good news is that everyone can develop a morning routine to start each day on the right foot.
Think of it this way – morning routines are the “secret sauce” of the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed morning folks. It’s what helps them to be more efficient, alert, healthy and thriving in the same 24 hours that we all have. And yep, that’s all determined by what’s done in the first couple of hours after waking.
So today, I thought I’d share a little “behind the scenes” of my morning routine. Of course, travel may shake my routine up a bit, but I try to keep to the same morning routine as much as possible.
My Morning Routine
6:00am Wake up naturally or with my sunrise alarm clock. I’ve had this alarm clock for more than 8 years and swear by it! It’s so much nicer to wake up calm and refreshed with gentle light versus a cortisol-jolting alarm noise.
6:05am Get out of bed, hit the restroom and brush my teeth.
6:10am Walk to the kitchen for a glass of room temperature water. If I have lemon, I’ll squeeze some in, but if not, I’ll just drink a large glass of water. After 7-8 hours without fluid, my body needs to rehydrate.
6:15am Meditate for 15-20 minutes using the Headspace app. The health benefits are astounding. I love listening to Andy Puddicomb’s voice, but in all honesty, using the app is really the only way I can meditate. So I stick with what works.
6:35am It’s time to get active! I’ll either head to the gym, take a yoga class, go for a run/walk in the neighborhood or do some stretches and exercises at home. This hour of activity gets the blood pumping, increases endorphins and really makes me mentally alert for the rest of the day.
7:45am After I workout I’ll either make my post workout green smoothie, a cup of Chemex coffee or some tea (herbal or matcha green tea).
8:00am It’s time for brekkie! Breakfast really is my favorite meal of the day and I always try to have a combo of protein, fats and carbs. Two of my favorite breakfasts are healthy egg muffins (where I literally throw whatever I find in the fridge into the egg cups) and chia pudding that I top with fruit and nuts.
After breakfast I’ll take my vitamins. I’m a huge proponent of getting vitamins and nutrients from real food, but after testing both with and without, I’ve found that I function better with a little boost of vitamin C and methylated vitamin B-Complex. So those I take fairly regularly.
8:30am. Let the work begin. I always start my day by writing down my top three priorities for the day. These could be meeting with a health coaching client, creating a new recipe, editing food photos, writing a new blog post, doing outreach on social media or numerous other things. But taking the time to physically write out my top three priorities keeps me focused and productive for the day.
After that, my morning routine is complete. And I’m refreshed, energized, focused and ready to make it an awesome day!
More Health Coaching Information
- 5 Tips for a Successful Health Coaching Business
- What Exactly is a Health Coach?
- Should You Become a Health Coach? 4 Things to Consider
- Why Integrative Nutrition Isn’t Just a Buzz Word
If you’d like to learn more about the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), the health coaching program I attended, take part in a sample class.
no shower in the morning? do you take at night or after workout? I would think after workout
I normally will shower after a work out :)
Wow! that seems to be really awesome way of starting up your day. Breakfast is an important meal of the day and you cannot just let it go without enriching it.
Thanks for the wonderful tips that you have shared. It’s really inspiring.
Glad this post was inspiring! Breakfast is indeed such an important meal to help fuel your day :)
Hello Lisa, I am 24 years old I was diagnosed in 2013 with lupus and then in 2018 I with kidney failure. I would like to change My style into healthy food style, but I don’t know how. I need coaching or someone push me with guidance. Taking in considerations not all food I’m allowed to eat specially high K & PO . also, I’m allergic to strawberries and shrimp . Please help me to change better to have a good long life.
I appreciate, thank you
Afnan
Hi Afnan – unfortunately, I’m no longer seeing clients individually, but I’d recommend working with a nutritionist or health coach. I wish you all the best!
Um… when do you shower?
Hi Lisa – I normally shower after the gym before I make my green smoothie :)
Is there a health coach and mother morning routine? I wake up at 6 but 3 kids busses are 7:30 and the other 8:30, and I have to be at work by 9.
What exactly do you do as a health Coach.
Hi Reggie – I wrote a separate post about that: https://downshiftology.com/what-is-a-health-coach/
Your morning sounds so productive yet relaxing! I’m definitely jotting a few things down. I love the idea of focusing on 3 things you want to accomplish. I tend to try to over do it and let myself down when I can’t fit it all in.
Glad you found the post informative and helpful Jazmine! :)
I want to become a health coach on Nutrition so let me tell you .Iam a house wife but iam very interested to becoming a health coach pls need your help .
That’s wonderful to hear! Make sure to check out my other blog posts on health coaching and if you’d like more information from the program I attended you can find that here: Integrative Nutrition
I know I’m late to the party but I just happened to find this post on Pinterest and loved reading! I have recently become obsessed with learning other peoples’ morning routines! (I just wrote about my own the other day.) It seems like lots of people swear by morning meditation, I’ll have to check it out :)
I agree, I love reading other people’s morning routines as well. And yes, morning meditation has been foundational for me. :)
I love the idea of having a morning routine and just reading about yours makes me feel more balanced but I have such a hard time going to bed at a decent time and getting up early. I guess I always prioritize other things over consistency but I am only 23 and in college so maybe as life become more settled down I might get to the point where I truly want to commit to one. Great ideas though!
I can totally relate to the struggle, but I can also assure you that life does not get more settled as you get older. Haha. Routines and consistency are just something that have to be prioritized, but I can tell you this, your body will definitely thank you! :) x
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My alarm clock is my 2 year old. I wish my mornings were like this HAHA!
A natural alarm clock for sure! ;) x
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I love this :) Are we the same person ? This sounds exactly like my morning routine! Thanks for sharing!
http://www.enliveninghealth.com
We may not be the same person but great, healthy minds think alike! ;) x
The mornings I’m off to work are just a mess, I hate getting up unnecessarily early… Especially the mornings I’m on call are just… let’s just don’t talk about them… But I’ve got to get me one of those wake up lights!!! The mornings I don’t work I sleep until I wake up. Then a slow start in my pyjama, often with a delicious breakfast ( I’ve often decided and prepared the night before) and when I feel ready I get started with the rest of the day. :)
You will love the sunrise alarm clock! Especially with a work schedule that’s inconsistent or has you rising super early. On your non-work days, give yourself a break…but I would recommend still trying out a schedule. I think you’ll find yourself more relaxed and productive as our bodies like a little predictability. ;) x
Its a good advice. There is one problem though, and thats the nights I’m on call (which is 1-5 a week) I never know how much sleep I’m gonna get and that makes the quality of my sleep poor even the night I actually don’t have to work… So I sharish the mornings I know that no one is gonna wake me up ( neither phone nor clock…). But If I get a wake up light maybe I can set the alarm for 9.00 o’clock , If I haven’t woke up until then. I like to get up between 8 and 9… ;)
So fun to read about your morning routine! I definitely have a morning routine (I’m a creature of habit and thrive on routines, for sure, haha). I get up super early, do some stretching and deep breathing, get through emails and other readings, drink lots of water, work out at 6:00am, and continue on with my other tasks for the day. Love having lots of uninterrupted “me time” in the early hours of the morning.
So much yes on the “me time.” I couldn’t agree more! And you hit the nail on the head with thriving on routine. Flexibility is good for the middle of the day, but morning and evening routines really have us perform our best. :) x