My Morning Routine for a Healthy + Productive Day

I haven’t always been a morning person. In fact, I was a night owl for most of my life, going to bed when my parents were waking up. I remember pretending to be asleep on the sofa, or quietly sneaking upstairs when I heard my dad making his morning coffee. It wasn’t until I went to college, and for anyone else who was in design school knows, you have more than enough all nighters and most of your nights consist of late nights, packs of peanut m+m’s and popcorn to get you through, and florescent lights straining your eyes by the early hours of the morning.

In addition to design school, I rowed crew for a couple of years. Practice was at 5 am, which meant we had to meet at 4:30, which meant I had to be up by 4 to eat a quick breakfast and throw on some warm clothes. I had classes from 8-5, and then I worked at the mall from 6-11 most nights. So, pretty must those 5 hours were dedicated to homework and whatever was left, sleeping. I never really found it difficult though. I am a pretty intense person that is always on the go. I find it boring if I don’t have anything to do, and quiet honestly, it can be really hard for me to relax. I absolutely love what I do and love working, and I’ve never really found it work. I guess that’s why I can keep on going and don’t feel burnt out.

I will say, over the years as I get older, I've definitely changed my routine and changed how I spend my mornings. I love having a routine. Just like Kona, I am a creature of habit, and I love feeling like I'm setting myself up for a productive day.

So let's get into it.

Feeding Kona

First thing is first. Kona would not let me forget to feed him. In fact, as soon as he hears by 6:00am alarm go off, he is right in my face licking it and waddling around that it's a new day and time to be fed. He knows right when he wakes up he gets his breakfast and then gets to snuggle on the sofa. So, he is eager to get me up as soon as possible!

Morning beverage

This changes for me. I would love to say that every single morning I'm drinking my warm lemon water with ACV, but in reality, that just doesn't happen. While yes, I do have ACV everyday, and I take probiotics, it doesn't always happen right away. I really just listen to my body and see how I feel. Sometimes, I just need a large cup of coffee right when I wake up. Other times, I will take my Organifi Pure to clear my head and give a natural brain boost.

Devotional

The next thing I do is a devotional from the Bible app or read a few chapters from my bible. This really gets my mind focused and always sets the tone for the day on a good, positive note.

Duolingo

Over the last couple of years I’ve been trying to learn Italian. I mean, its going okay? I’m still working on English so I didn’t have high expectations! haha I've learned a good amount, and I'm excited to be able to speak to locals the next time we head to Italy!

Workout

I'm still working out every morning, and it's really the best thing to get my body and mind ready for the day. I mostly do resistance training, but I also love mixing in kickboxing, yoga and running in, too. I used to workout in the evening years ago. But, I started switching to the mornings because my schedule was so unpredictable, and I always felt like I was anxious to get back to work and wouldn't get a good workout in. By doing it in the morning before work, I'm able to workout with a clear mind.

Breakfast

So, I don't eat before I workout. I used to, but I actually stopped maybe a few months ago. Sometimes if I'm slightly hunger I'll put some coconut oil and collagen in my coffee. But, I don't typically need to. I will say do what works for you! It wasn't for any reason other than I started working out quicker from when I work up then before, so my body just didn't have as much time to digest my food, and I didn't feel great when I was working out.

Breakfast is definitely my favorite meal of the day. I love love love my smoothies. I've always loved them, and I've found my favorite protein brand with Organifi. I love how clean the ingredients are, and how it's GF, DF and plant based. I've tried so many proteins, but some are weird tasting or chalky, and I'm not about that life. You can actually save 15% off your order if you use code HANNAHO at checkout! (But only if you want!)

I make my smoothies a little different each day. But, what stays consistent is a blend of 1-2 frozen fruits like bananas, strawberries or blueberries. I mix in a scoop of vanilla or chocolate protein, throw in some of the wheatgrass we are growing, ice and water. I top it with all the toppings because we all know that toppings are amazing. These will include things like chia seeds, flax, walnuts, almonds, almond butter, peanut butter, and/or coconut flakes. I usually will pick 3 from that list depending on what I want that day!

I hope this helped you give a better insight as to how I start my day! Once I eat my breakfast, I'm fully ready for the day and start work.

-Han