Your Morning Routine

[grenade]

I'm sitting on my bed in a towel with makeup spread out, 5 minutes until work officially starts.

What's your morning routine? Could you switch things up easily? How long have you had the same routine?

[Orema]

Originally Posted by grenade

I'm sitting on my bed in a towel with makeup spread out, 5 minutes until work officially starts.

What's your morning routine? Could you switch things up easily? How long have you had the same routine?

I start my workday off slowly and quietly. It takes me 1.5 to 2 hours to get out the door after waking up. I shower, dress, makeup my face and my bed, style my hair, and make breakfast. Sometimes I eat breakfast at home on the patio, but I usually eat my breakfast when I get to work.

I probably could get out the door in 45 minutes to an hour, but I don't want to. I don't like rushing in the mornings when I have go to work. I'd rather get up an hour earlier than needed just to have that extra time on my own. When I had a dog, I used to walk her in the mornings.

It's changed over the years. The older I get, the more time I want in the mornings. I've had this routine for about 12 years.

Yeah, I could switch things up. Right now I have a short commute to work. I'd switch it up if I had a long commute. I'd also change this routine if I worked from home. In part, I have a long routine in the morning because I'm around people during the day. The time on my own in the mornings is good for me when I'm around people during the day. On days when I work at home, I do the same things, but in less time.

[Blade]

I've been on medical leave for the past 12 weeks. I go back to work next week and that is going to real shake up my current morning routine.

Wake at 3:30 am
Pee and brush my teeth and hair
Throw my lunch and breakfast in my lunch box
Throw my clothes on and my boots
Let Skippy out to pee real quick
4am take off to work
4:30am arrive at work eat my breakfast
5am clock in and get a wiggle on

[randrum]

My morning routine has been anything by routine for a while. And I'm suffering from it. I find I do better with a routine. I work flexible hours, but my "core hours" are 8 AM - 3 PM.

My (ideal) morning routine:
5:05 AM - Wake-up, walk the dog, brush my teeth (<-I don't feel human until I brush my teeth)
5:30 AM - Get to the gym
6:30 AM - Home to shower, dress, make breakfast, feed the dog.
7:30 AM - Head out to for work.

My routine lately:
5:05 AM - Alarm goes off; I turn it off and roll over
6:30-7:00 AM - I sort of wake up and lay in bed checking email or playing games on my phone
7:00 AM (ish) - Get out of bed, linger in the shower, feed the dog and walk him
7:45 AM (ish) - Run out the door and grab breakfast on the way to work

[cinnamongrrl]

First thing I do is let the dogs and cat out

Then I boil water for coffee and let that steep (French press)

If I'm doing something that day (work or play) I use coffee steeping time to prepare. Or I do yoga.

Usually I have breakfast (yogurt or oatmeal. Bigger breakfast if I'm off that day)

I like to do wash in the mornings so I can hang it out.

Some mornings, like today, I get out for a walk or hike with the dogs before work.

[*Anya*]

It takes me about two hours in the morning before I am ready to leave for work.

It could take less but I like to poke around and take my time.

I wake up at 6, kiss the still sleeping girlfriend, try not to feel jealous that she is retired and I am not, turn the coffee grinder/maker on. Go to the bathroom.

Coffee ready. Throw some egg whites in the microwave or have an Atkins shake.

Drink coffee, watch the news both local and CNN, read little on my iPad and eat breakfast.

An hour has now gone.

Time for a shower, wash my hair, brush my teeth and get dressed.

Sit with another half a cup of coffee.

Watch 5 minutes of Fox news (all I can stomach), grab something for lunch.

Out the door to hit the freeway.

Monday's are pretty good. I figure people call off sick because traffic is always light.

Traffic Tuesday-Thursday, sucks. Friday is a tad lighter. People take a day off or call in sick.

Depending on traffic, it can take 20 minutes or 45 minutes to get to work.

[Smiling]

I feel like this is the right way to start the day. I just don't know how to get there. I guess I need to discipline myself to push through the exhaustion and just get up as soon as the alarm goes off.


Orema, (or anyone else who manages to get up early on a consistent basis) are you naturally a morning person or do you have a secret that you could share with those of us who have trouble getting up in the mornings?

I'm taking notes!

Originally Posted by Orema

I start my workday off slowly and quietly. It takes me 1.5 to 2 hours to get out the door after waking up. I shower, dress, makeup my face and my bed, style my hair, and make breakfast. Sometimes I eat breakfast at home on the patio, but I usually eat my breakfast when I get to work.

I probably could get out the door in 45 minutes to an hour, but I don't want to. I don't like rushing in the mornings when I have go to work. I'd rather get up an hour earlier than needed just to have that extra time on my own. When I had a dog, I used to walk her in the mornings.

It's changed over the years. The older I get, the more time I want in the mornings. I've had this routine for about 12 years.

Yeah, I could switch things up. Right now I have a short commute to work. I'd switch it up if I had a long commute. I'd also change this routine if I worked from home. In part, I have a long routine in the morning because I'm around people during the day. The time on my own in the mornings is good for me when I'm around people during the day. On days when I work at home, I do the same things, but in less time.

[*Anya*]

Originally Posted by Smiling

I feel like this is the right way to start the day. I just don't know how to get there. I guess I need to discipline myself to push through the exhaustion and just get up as soon as the alarm goes off.


Orema, (or anyone else who manages to get up early on a consistent basis) are you naturally a morning person or do you have a secret that you could share with those of us who have trouble getting up in the mornings?

I'm taking notes!

I am a morning person. I always have been. It is an unusual day that I don't wake up before my iPad goes off with "All Over the World" by ELO. (I used to use Mr. Blue Sky but changed it last week).

I go to bed early, around 9:30 or 10:00PM, read for 30 minutes and then lights out.

My GF is a late night person (usually 12:30AM) so she sleeps later in the morning. On weekends, I stay up with her but I still wake up around 6-6:30. I love that time. It is quiet and I can take my time waking up and enjoying my coffee.

I really don't think that you can make an early bird a night owl or vice versa.

I have been an early bird since I was a little girl.

[JDeere]

I am not a morning person really, I get up when I have to go to work or do stuff before it gets too hot during the day.

I get up, go to the bathroom, shower, get dressed and drink a cup of coffee. Then off to start my day!

[cinnamongrrl]

Yoga and coffee are my least variables in my morning routine...

Most days I'm coming home after a 12 or 14 hour shift. On those days it's coffee then yoga then breakfast.

On my days off, like today, it's yoga while coffee brews and then breakfast.

Then it'll be music while I clean (I'm feeling for Chopin today) and today I may make an early lunch so I can head out for a good hike with the dogs.

[Chad]

Work mornings - I get up at 5:00 am, make coffee to go, pack breakfast and lunch to go, shower, dress, feed the kitties and head out the door in 50 minutes to catch the commuter van.

Weekends - get up around 8:00 am lounge around for a couple of hours make a big breakfast, shower, dress, and run errands.

[Brooklyn]

Originally Posted by Smiling

I feel like this is the right way to start the day. I just don't know how to get there. I guess I need to discipline myself to push through the exhaustion and just get up as soon as the alarm goes off.


Orema, (or anyone else who manages to get up early on a consistent basis) are you naturally a morning person or do you have a secret that you could share with those of us who have trouble getting up in the mornings?

I'm taking notes!

I have never been a morning person. I like to ease into my day for the most part. My fam always said the only way I would rush out the door is if my house was on fire-- and they were not lying. I have just never been that person.

I think the key has been for me to discipline myself to go to bed at a decent time. Not at midnight or 1am and expect to feel "fresh" when I have to get up by 5:30am.

Also, I have never needed an alarm clock. Once my body gets used to a certain time I just get up then (even on the weekends). Not sure how it does it, but it always has even when I was younger.

[MsTinkerbelly]

Originally Posted by Smiling

I feel like this is the right way to start the day. I just don't know how to get there. I guess I need to discipline myself to push through the exhaustion and just get up as soon as the alarm goes off.


Orema, (or anyone else who manages to get up early on a consistent basis) are you naturally a morning person or do you have a secret that you could share with those of us who have trouble getting up in the mornings?

I'm taking notes!

When I was in high school I had to get myself up every day and take a city bus to school. My
Dad married a woman who lived a bit away from my high school, and I didn't want to change my senior year when we moved. I had to set my alarm clock across the room so that I would have to get out of bed to turn it off.

My morning routine NEVER varies, even if I have to be somewhere early, as the pets have to be taken care of before I do anything for me. If my routine gets thrown off, then I forget my pills or something equally as important as I stand in the middle of the room wondering what to do with myself.

[Orema]

Originally Posted by Smiling

I feel like this is the right way to start the day. I just don't know how to get there. I guess I need to discipline myself to push through the exhaustion and just get up as soon as the alarm goes off.


Orema, (or anyone else who manages to get up early on a consistent basis) are you naturally a morning person or do you have a secret that you could share with those of us who have trouble getting up in the mornings?

I'm taking notes!

Hey, Smiling ... Just seeing your posting. I am a morning person and love getting up before dawn, have been doing it since I was a teenager when I would get up to make breakfast for my father. I go to bed early. Usually around 8pm and am asleep by 9. I often wake up around 2am and cat nap till 4am. The later I go to bed, the later I get up, so I make a point of going to bed early. And, I don't have children at home—that would change everything. With children I would get up later and go to bed later (to keep an eye on them).