5 Things To Do Before 8 AM

Happy Wednesday, friends!

The past few weeks have been pretty crazy over here. Life is picking up quick and I feel like I am always so busy these days! As of the beginning of March, my German language class is now in the morning section as opposed to last months afternoon section where I didn’t get out of class until 6pm. This month I have to be out of the door by 8:30am [or 8:15am if I am stopping at the coffee shop 😋]. I enjoy the morning class so much more because I finish class at 1pm and I am still able to get so much done throughout my day. Not to mention I have always been a morning person and feel the most energized after I wake up. I love to get ready, enjoy my cup of coffee and get my day started. I have noticed this month I have a much better schedule throughout my entire day compared to previous months of living abroad. Part of this reason is because I have my morning routine down. Having a good morning routine can help change the outlook on the rest of your day. Here are some tips to help you kick start your day-

• Rise earlier: I know you non-morning people are hating me right now *cough, mom cough* but hear me out first before you quickly exit the page. Setting your alarm a tid bit earlier than you normally do will allow for more time to just relax, breathe and plan out your day before all of the chaos begins. Although I am a morning person I am definitely not one to just jump out of bed and run out of the door. I like to go at my own pace, enjoy my cup of coffee, catch up on the news and social media, and plan out my day.

• Get some movement in: I try to work out 3-4x a week and prefer getting my workout in during the morning. This is mainly because that is when I have the most energy and because quite frankly sometimes I like to just get it over with. Ugh, I wish I LOVED working out more but I am just not there, yet. If going to the gym in the morning doesn’t work for you, try turning on some YouTube for at home workouts or yoga sessions! Even if it is just a nice stretch, you will shake the morning grog & sleepiness, and feel awesome throughout the rest of your day.

• Make your bed: You guys, I swear by this. Making my bed is seriously one of my favorite parts of my day. I do it as soon as I get out of bed because then I am less likely to get back in it lol and also because I feel so much more “put together” throughout my day. There are some days when I am crunched on time and so I have to refrain myself from making my bed because I’ll be even more late and I feel so off! The first thing I do when I get home is make my bed, even if it is 6pm at night. I am a cray cray, I know.

• Nourish your mind: While you’re getting ready turn on a podcast, or your favorite song or audio book, anything to get your brain going and to get your excited about your day. Depending on my mood I’ll usually throw on a Podcast that motivates and influences me to be the best version of myself. My current podcast obsessions are: RISE by Rachel Hollis, She Did It Her Way, The Influencer Podcast, and High Heels and a Briefcase.

• Start off the day healthy-ish: Y'all, try swapping out the donuts and sugary cereals for some healthier alternatives. You will feel so so much better throughout the rest of your day. I know it can be difficult to make time for everything in the morning so I'd suggest making a list of what you want to eat throughout the week. My go to breakfast is typically Vanilla Greek Yogurt with oats, chia seeds, and whatever fruit I have on hand, typically strawberries and blueberries. I also like hard boiled eggs, or a piece of toast with peanut butter and a banana. You could also pre-package fruits and greens into a plastic baggy and store then in your freezer the night before to make a yummy smoothie in the morning.

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I know these tips may sound terrible to those of you who are not morning people, but just try and see how you feel. Maybe start by implementing one suggestion at a time. I bet that adding these simple changes into your morning routine will have you feeling awesome + ready to tackle your day. I once had the quote, “Life is getting up an hour early to live an hour more.” on a coffee cup and it spoke to me. Life’s too short - seize the day! What is your go to morning routine? Is there something that you do every morning that guarantees you a good rest of your day? Be sure to let me know what your morning routine is and if you try adding any of these suggestions into your morning. I can't wait to hear.

XO,

Tor