For a few months now, I’ve been waking up early most days of the week. By early, I mean before 6 am :O I’ve never been morning person, I actually used to HATE waking up anytime before 10 am 🙈

I’ve found that waking up early and having a productive morning has radically changed my life. I’m usually done with my morning obligations at 8 or 9am, ready to start my day. It’s SUCH A GREAT FEELING to check off lots of (mental) boxes before 9 am! Workout? done. Breakfast? done. I’ve been calling it my HOLY MORNINGS.

*cue angelic music*

😇😇😇😇😇

Here are some of the things I’ve been doing that have helped me become more of a happy, morning person.

Schedule your morning workout

Whether you’re going to a class at your gym, going for a run by yourself, meeting a friend for yoga, etc.. SCHEDULE your workouts. Write down what workouts you’ll do on what days – I use my iPhone calendar to write down my workouts. If you have an actual planner, BETTER! It’s always good to have it written down, that way you feel like it’s an appointment you can’t miss.

Set as many alarms as you need.

I’ve been going to a lot of morning classes at my gym, and they’re usually at around 6 or 6:30 am. Which means I need some time before that to wake up and get dressed, etc. So let’s say I have a class at 6. I need to leave the house at 5:50 or 5:55 tops (I live right next to the gym). I set around 2 or 3 alarms (lots of time for cuddles) and when the last one rings I…

Get up, open the curtains & windows.

“WAKEY WAKEY!” says the sun to your tired ass face while shining bright on you.

For realz, this is something that many people don’t even consider in their morning routine. But if you open your curtains to let some sunshine in & open your windows to let some air in, your body will be all like “ohh we’re waking up now? cool.”

This all is a lot easier if it’s summer, obviously. If it’s dark and cold when you wake up then it’ll probably be extra hard to get out of bed. Buy a good lamp maybe? Do what you gotta do, but your internal clock is sensitive to light and darkness, so please DON’T GET READY IN THE DARK!!

*I mean.. look at that POST WORKOUT GLOW so happy haha*

Get your sweat on!

Working out in the morning has many benefits for your body (and mind!). Once you finish your workout, you’ll feel more energized, lighter – and you’ll maximize your calorie burning throughout the day. Doesn’t matter if it’s a 20 minute or an hour workout, just as long as you’re moving your body! You’ll feel SO GOOD after that workout is over and you’ll start wondering why you don’t do this every single day 😄

*i looove making smoothie bowls in summer (and oatmeal in winter). Simple and yummy!*

Eat a good, healthy breakfast after your workout

I usually workout on an empty stomach (if it’s first thing in the morning), that way:

food isn’t rumbling around my insides while I do burpees haha
I have something to reward myself for actually getting out of bed and working out (Did someone say pancakes!?)

Your first meal of the day is VERY IMPORTANT. It will probably determine what you’ll eat during the rest of the day, so if you start the day with healthy choices, it’ll be easier to keep it going!

I try to get a good amount of protein and carbs to refuel my body post workout. Try to leave enough time for you to actually make your (healthy) breakfast, or even better, leave it ready the night before. But whatever you do.. DON’T SKIP BREAKFAST!!

If you’ve run out of breakfast ideas, feel free to check out my ebook, in which I share my favorite simple, healthy, breakfast recipes!

If you must drink coffee, skip the sugar(s).

This should be pretty obvious… if you’re tryin’ to be healthy, you shouldn’t be adding sugar to your drinks. If you find yourself adding two sugars to your morning cappuccino, you’re kiiiinda setting yourself up for failure. Start your mornings without added sugar and you’ll be more likely to keep it healthy the rest of the day. Also, if you’re gonna drink coffee then DRINK COFFEE… don’t disguise it’s strong taste with sugars!

Make Smarter Commuting Choices

The way we choose to travel to and from work, school, etc. has a big effect on our overall health & life.

If you’re stuck in your car in a traffic jam first thing in the morning, you probably won’t be too happy come 10 am #justsaying!

I’m a strong advocate for riding a bike everywhere, but obviously not all cities are created equal and riding a bike isn’t always the best option. If getting a bike isn’t a good option for you, then.. WALK! Walk to work. If it’s too far, walk to the train station. Walk WHENEVER you can! Park your car a bit further and walk to it. Too lazy to walk to and from work? Maybe walk to work and take the bus/train back? Every bit counts.

This isn’t about getting all sweaty.. You already did that! But by walking at least 10 minutes a day, you’ll:

get some fresh air through your lungs
get some extra sunlight (vitamin D, baby!)
raise your metabolic rate
burn more fat
WAKE UP!

Make sure you’re getting a GOOD SLEEP

Do you watch TV before you go to sleep? Do you scroll through your phone in bed right before bedtime? Are you still checking emails at 11pm? If so.. STOP! Take some time to unwind, give your mind some time to RELAAAAX. Your body might be done for, but if your mind is still racing, chances are, you won’t sleep very well. You need to give yourself enough time to slow your mind and that way you’ll sleep a looot better!

Also, obviously, don’t go to sleep at 1 am if you’re planning on waking up at 5:30. Be smart about your sleep. Get your 7-8 hours of sleep if you can. I know the internet is interesting and endless, but SLEEP IS MORE IMPORTANT! We are so used to depriving our bodies of quality sleep time, justifying it by saying we’ll sleep later, then taking a massive nap that only makes you feel worse 😥

Also.. drinking (alcohol or caffeine) at night is a big no no if you wanna get a good sleep. There’s weeks where I drink beer or wine every night, and it’s SO MUCH HARDER to wake up the next day 😅

ALSOOO put your phone on Night Shift if you can!

All of these things are what help my mornings become HOLY MORNINGS 😇

Include some of these healthy habits into your morning routine and you’ll see how much your life changes! You’ll feel better, sleep better and you’ll make the most out of your days (and life).