Confession: I am not a morning person. Let me emphasize this. I am really not a morning person. Growing up both my parents worked in the nightlife business, my great-grandmother stayed up until the early hours of the morning chatting away with our family in the Philippines…our lives came alive at night. But then I got older, moved away to a tropical island and adopted hobbies that are made for the morning hours. What’s a night owl to do when the waves call your name at 6am?! Make the morning exciting.

If you find yourself in my shoes or simply just hate getting out of bed, here’s my morning routine worth waking up for.

1. Wake up call. My alarm is a groovy jam that sets the tone for my day. I make sure to pick something that won’t drive my boyfriend insane (which is mega important for keeping cranky moods at bay so early in the day!). I am also a serial “snoozer” but I’ve noticed that if I’m listening to a song I enjoy, I’m less likely to hit snooze and actually get out of bed.
2. Take a mindful moment. Before I climb out of bed, I try to complete a 5-10 minute meditation to set my intentions for the day. I love the app Insight Timer – they have thousands of meditations to choose from by length or theme. I tend to opt for a meditation on positivity, motivation or confidence to get me amped up for my day.
3. Hydrate. I head straight to the kitchen and prepare a hot lemon infusion with one whole lemon, apple cider vinegar, ginger, honey and a dash of cayenne pepper. I sip on this as I continue to get out of the door. Prep your infusion the night before to save a few minutes!
   
4. Quick clean up. I can’t start my day without brushing my teeth and washing my face. It just doesn’t work. Next, I apply a light face oil mixture of vitamin E, argan and rosehip that helps my face retain moisture during my workout. I also toss in a few calf raises while I’m brushing my teeth to get my booty moving! The bathroom session finishes with a quick dry brush – often to a groovy morning jams – to get my blood flowing and my body energized before I step out the door.
5. Sweat! If I’m not off to teach a class, I’ll head to the gym or do my own workout in the living room or on the beach. If I’m short on time, I opt for my high intensity 15 minute jump rope and resistance band routine. If you’re looking for workout ideas, I share my morning workouts on Instagram stories.
6. Nourish. I head back into the kitchen to chow down on a protein-packed breakfast. My go-to is a fruit and veggie filled smoothie bowl with collagen peptides from Vital Proteins and Superfoods from The Healthy Grocery or a breakfast salad full of fresh greens and a oil-free “fried” eggs.
   
7. Cultivate. While eating breakfast I go over my to-do list or listen to an inspiring podcast that gives me new ideas and a wave of fresh thoughts to start my day!
8. Clean up, round two. MC Shower Time aka a three minute shower hustle to scrub down with my skin stimulating coffee scrub, wash my hair and get glowing out the door. Not going to lie, sometimes I end up in my workout clothes until noon if I work from home…#noshameinthesweatgame.
   

My morning routine takes about 60-90 minutes (including my workout) depending on what time I need to get out of the door. If you’re reading this and thinking “who has an hour to spare!?” think again. You can make the time…and once you do, you’ll have a hard time giving it up.

Each person is different and our morning needs are different. Here are a few tips on creating your own morning routine:

Prep. A stress-free (or stress-less) morning routine starts the night before. Pack your lunch. Lay out your workout clothes. Write your to-do list. Leave the coffee pot out. Do whatever you can the night before to leave yourself more time in the morning for YOU.

Make it realistic. Some days (ie: Monday-Friday) there just isn’t enough time for all the self care you’d like to get your day glowing. Minimize stress and save the extra love for the weekend. A morning routine weekend edition post is just around the corner : )

Follow the #feelgoodlife formula: cultivate, nourish, sweat. Make a list of the things that energize you, that put you in a good mood and ignite your motivation. Pick the ones that are either the least time consuming or the most important and make them the foundation of your morning routine (#cultivate).
Eat a nutritious and protein-packed breakfast that will give you the energy to give the day your all (#nourish).
Move! Make time for a quick workout. And when I say quick, I mean it. If you don’t have an hour for the gym, no worries. Take five minutes to stretch, plank or even do calf raises while brushing your teeth. The latter is my go-go. Seriously.

If you’ve got a morning routine you love, I’d love to hear it! Share in the comments below!