Ani
Ani runs a company with her husband. She currently lives and works in New York City.
This routine was anonymized on Jun 1, 2014 at the request of the author. While all identifying information has been removed, we hope that you can still find value in it.
What is your morning routine?
5:30-6:00am: My alarm wakes me up somewhere in this time frame. I quickly shut it off so it doesn’t wake my fiancé. I get up, stretch a bit, and walk to the bathroom. I splash my face with cold water, put in my contacts, and throw on my gym clothes (which I prepped the night before). I look over my e-mail and make sure there’s nothing pressing I need to attend to. I also check Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
6:00-6:45am: Next I walk into the kitchen and make myself a glass or two of fresh lemon water. I plug in my kettle to make some coffee using a French Press – it tastes best that way! While the water’s heating up, I prep my house for the day. If there’s laundry and/or dishes to be put away, I do that first. I walk the dog. I’ll do whatever cleaning wasn’t done the night before. By then, the water is hot and the coffee is ready (thank goodness). I take my coffee into the office and look at my to-do list (which I prepped the night before). I mark off my top three tasks of the day. I know that if I do these three tasks, I’ll feel accomplished at the end of the day. If there’s some more time and I feel inclined, I read the news.
6:45-7:00am: I use these fifteen minutes to do some morning yoga/meditation. This helps me get into the proper mindset to accomplish those top three tasks I outlined earlier. This also helps me stay grounded, positive, and productive throughout the day.
7:00-8:00am: The next hour is dedicated to working on my body – I’ll either go for a five or six-mile run, do some strength training, or go to the gym and work on the elliptical, stationary bike, or treadmill. I like to rotate my workouts every day. If I’m in the gym, I’ll watch either Morning Joe or The Today Show on the cardio machines. I prefer working out on an empty stomach – if I work out after eating, I feel sick and sluggish.
8:00-8:30am: After my workout I make sure I drink a liter of water. I’ll then take some coconut oil for oil pulling while I’m taking a shower. Then I’ll brush my teeth, dry my hair, and get dressed. I’ll then enjoy my breakfast smoothie (which I prepped the night before). At 8:30am, I’m ready to head over with more water to my office to start working! Having this schedule helps keep me in check as I work from home daily.
How long have you stuck with this routine so far?
I’ve been working on my routine ever since my fiancé and I started our company – about two and a half years ago. I’ve had this ‘version’ for the past six months. I’ve been WILDLY productive since then.
What time do you go to sleep?
I like getting ready for bed (prepping everything) starting at 8:30pm, and climbing into bed around 9:00pm. I’ll usually start drifting off around 10:00pm.
Do you use an alarm to wake you up in the morning, and if so do you ever hit the snooze button?
I use the Sleep Cycle app on my iPhone – it tracks my sleep cycle patterns and wakes me gently with soft tones during the lightest sleep phase possible sometime between 5:30 and 6:00am.
How soon after waking up do you have breakfast, and what do you typically have?
I have breakfast about two and a half hours after waking up.
I make my smoothie the night before to save time in the morning. It consists of kale, spinach, a vegan protein powder, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, and some almond milk or water (depending on the intensity of my intended workout).
Do you answer email first thing in the morning or leave it until later in the day?
I check my email when I’m trying to wake my body up, 5-15 minutes after opening my eyes. I’ll answer anything super important then – otherwise, it can wait until I’m committed and sitting at my office desk.
What are your most important tasks in the morning?
My most important tasks are drinking lemon water, meditation, and exercising. Doing this ensures that I’ve taken care of myself, and I can focus on other things for the rest of day.
What and when is your first drink in the morning?
Lemon water at 6:00am, it starts my body off the right way :)
On days you’re not settled in your home, are you able to adapt your routine to fit in with a different environment?
I usually make sure that wherever I’m staying has a gym and a coffee maker so I can get some exercise in!
What do you do if you fail to follow your morning routine, and how does this influence the rest of your day?
I try to stay healthy and eat right, drinking lots of water. It helps keep me healthy and on track.
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