Morning Routines (or lack of!)

I think I need some routine in my life.  Not to rule my life, just to help me get some structure so that I can take care of myself; prepare for the day, de-stress, find the time to exercise, particularly in winter (and this from someone who loves to keep moving)!

I Googled other peoples routines and they all involved getting up early (except for Hunter S. Thompson, who probably never went to bed anyway!), exercise (Hunter S. again the exception) and sitting and thinking peacefully.  I have outlined a few enviable morning routines at the bottom of this post. 

So last night I, full of purpose, went to bed early (9 pm) and set my alarm for 6.30am – not particularly early for some people.  And then ... snoozed the alarm for 6.45am, then woke up again at 7.24am.  Same old, same old.   Sigh.

I may have forgotten the most relevant point; I am not a morning person.  

It usually takes me a good half an hour every morning to remember how to talk – I tend to grunt in answer to questions.  My eyes stay half closed and I zombie walk everywhere.  No matter how much sleep I have – it is always the same. 

So, is it worth becoming a morning person? More Googling.   

Wikihow outlines ways to become a ‘lark’ (a cute name for a morning person). And also provides this sage advice:

 ‘Perhaps the most important thing is to persevere and be realistic. Remind yourself that today is a new day. Forget about what happened yesterday, it's in the past. Today is a fresh day, enjoy it!'

Hmmm, ok, I will try again tomorrow. 

Or, maybe I need to adopt Hunters philosophy:

“Anybody with a terminally jangled lifestyle needs at least one psychic anchor every twenty-four hours, and mine is breakfast.”

Morning routines to envy:

Sarah Wilson: hot lemon in water, a walk and stretch/meditation ...  every morning ...  before anything else. 

Dan Buettner: (the Blue Zone/long life guru)

1.  At breakfast, eat fruits and grains

2.  Twenty minutes of exercise.  I either do yoga or bike to work. 

3. Say something nice to the first person you meet.

Hunter S Thompson: “I like to eat breakfast alone, and almost never before noon.... In Hong Kong, Dallas, or at home—and regardless of whether or not I have been to bed—breakfast is a personal ritual that can only be properly observed alone, and in a spirit of genuine excess. The food factor should always be massive: four Bloody Marys, two grapefruits, a pot of coffee, Rangoon crêpes, a half-pound of either sausage, bacon, or corned-beef hash with diced chilies, a Spanish omelette or eggs Benedict, a quart of milk, a chopped lemon for random seasoning, and something like a slice of key lime pie, two margaritas …Right, and there should also be two or three newspapers, all mail and messages, a telephone, a notebook for planning the next twenty-four hours, and at least one source of good music…all of which should be dealt with outside, in the warmth of a hot sun, and preferably stone naked.”

Leo Babauta of Zenhabits blog:

1. Wake at 4:30 a.m.
2. Drink water.
3. Set 3 Most Important Things for today.
4. Fix lunches for kids and myself.
5. Eat breakfast, read.
6. Exercise (run, bike, swim, strength) or meditate.
7. Shower.
8. Wake wife & kids at 6:30 a.m.

Connie from A Life of Perfect Days blog

1.      Wake up at 5am

2.    Walk in to the kitchen and chop up a pile of kale, cucumber, lemon, celery and ginger and make a fresh cold-pressed veggie juice, 

3.    Sip on the juice as I potter around

4.    Roll out my yoga mat and do 20 minutes of yoga and then sit for 10 minutes in meditation OR

5.    Head to the gym or outdoors for a light workout with a mix of cardio and strength

6.    Shower and get dressed

7.    Blend together some raw chocolate pudding for breakfast (recipe below!)

8.    Sit at my desk and eat it while I check my emails, update my facebook and twitter

9.    Walk out the door with a big, calm grin on my face.

Other people do these things – in the morning - before they start work:

-      Write. Creatively, for fun.

-      Cook. They enjoy making dinner for that night in a slow cooker, before the kids get up

-      Drink coffee. In bed and reading fiction before heading off to the office

-      Sit, and focus on my breathing. You don’t have to meditate — sitting still, contemplating, taking in the world, is a beautiful thing.

-      Read. I read a book. The paper kind, that doesn’t require electricity. I like reading with no distractions. I’ll read for about half an hour to an hour.