Rise and shine! Did you know early rising is a common trait found in many CEOs?

Here’s a full list of others, if you are interested.

Maybe being a CEO isn’t necessarily your thing, but it is important to have a morning routine for a calmer day to tackle on whatever comes your way.

It’s necessary to take the lead on the day instead of the day taking a hold on you. Too often, we wake up rushed and speed through our morning before work, which then leads us to not be able to handle stressors of everyday living.

Ever since I incorporated a morning routine into my lifestyle, I’ve seen a HUGE change of how I react to events, my mood, anxiety level, productivity, and overall how I feel throughout the day. I feel more accomplished and a lot more positive. Life is also a lot more enjoyable. The serenity of early mornings is probably one of my favorite things in the world.

I know what you’re probably thinking at this point: “How can life be more enjoyable if I don’t get to sleep in?”, and I get it, sleeping is nice, but waking up and accomplishing things you said you always wanted to do is even nicer.

Life is more enjoyable because by waking up a little earlier than you normally would, you have more time to actually LIVE out this life instead of sleeping through it. You get to take care of YOU. Life is also more enjoyable because in that moment everything is quiet and peaceful and even if work ends up being stressful, you have this one thing, this one moment you can hold onto for the rest of the day to feel positive.

Here Are 8 Things I Do Before 8 a.m.:

1. Drink Water

I keep water by my bedside to drink right when I wake up to get energized and hydrate. Water naturally gives us more energy, so this really helps if you are struggling to get out of bed. Apart from that, we have been sleeping for about 8 hours, give or take, and our bodies are very dehydrated at this point. It’s important even if you don’t drink a lot, to replenish with water first thing in the morning.

2. Meditate

I move on to meditation shortly after, because I like doing it right when I wake up as I feel more at peace with the rest of my morning routine. I will usually meditate for about 10 minutes using an app — my favorite is Insight Timer. I find meditation has really been able to calm my thoughts, aid with how I react to things, and has helped me deal with the daily stressors of life.

3. Visualize + Affirmations

I do this right after meditation as it’s an easy transition. There are many videos on YouTube that you can watch to see how to do it properly, but the way I do it is; I close my eyes and picture an event and a place in my head. I describe exactly how it’s happening and put into detail of everything I’m wearing to what I’m holding in my hand. The benefits of visualization are enormous as well. Just do any research on it, and you will find out. I also say my affirmations at this time. THIS IS SO HUGE AND A GAME CHANGER. I notice when I say positive affirmations, the rest of my day I feel so much more confident and at peace. I will usually say things like: “I am a powerful woman, I have the ability to do anything I desire, I radiate so much positivity, etc.”.

4. Journal

This one is such an important step for me. This really lets me start the day on a positive note. Whether that is because I am planning ahead – which alleviates stress, or if it’s because I am dumping all of my thoughts into paper — hence letting my thoughts free, journaling is something I enjoy. It clears my head and allows me to be whole. Fun fact: I’ve been journaling since I was 9, initially to learn how to write in English.

→ How to journal: It’s so simple: you just have to start writing about whatever comes to your mind and keep going (aka dumping all your thoughts into paper).

5. Gratitude

This one is right after journaling because I write on the same journal. I like to write 3-5 things I am grateful for each day. The science behind gratitude is extraordinary. The small things we do each day are usually the ones that add up to the big picture in our happiness. You start having a more grateful heart and the results are enormous.

6. Read

I love reading in bed or while I am eating breakfast. This one is important because you must be a constant learner in order to thrive.

7. Exercise

My favorite part. People rave about exercising for good reasons. Those endorphins truly are game changers and I make sure to stay active. If it ever becomes too much of a habit, I like to switch it up. That’s why ClassPass is my favorite — you can go to different classes whenever you want and never get bored.

8. Eat Breakfast

This has been a lifesaver for me. I used to occasionally skip out on breakfast and I noticed each time I would feel so hungry by the end of the night and nothing I ate was filling me up. It’s because my body wanted to compensate for the calories I missed out on and overall my body was out of balance. I also noticed I would crave more sugar by the end of the night. Once I started eating breakfast more regularly, I noticed that I wouldn’t eat big dinners and dessert was kept to a minimum.

Final note: One of the main reasons I enjoy waking up early is because it allows me to feel like my life isn’t taken by my job only and that I get to have time to myself to enjoy the things that I love the most. When I look back at my life, I want to remember the quiet, peaceful moments, where I put myself first and with that was a warrior of my life.

Until next time,

Ozzy