We find the morning is a critical time to set you up for a positive & productive day, the things we include in our morning routine can greatly contribute to a well-balanced life. We spoke to 3 highly productive women on their morning routines, what we learned from them is that allowing time for ‘self’ in the morning is just as important as organisation and forward planning.
1. I check emails when I first wake up, which I know sounds counterintuitive to having a stress-free morning, but it helps me because I know then that I’m across anything urgent that’s come through overnight. Then I can go about my morning.
2. I don’t drink coffee, but I’ll make myself a tea plus a smoothie with banana, oat milk and Dose and Co’s collagen creamer - then usually end up drinking them on the go!
3. I find doing my hair and makeup routine quite meditative - it’s only 20 minutes and I’m pretty streamlined, but just taking the time to wash my hair (I use our SMOOTH Shampoo and MOISTURE Conditioner which is the perfect combo for me) and blowdry, it’s a little something for myself before the day gets crazy.
4. I love listening to a podcast on the drive to work, something like How I Built This with Guy Raz. It helps get me in a productive mindset. I recently re-listened to Whitney Wolfe’s episode after Bumble’s huge IPO - super inspiring!
5. When I get into the office I like to
jot down a list of non-negotiables for the day. It takes effort, because running a business means I have to be flexible and jump on whatever needs my attention at any given moment, but this way no matter what comes up (and 100s of things always do) then at least those key things get done. It helps me stay focused and feel on-track.
1. I like to start my morning by checking my inbox in bed — we’ve just moved to a property in Bangalow, just outside of Byron Bay and the view from our bedroom overlooks the idyllic hinterland, so I can take in our beautiful surroundings while I catch up on everything. We work with fashion buyers all over the world, in multiple time zones, so I'm always waking up to lots of new emails. There's always some exciting news to look forward to, and this is my way of feeling calm and prepared for the day ahead.
2. Getting dressed each morning is a great source of joy for me. I love to celebrate the incredible people we work with by wearing their brands, and will mix them up depending on the day ahead — I love St. Agni’s relaxed, tailored looks for a day of meetings, or if the sun is shining I love a Peony dress. The Deiji Studios 01 is perfect for a day of catching up on emails, and everyday I’m layered in modern heirlooms from Natalie Marie Jewellery, including my treasured engagement ring from my partner, (in business, and in life!) Arlen.
3. One of my greatest passions is energetic healing, and I love to start the day speaking with my best friend, Dana who shares this passion with me. She’s currently living in Canada and has just launched High Vibe Mornings, where she coaches a morning series to shift you into a high vibration that incorporates dance, meditation and deep breath work; all sparking joy and getting your body, mind and soul moving. After this, I love to take a moment for myself with an entry in my
An Organised Life Gratitude Journal, I have so much to be grateful for.
4. After we’re all up (Arlen, myself and our two British Bulldogs, Meatloaf & King) we head into the office, stopping off for a quick coffee on the way. My order is a soy latte with honey from Allpress espresso bar. I find the beautiful Allpress team energise me just as much as the caffeine does, and if they’ve got my favourite spelt & blueberry scones then life - and breakfast - is all the sweeter!
5. The highlight of my day is arriving at the office and being greeted by our amazing team — this keeps me going and fills me with gratitude, seeing their vibrant faces and knowing that we get to create magic together every single day. It's so important that we come together as a team in the morning, especially when we're in the middle of our busy sales season. I love coming up with ways for us to maintain clarity and motivation, despite working so hard! We start our meetings with a card reading, set personal intentions, and discuss what the day ahead holds, all while taking notes in our
Lined Leather Notebooks, which we had personalised with the initials of every member of our team.
Zeenat Wilkinson, Founder, Editorial Director and Producer of Sauce Magazine
1. Waking up early gives me a huge surge of energy and it's astounding how many problems can be solved by simply waking up super early. I always thought it was only something smug people do but I get it now. Pre-baby I used to love sleeping in but lately waking up at 5am or 6am is a norm for us now. While Luke (my husband) spends time with our little girl I use the first hour as my sacred ‘me time’.
2. I have a big bottle of water and down this the moment I wake up. It helps my mood and skin recovery. It’s amazing how much of an impact hydration and drinking lots of water can have on your mental health too.
3. Meditation, even if it’s 5 minutes. I do a guided meditation on Insight Timer app. Some of my favourites on the app are :
- Isha Kriya by Sadhguru (a powerful 15 minutes guided meditation)
- Your Gift, Your Purpose by Dora Kamau (for finding purpose)
- The Only Place You Need To Be Is Here by Dora Kamau (powerful 4 minutes)
4. To-Do List, I try not to overwhelm myself with too many to-dos. I list everything that needs to be done during the week but only really highlight 3 essentials that I need to complete on the day. Completing these 3 tasks helps me end the day with more gratitude.
5. I have a dog so walking him is a part of my ritual. I’ve noticed on days I wake up feeling extremely tired and lethargic, a walk and some fresh air helps boost a surge of energy and makes me much more productive during the day. We all know the benefits on a walk after the multiple lockdowns?
