Social Distancing + Morning Routines

I really have been going back and forth with what the right answer is on whether or not to post about Corona.  It’s all we are hearing about, whether it’s real news, fake news, or (albeit absolutely hilarious) memes.  The Americans will go down in history for the Great Toilet Paper Crisis of 2020 as the entire world has been turned upside down with COVID-19 aka Corona Virus.

I am not going to get into the nitty gritty details, but will share my thoughts on a few things. Take it or leave it.

1. Social Distancing is not for us as individuals.  Read that again.  Social Distancing is not for US.  Of course we don’t want to get sick.  No one actually wants to get sick.  But what I think a lot of the population is not realizing is that despite not being “sick” or showing symptoms, SO MANY PEOPLE are carrying the virus.  Being out and about, visiting with friends and family, stopping by to say hi to your elderly grandmother… while it’s a very nice gesture, if you are carrying the virus you are literally spreading it everywhere you go.  2 weeks from now, you might be sick, but will likely kick it pretty quickly (unless it continues to mutate which they are saying it will, and progressively get worse even for us young/healthy folks), and then a couple days after that, Grandma may or may not get sick, but your friend who has an immune compromised parent starts showing symptoms.  And she had been out and about, visiting friends and family as well. See what I mean?  This is how and why the virus has spread the way that it has in Asia, Italy, and now what it’s starting to do here and in other places.  It’s a vicious cycle that isn’t going to end until everyone starts to stay the heck at home.  The longer people fight against social distancing, the longer we’re all going to need to do it. #endrant
2. It’s going to suck.  It already sucks.  We’re all already ready to go crazy with boredom, being holed up in our houses. Well guess what, it’s going to get worse before it gets better.  SO, because I love you, and I don’t want anyone to go off the deep end, here are a couple things you can do to help from going absolutely bonkers:
   • Get up every day and take a shower and get dressed as if you have places to go.  It seems so trivial but it is really important, especially if you’re WAH.  Being a SAHM, I will attest to this being a huge part of my routine.  On the days that I say ehh I don’t feel like it, those are the days I get nothing done and more thank likely we sit on the couch all day, lounging around and feeling blah.  But on the days that I get up, shower, get dressed in a cute outfit and do my hair/makeup, I am ready to face the day and both the Princess and I get a lot more accomplished. 
   • Go outside.  No, I don’t mean go to the park with your kids and have them touch all the things.  Go for a walk around your neighborhood during your “lunch break”.  Take advantage of the sunshine, the start of Spring, and getting a little VitaminD.  Walk, run, skip.  Go do burpees in your backyard, or walking lunges up and down your driveway.  Fresh air and a little movement is a great combo- trust me, you’ll feel a lot better.
   • Speaking of movement, let’s not forget the power of exercise.  There are SO many resources out there at the touch of a button.  Go on Instagram, Facebook, there are workouts everywhere.  So many accounts are offering up free workout programs.  My trainer is posting a ton of stuff, too.  Also she and a few of her colleagues put together a great video that I’m happy to share with you if you need a good @$$-kicking and sweat sesh. 
   • DON’T BORED EAT AND DRINK!  Look, I get it.  Snacks in the house are really hard to ignore.  And not having anywhere to go in the morning, makes those espresso martinis look, sound and taste delightful.  But when it’s Day 3 and you’re waking up hungover AF and the Quarantine snacks are already pretty much gonzo…. M-M-M-My Corona! We are going to have a big problem. (Please, PLEASE tell me you read that to the tune of My Sharona. Because if you didn’t, are we even friends?!)
   • And last but not least… create a routine and stick with it.  It’s not going to be your regular routine, because you’re at home and trying to make sense of it all, but you need this.  Your brain needs this. Everyone else in your house if you don’t live alone NEEDS THIS. Write it down.  I actually haven’t even completely done this yet but I’ve had it in my head.  I need to put it to paper.  As soon as I’m done writing this, I’m going to.  And the biggest thing that is going to kick start my “routine” is what I do in the morning. Yes, it’s going to need to look a little different since the household is operating differently during Quarantine, but no matter how you slice it, Morning Routines are LIFE. 

One thing that I know for certain, is that I am NOT a morning person.  I love to sleep.  I hate the sound of my alarm, and I hate waking up before the sun comes up when it’s cold and dark out. But what I also know, is that I am super productive in the morning. I get SO much more done when I do force myself to wake up early and get started on my day. I attribute a lot of this to having a morning routine.

What is a morning routine, anyway?

A morning routine is made up of specific things (actions, tasks) that you do each morning before you “start your day” — which means these things (actions, tasks) are completed before you go to work or school, or before your children wake up if you are home with them.  A morning routine adds structure into your life, and ultimately impacts your overall productivity in a positive way.  The idea and goal, is that you would do your morning routine every single day, at the same time, and then the consistency of the routine will help the actions turn into habits for you.

There is a ton of information out there about what makes up a good routine, etc etc.  But really, there is no set way to go about it.  I do, however, think there are some fundamentals that go into putting together your morning routine, and definitely making sure that it isn’t this huge thing.  Usually should be able to be completed most days inside of 20-30 minutes. 

1. You should wake up at the same time every day.
   • I’m not saying that you have to wake up at 4am every day, but you should be consistent. 
2. You should really start your day with a glass of water!  (Start – Minute #5)
   • I’m no doctor, but starting your day, first thing, with a tall drink of water goes a long way for rehydrating your body after sleeping.  I shoot for 16oz when I first wake up. It will also get your system going including your metabolism. 
   • Typically I add Apple Cider Vinegar  to my water.  You can read my blog post on that here. 
   • Adding a pinch of sea salt is said to help with hydration, but I’ve never tried it. 
   • Lemon is always a phenomenal additive. Some prefer to do this with warm water, like a tea.  Lemon water helps with digestion, detox, helps maintain body’s pH levels. Lemon of course is a great source of Vitamin C, and also a source of potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium. 
3. Work some movement into your morning routine. (Minute #5 – Minute #15)
   • Whether you do a full-blown workout in the morning or not, getting a little stretch in first thing is great.  After sleeping, your body obviously tenses up a little.  By stretching first thing in the morning you’re opening up your body, getting the blood flowing again and waking the muscles up. 
   • It is even said to help with brain function and energy levels throughout the day.  There’s a lot of options out there, you can jump on Google for some ideas. Simple, 5-10 minutes. 
4. BREATHE (Minute #15 – Minute #20)
5. Give your brain something to do, like journaling, or reading, or meditation. (Minute #20 – Minute #25)
   • I have The 5-minute Journal that I LOVE. And it really helps me to set myself up for the day. 
   • If you choose to read, I would have a set number of pages to read each day. Maybe it’s 10 pages.  I’m a pretty fast reader and would get through that in ~5 minutes, but even if you aren’t a speed reader like myself, that likely wouldn’t take too too long.  
   • There are a bunch of meditation apps like the Calm app, Headspace, and others that are out there.
6. You’re ready to start your day!
   • From here, I go straight into my workout.  I don’t include my workout as part of my “routine” as it has it’s own time slot in my planner. Then I take a shower, get dressed and start my day.  Assuming I get it all done early enough, I am able to accomplish all of this before my daughter wakes up.

Now, of course your routine could look different than this.  This is a good start.  Some people will get down to the detail of brushing their teeth.  Some add in breakfast (I don’t break my fast until almost noon, so that isn’t applicable to my early morning routine).  Some will listen to music during this time, some like to have oils diffusing.  You do you, boo. Ultimately it’s about what is going to work well to set you up for success each day. 

I’m just going to throw this out there, that you kind of want to have a “Things NOT to do” list also… I find that there are a few things that will easily cause mega distractions like: 

• Checking emails, social media first thing in the morning.  This also (especially in the current climate) can set off anxiety, frustration, anger, etc etc way earlier in the day.. 
• Watching TV or the news (because… same as above)
• Snoozing the alarm – I’m 100% guilty of it but it 100% doesn’t help anything or anyone! 

Do you have a morning routine?  Has it changed since #coronacation??