How to have a more productive morning
Mornings are by far my favorite time of the day. Sure, it can be a struggle to get out of bed and start the day, but once I'm up, I feel more productive than ever! This past weekend I visited Lake Chelan with a group of friends and each morning was so relaxing and enjoyable. I had time to eat breakfast, soak in the views, plan blog content and relax. I prepped my favorite breakfast recipe (recipe to come in this blog post, keep reading!) with the help of Quaker Oats while I was there and it got me reflecting on the importance of mornings.
I've decided to share my top 4 surefire ways to be that much more productive in the morning, all before 10am!
1. Eat breakfast. Breakfast is most definitely the most important meal of the day because it fuels you and keeps you feeling energetic in the morning. I'm a huge fan of meal prepping so I don't have to take the time to meal prep in the morning - I can just grab and go! My daily breakfast consists of a cup of coffee, a piece of fruit and a variation of Overnight Oats, a recipe that keeps me full and is full of all the delicious things! My go-to overnight oats are from Quaker Oats. I rotate weekly on the various recipes offered! I prepped the Blueberries and Honey Overnight Oats recipe while in Lake Chelan and this one is probably my favorite for this time of year. It's so easy to make all you need is:
1 cup of Quaker Oats. 1 cup of milk. 1 package of blueberries. 1 greek yogurt cup. 2 cups of honey.
Using my West Elm Quaker Oats mason jar (can we swoon over the copper for a second), I abide by the line measurements on the mason jar filling the jar with the oats first; then the dairy (yogurt and milk) then ended with the toppings: blueberries and honey. Cover and let sit in refrigerator for 4-8 hours and you're set for breakfast.
Pro-tip: I prep all five of my breakfast jars on Sunday evenings so I have breakfast ready to go for the week!
2. Workout. I'm definitely not the best at sticking to morning workouts, but when I go, I feel AMAZING! It's one of the best ways to start off the day and get out any pent up stress. Determine what workout will ease you into your morning or wake you up - depending on your preference. Yoga and pilates classes in the morning tend to make me feel sleepy, so I prefer something a bit more upbeat. Orange Theory is definitely my go-to on mornings I'm feeling up for an early workout before work!
Pro-tip: If you go to Orange Theory (or a similar class with a mobile app) sign up in advance for your classes. Often times, I sign up weeks in advance and get reminders the day before or day-of my class and I'm then committed to the class otherwise I have to pay $12 to cancel per class. It definitely gives me incentive to wake-up and go to my workout!
3. Dedicate 30 minutes to writing. I've found that leaving blog posts and responding to emails after work can be so draining! I love when I can set aside 30 minutes in the morning to draft up emails to send later in the day or write half or a full blog post. It makes me feel so productive and keeps me focused at work.
Pro-tip: Sometimes, when I don't feel like writing, I'll open up my agenda and do a planner reflection instead. I take time to see what's on my agenda for the coming day or week and fill in any missing blanks when it comes to plans after work or important to-do's and meetings at work. It's a great way to reset every morning (if possible) and stay on top of the day!
4. Pamper yourself! When you have the time to give yourself a pamper session in the morning, don't pass it up! Often times, this is just 1-2 days a week for me but it often entails: freshening up my nails with a new nail polish color, doing a hair mask or facial mask (or both) before a shower and taking time to exfoliate in the shower.
Pro-tip: If you want more time for pampering, look into the option of converting into evening showers at least a couple of times a week so you have time in the mornings for a little pampering! It's worth it when you have a stressful day ahead, feel under the weather or well...do you really need an excuse!?
Thank you to Quaker Oats for collaborating on this blog post! All thoughts and opinions expressed on West Coast Aesthetic are my own and every collaboration is done with absolute integrity.