An hour before work your alarm goes off. You hit snooze. Not once, but twice. Forty minutes is enough time to shower and get ready right? 

On your way to work, you're groggy, cranky and irritable. I feel you. That was me for most of my adult life. 

I started reading about articles on how the most successful people are morning risers and get more done by 9am then most of us doing a day. They aptly call it, CEO mornings. I mean, if that’s the case then it was worth trying it out right? 

I began converting myself to an early bird by retiring for bed at 9pm so I could be ready to conquer the day bright and early at 5am. The first couple of days sucked but soon my body got used to the routine and I looked forward to it. 

Sadly, I wasn’t able to keep at it past a month but if I learned something hugely important from my CEO mornings in how to structure successfully structure my day. These days I’m up at 7am but I stick to my morning routine almost every single day.  

1. MORNING JOURNALING

Writing down a conscious stream of thought right when you wake up is said to help your mind and keep you on track with your personal goals. I’ve been doing this for about a month now and I find on the days that I skip it, I feel like I’m lacking direction. Aim to fill three pages.

2. WATER

Hydrate your body with a tall glass of water upon getting out of bed. I get night sweats (ew I know) so I need water first thing. I actually won’t even drink my morning coffee without having water first. Bonus points for adding lemon or apple cider vinegar to your H2O.

3. EXERCISE

My retired neighbor Bert said it best, “motion is lotion”, LOL. Keep your body active with at least 30 mins of exercise a day. Go with what works for you - HIIT, dancing, walking, strength training, it’s all for the better good.

4. GET READY

Whether your working from home or working in an office with others, get ready for your day like you mean it. Run a brush through your hair and put on some cute shoes that add a skip to your step. If you look good and feel good, chances are you’ll be more confident and happier.

5. BREAKFAST

Having a protein filled breakfast in the morning will keep you fuller longer and it’ll keep your mind from wondering about what sugary snacks hiding in the kitchen. The proper fuel for your body means you’re not eating as much in between meals. 

6. COFFEE

This is an obvious one. Instead of caffeinating myself first thing in the morning I wait until after I’ve exercised and showered before having my first cup. My current obsession is the Melitta Heritage Pour Over series. All you have to do is pour boiling water into the top filter with your freshly ground coffee beans and voila. I throw the filter and beans into the compost once I’m done because I read somewhere that compost loves coffee. (Who doesn’t?) Plus, it hardly takes up space in my kitchen and looks super cute on display.

Click here to shop Melitta using my promo code Nathalie15% for 15% off your purchase. #PourOverIsBetter

*This post is sponsored by Melitta. All photos and opinions are my own.