By Caitlin Harper
July 5th is national workaholic day, a day dedicated to those who go above and beyond for their career ambitions. A workaholic was once a rare kind, especially for a woman, but our fast paced culture has created an army of overachievers. A workaholic lifestyle can create a badass and independent woman, but it can also breed stress and unhealthy habits. This makes the morning the most important time of the day for the woman who craves to be productive. The morning hours are vital for preparing the mind and body for the stresses that the workaholic faces. A set of morning rituals are essential in taking on the rest of the hours in the day. These seven morning rituals are something that I am trying to live by to produce a healthier and happier worker, which thus produces a better workaholic.
1. Sleep: A good morning ritual starts with a good night sleep. This sounds like a joke to the true workaholic, but a good night sleep is something you can feel in both your body and mind. Go to bed as early as you can. An extra hour reserved for bed instead of finishing a project will benefit both your work ethic and the value of the work produce.
2. Wake up Earlier than Early: Waking up early may seem like a given to the workaholic, but wake up even earlier. Give yourself more than enough time in the morning. A rushed morning is the worst thing you can do to your day. It sets up a stressful day that will not lead you to be more productive. Wake up before 6:30 everyday so you don’t have to be rushing you can be relaxing. The morning should be a time dedicated to yourself, wake up at a time that allows morning relaxation.
3. Work out: After you have woken up, I suggest a work out. Getting your body moving and your endorphins pumping will set you up for a happy and productive day. A work out can range from a 7-minute app to a full work out class, but taking any amount of time to set up your day the right way is important.
Mocking J Joggers, Hummingbird Scarf, Bird of Paradise Top
4. Don’t Rush, Relax: Make the morning your time to relax and center yourself for the day ahead. The workaholic lifestyle is a busy one, so make sure your morning ritual prepares you to handle the stresses. Catering to the senses is a great way to start your day calm and collected. Taking a shower after your morning workout feels almost unexplainably good and is a way to both release tension and cleanse yourself for the day ahead. I suggest using a coffee scrub or something that makes you feel both awake and pampered. Throughout your morning routine listen to music that relaxes, energizes, or inspires you. Very few things can set the tone of a day better than music can. Don’t forget to please your sense of smell as well. Use candles or aroma-therapy in citrus, coffee, jasmine, eucalyptus or peppermint scents to wake yourself up with fragrance.
5. Breakfast: Everyone knows this is the most important meal of the day but so few of us diverge from an all coffee breakfast ritual. Take under 20 minutes and make yourself a breakfast that will set your body and brain up to take on the day. Your body is the vehicle of the mind and needs to be fueled in order to function. The better the fuel, the better the functioning. Breakfast is the one meal you can always control because you can always be home for it. Try to balance your mornings with a source of protein and some carbohydrates in the form of fruit. This combination will power your body in the morning hours. Some go to breakfasts include:
- Steal cut oats with honey, milk, fruits, nuts,
- Greek yogurt with honey, fruits, nuts
- Eggs with fruit
- Great breakfast fruits: Watermelon, blueberries, bananas, grapefruit, strawberries, cantaloupe, kiwi, raspberries
- Smoothie or smoothie bowl
- Whole grain bread with some almond butter
- Drink a lot of water
- AND OF COURSE... start every day with coffee
6. Beauty: Give yourself enough time to feel cool, confident, and beautiful every morning. This can be a 10 minute process or a 40 minute process but it’s the end result that matters à You will be shocked when you dress and prepare yourself as the best version of you how much more confidence you’ll posses in both yourself and the ideas you produce. Taking the time to design yourself in the morning is your production of your personal brand aesthetic. Take the this time and don’t feel self-indulgent about it, feel self-empowered by it.
7. Plan: Always take time to spend with your calendar and planner in the morning. Plan your day and what you want to achieve. Also remember to spend the time reviewing past obligations. Taking the time to be prepared for your day is important and will save a lot of anxiety. The workaholic is one busy woman and has a lot to balance. Write down what you want to achieve and then block out the time to accomplish it, along with extra time for each activity to avoid added stress.
How long your morning routine will take will depend on the person but taking the time to take care of your body, center your mind, and plan your day should be constants in everyone’s schedule. Make the morning a time for yourself and your days will become both more relaxed and productive. The workaholic lifestyle can be unhealthy and stressful, use your morning routine to combat this and support your productive and badass working woman lifestyle.
