Hey Catered Fit Fam,
I hope each of you had a relaxing Thanksgiving weekend with your loved ones! My first vegan Thanksgiving was a success as I still managed to eat myself into multiple food comas 😴. After emerging 12 hours later from said food coma, I knew as much as I wanted to stay in bed and recover from Thanksgiving, I had to get up and bounce back! So I arose and slayed my morning routine…
Your first actions in the morning really set the tone for your entire day. With that being said, I made a decision a few months ago to switch up my morning and commit to a routine. Since then, I’ve been more alert, productive and most importantly, happy throughout the day ever since. I’ve been opening up to you all, my Fit Fam, about my life and journey these last few months and now I thought I would let you in on my favorite part of the day, my morning!
Like most of us, it had become routine for me to open my eyes every morning and reach across my night stand to immediately check my emails and text messages. I would get absorbed by the bright blue light. What better way to “rise and shine” than to dive head first into our often-stressful inboxes. This inadvertent habit led to me waking up with feelings of anxiety and jumping out of bed prematurely just to handle issues that simply could have waited. About 6 months ago I noticed this habit of mine like a cartoon light bulb went off above my head. I woke up one morning, recognized that it was unhealthy, unproductive, and unsustainable and I began researching the morning routines and daily rituals of some of the most influential leaders I could think of. From Benjamin Franklin to Bill Gates, they all have a set routine that they start their day with, and now, so do I!
First things first, my morning routine actually starts the night before by turning off all notifications so that a text or email doesn’t distract me from what is right in front of me. For me, I like my morning to start off early, and in order to do that it means I need to get to bed around 10pm so I can be up by 6am feeling fresh and focused. Once I am awake, I do a five minute full body stretch to break up all the acids that have built up over night in my joints. Stretching is followed by a set of push-ups to get the blood pumping and the endorphins flowing. I then make my bed and tidy up any clothes that may have been tossed aside the previous night. Doing something small like making my bed and picking up, I immediately start my day feeling productive and accomplished- all without ever checking my emails! After my stretch and quick tidy, I have a 16oz glass of water followed by a glass of Catered Fit cold brewed coffee while I enjoy thirty minutes of reading before breakfast. (Truth be told, sometimes I get sucked into more than just 30 minutes 😉 ) I have found that reading in the morning gives me peace and a sense of accomplishment. Currently I’m enjoying Tools of the Titans by Tim Ferriss. My breakfast usually consists of a giant bowl of oatmeal loaded with fresh berries, a banana, raisins, flax, almond butter, and cashew milk, accompanied by two slices of sourdough toast with avocado and pink himalayan salt.
Once all of the above tasks have been successfully completed, and not a moment sooner, I check my texts, emails, Facebook, Instagram, Slack and missed calls… and so begins the proverbial rat race! I think most of you will find peace and increased productivity by creating a routine of your own, if you haven’t already! I would love to hear what your morning routine looks like. Share your “morning glory” story with me on twitter @CateredFit ☀️
Health is Wealth,
Adam Friden
CEO and fellow Countryman