The Morning Routines 10 Successful Women Swear By
For the majority of us, mornings are the most difficult time of the day. As much as we'd like to be part of the 5am club, sleeping in feels too good and we're probably not going to jump out from under the covers to hit the gym. It's safe to say many of us fall victim to a few morning routine mistakes that inevitably sabotage our day.
The quality of your morning routine can affect the rest of your day, and for this reason, it does deserve special attention. That's why we've turned to 10 successful women from our Bedtime Stories series, to share exactly what it is that helps them kickstart their day correctly even if they are self-confessed night owls.
The Morning Routines That 10 Successful Women Swear By
1. Dr Michelle Wong
My alarm usually goes off at 8 or 9am, sometimes earlier if I have a meeting with someone in a different time zone. I keep my bedroom blinds slightly open to help myself wake up gently.
Usually, I'll reply to comments in bed for a bit, then after washing my face and putting on sunscreen I'll make a cup of oolong tea and do some tidying. For some reason, my day doesn't feel like it's started properly until I've done a bit of cleaning!
2. Kate Ceberano
I get up early around 6.30am and turn on the coffee machine (a big Italo 'Giaggia' – it’s like the Porsche of bistro coffee machines). I make a vitamin C bomb with collagen, vitamin D and E. I let that do its work for an hour while showering and getting ready for Pilates.
I then grab a coffee, hit the floor, pump out an hour mat class with my buddy Dimitria online (I’ve been training with her for about five years).
3. Lauren Trend
When we’re done with our walk, I begin my day with a cup of tea, splash my face with cold water and apply LESSE’s Ritual Serum liberally.
I try and do a few minutes of gentle movement each morning; some days this looks like a two minute stretch, on others it’s a pre-natal pilates class with Fluid Form. When I’m feeling ready, I’ll open my emails and begin my workday.
4. Turia Pitt
I usually wake up to one of my kids barking like a dog. Probably around 5:30am.
We’ll stumble out to the kitchen. I make coffee. Take a collagen supplement (I love the Kynd Collagen Forte sachets). Then I’ll pop the kids down with some toys and while they’re playing/squawking at each other, I’ll take a minute to think of three things I’m grateful for. It sounds woo woo and annoying (I know!) but practicing gratitude every morning really helps shift my perspective and start my day in a good mood.
We’ll usually bundle up and get down to the beach or a park ASAP after that because the kids need to get some energy out and I need some fresh air!
If I’m running (which I try to do a few mornings a week), I set my alarm for 5am so I can sneak out before the kids and Michael wake up, make a coffee, eat a banana and then get out the door ASAP.
5. Zara Wong
My alarm goes off at 6.30am on weekdays and 8am on weekends. I am definitely not a morning person so this isn’t my favourite part of the day, but my routine involves me brushing my teeth, splashing water on my face (I don’t cleanse my face in the mornings), and putting on serum (I rotate a lot), day moisturiser (either Volition Beauty or Tatcha) and face oil (Mecca Cosmetica), then makeup.
I think about what I wear as I do my skincare routine in the morning – I’m not that organised to do it the night before, but I probably should. I read through the news headlines of the morning while drinking coffee or matcha - I try to alternate between the two. I don’t even really need the caffeine to function, but I love the taste of it!
6. Holly Ryan
My alarm goes off at 6am because I am a sunrise junkie!
If I am working in Sydney, I take a brisk walk to Shelly Beach every morning with my golden retriever Hugo, and depending on how cold it is, I take a sunrise dip. This hit of fresh water gets me so pumped up for the day.
If I am working on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, I climb Mount Coolum to watch the sunrise and meditate at the top before taking Hugo to the beach.
7. Olivia Arezzolo
My alarm goes off pretty early, around 5am. It’s not a challenge for me to be up at this time, and I love the stillness of the morning air.
Before I go anywhere, I always write a few gratitudes and affirmations – one I am lingering on at the moment is “it is my birthright to feel good”.
Some gratitudes I find myself penning regularly include being grateful my private clients are all seeing incredible results (sometimes they are challenged, but some weeks they all going incredibly well), grateful for the sunshine, grateful I have a rooftop to work from and grateful for my dog Jackie.
After writing down these thoughts, I’ll usually head to the gym and then take Jackie out for a jog, meditate and get on with my most important task.
8. Carla Oates
I naturally wake up around 5.30am. It can be an internal struggle not to immediately look at my phone and start checking emails from my businesses' global teams however, I made a commitment to myself this year to use the mornings as a time for self-care.
Once I'm up, I make it my mission to go for a brisk walk down by the beach. Walking for me is so meditative and this is the time where I process my thoughts and ideas, ready to take on the day ahead.
9. Lydia O’Donnell
Each morning I wake between 5 and 6am depending on what running session I have for the day. I spend the first 5 minutes allowing myself to wake up fully before jumping into anything. I then head straight to the kettle to begin brewing my morning coffee and toasting a crumpet. While this is heating, I open my 5-minute journal to go through the process of gratitude and what I want to get out of the day.
Once my coffee and crumpet are ready, I will sit in silence and prepare for the training session ahead. I run every single day, with some runs being harder than others. If I have a tough run ahead, I'm usually relatively nervous and excited. I go through the motions of where I'm running, what pace I need to be hitting and how hard it should be feeling. I try not to put too much pressure on myself, but there is always a goal in mind. Once the caffeine and fuel has been consumed, I lace up my shoes and head out the door.
10. Jessica Vander Leahy
Ideally my alarm doesn’t go off before 8am as I think that’s my natural wake time but, with my job, that’s hardly ever the case because we chase that glorious morning light!
If I can get a workout in early I will—boxing and a beach dip.
But one thing I always do is make my bed—it’s almost like I little gift to myself for later to come home to a fresh bed.
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