Starting your day off meaningfully and productively can set you up for success. The “success” doesn’t need to have a traditional definition of achieving more sales or closing out more projects. Success is and always will be personal. Similarly, morning routines are specific to each person and determined by physical, mental and spiritual steps. Here’s the surprising truth about morning routines and what successful people do differently.
The Truth About Morning Routines
Establishing a morning routine may seem like a step out of your comfort zone, but it can provide organization and relief. It’s about prioritization of what steps would have the most impact on your day in a positive way. These steps can look different than those of folks around you, but ultimately it’s about what sets you up for success personally. This could look like preparing the night before or giving yourself enough time to slowly implement your morning routine rather than rushing into it. Celebs have spoken about the morning routine steps that help them to start the day off with gratitude and move through their to-dos.
Celebs Choosing Their Own Morning Routines
Experts suggest “habit-stacking”: a way to add a new habit to your life by stacking it on top of one that you’ve already developed. For example, meditate before stretching or saying affirmations while brushing your teeth. Mindfulness and intentionality go a long way in affirming and preparing yourself, leaving little to no room for anxiety or doubt. Oprah Winfrey starts her morning with 20 minutes of meditation, ahead of getting on the treadmill before going for a walk. She ends the routine with a complex-carb and protein rich meal.
The Mayo Clinic Staff confirms that a morning workout will help to get your endorphins going, giving you an enhanced level of focus. Comedian and entrepreneur Kevin Hart, in an interview, shared that he gets up by 5 a.m., unless he’s on tour. He starts his day with a workout and tries to be in bed by 10:30 p.m. Moving your body will not only remind you that you’re in it, but that you’re capable of whatever you put your mind to.
Author, advocate and former First Lady Michelle Obama uses lists to map out responsibilities. Obama said that creating these plans allows her to facilitate time for self-care as that is also always a priority. Putting these practices into place help to achieve focus and flow. Sectioning your day off into blocks of environment or timing-specific responsibility is another way to achieve greater productivity.
Creating Positive Results With Morning Routines
Regardless of being a celebrity or an everyday person, remember that setting time and space aside, even if it’s to be creative or abstract, is necessary. Do it long enough, and it becomes a (healthy) routine. Find a morning regiment that can help you achieve organization and calm.
Ashley Nash is a SEO Writer at Blavity. A lover of storytelling, she started off as a freelance writer covering local news for newspapers throughout Los Angeles. She then went on to pursue her masters in journalism from the USC Annenberg School. During the summer of her first year, she interned at Cape Community Newspapers in South Africa where she covered breaking news, art and culture. She returned home, graduated and found herself wanting to travel more, leading her to take on a role in the Bay Area. There, she worked in tech and marketing while continuing to freelance as a writer and photographer covering social justice. She desired a full-time role that would allow her to continue exploring her interests in social justice, identity and beauty while pursuing other avenues of content production.
A stint in copywriting, back home in Los Angeles, only strengthened her desire to produce stories both written and visual. So, she pursued and accepted the opportunity to work as a Story Hunter with Vox Media, where she produced and directed short videos for B2C brands. When the pandemic hit and companies loosened their restrictions around schedule and location, Ashley saw this as another chance to travel. She decided to move to the most coveted of her desired destinations: New York City. The writer-creative and apparent traveler continued to story hunt, producing and directing videos for Okta, Victoria’s Secret and Zoom. She also continued to freelance as a writer and photographer adding makeup artist and model to her budding repertoire.
Her 11-year span of work has appeared in Blavity, Ebony, AFROPUNK, CRWN Magazine, Madame Noire, Carefree, Teen Vogue, Italian Vogue, HuffPost, Access Hollywood and Wear Your Voice Magazine. She now lives in Los Angeles with her fiance’, daughter and family. Ashley is happy to return to the editorial space, viewing it as a homecoming. When she isn’t mothering or spending time with family, Ashley is helping people write, recording podcast episodes, editing her website, TikToking, thrift-shopping, enjoying cute cafes and eateries. Her website is itsashnash.com and her handle on all socials is @itsashnash.
I adhere to the highest benchmarks for ethical integrity and accuracy in journalism as outlined in The AfroTech editorial policy.
