Alessia's Realistic Morning Routine for Success

Avoid hitting the snooze button to prevent sleep deprivation and disruption of sleep cycles. Waking up at a consistent time is crucial for aligning your circadian rhythm. A little hack to make sure you actually do it is setting an alarm on your phone the night before and then charging your phone across the room, so when you get up you actually have to like walk across the room to turn off the alarm and at that point you're already up there's no going back.

“You're actually gonna wake up even more tired and sleep deprived after that second or third alarm goes off.”

Resist the urge to check social media or emails immediately upon waking up. Avoid the dopamine rush and attention hijacking that can lead to a stressed and distracted day. Instead, focus on activities that set a positive tone.

“Going on your phone right in the morning when you wake up gives you an instant hit of dopamine.”

Wait at least an hour after waking up before consuming caffeine to avoid increased cortisol levels and energy crashes. Cortisol, a stress hormone, is naturally higher in the morning. Drinking coffee first thing in the morning makes you more tired as the day goes on, because it spikes cortisol levels. Opt for green tea for a gentler boost.

“When you add coffee on top of [cortisol], your cortisol levels Spike which you're basically just begging at that point to be anxious for the rest of the day.”

Finish your shower with a few minutes of cold water to wake you up and provide numerous health benefits. It hardwires your brain because it's the hardest thing you do all day. This is a challenging activity and may not be suitable for everyone. Start with a shorter burst and gradually increase the duration. People with certain heart conditions should avoid this activity.

“Not only wakes you up because you're gonna be like oh [ __ ] but it has endless benefits that I can't even cover them all.”

Implement a physical self-care routine, such as skincare. Alessia recommends a facial mist and sunscreen. This routine contributes to self-love, which is necessary for everyone to have.

“Taking time to do self-care is the most important part of your whole morning routine.”

Engage in a guided meditation (YouTube) to clear your mind and prepare for the day. This helps to clear my mind and prepare me for the rest of the day. Search YouTube for guided meditations that focus on happiness, motivation, or anxiety relief. Beginners can start with 5-minute meditations and gradually increase the duration. Meditate outside for sunlight.

“I like to do a morning meditation because it just helps to clear my mind and prepare me for the rest of the day.”

Get direct sunlight for 10-15 minutes to stabilize your circadian rhythm and boost mood. Expose yourself to direct sunlight and avoid looking through a window.

“Getting morning sunlight is so important it's actually one of the major contributors to getting seasonal depression.”

Make your bed to avoid the urge to jump back in and to complete the first task of the day. Completing the first task of the day helps you to avoid feeling the urge to jump back into it, and also feels like an accomplishment, giving you that motivation to push you to do the rest of your things that you have to do.

“It helps you to complete that first task of the day and it feels like an accomplishment.”

Drink lemon water to detoxify your body and get your digestive system moving. Add a pinch of salt for electrolytes. Electrolytes are essential in the morning because they add those electrolytes back into your body after you deprived it from hydration during your sleep.

“Lemon water is so good for detoxing the body.”

Eat a breakfast high in protein to fuel you up until your next meal and build muscle. Pair protein with a healthy fat, instead of sugar and carbs.

“I make sure it's as high in protein as possible because it helps to fuel you up until your next meal and it helps to build muscle.”

Take a daily morning walk and collect a stone to signify a stepping stone into becoming the best version of yourself. Nature has always been and something that grounds me and it just helps to clear my mind especially in the morning which is amazing.

“I've been trying to do daily morning walks even if it only lasts 10 minutes I do this not only so I can get the benefits of exercising but Nature's always been and something that grounds me and it just helps to clear my mind especially in the morning which is amazing.”