This post was in partnership with obé fitness but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only recommend products we genuinely love.
"Mornings are always a struggle at my house. Between getting my 4.5 year old out of bed, making breakfast, and making sure he’s ready for school, I obviously get zero time to take care of myself. Forget putting on makeup, some days I can barely change out of my pajamas before heading out the door for drop off. And while the last year has made working in sweatpants the norm, I still don’t get enough time to myself.
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To keep myself sane, and productive, I took on five quick and easy habits that help set my day up for success. From starting my day with meditation on obé fitness, to opening my windows for five minutes (yes, even in winter!), these are the five healthy morning habits that make my life as a working mom easier.
1. Set the Alarm for an Hour Before Everyone Else
Yes, waking up at 6 a.m. sounds painful at first. But the blissful hour of silence and the extra time to get myself ready before everyone else wakes up makes all the difference. This is my time to sneak in the things I don’t have time for later in the day, whether that be an obĂ© fitness class, taking time to write out my schedule and to-do list for the day, or just simply sitting alone drinking coffee. Rising early takes practice but after a couple of weeks of getting in the habit, my internal clock was set to the earlier time.
2. Sneak in Meditation or Yoga
Part of waking up earlier than the rest of my household is giving myself the time to get in a meditation practice or yoga. These practices are more accessible and affordable than ever, thanks to at-home workout apps like obé fitness. The pandemic naturally made working out at home a more common occurrence, but for busy moms, we were trying to sneak that self-care in at home way before it became a thing.
For me, an app like obĂ© fitness is life-changing: I can do these healthy practices at home quickly either from my phone, smart TV, or laptop! From a quick 6-minute gratitude meditation, to 30 minutes of heart-pumping vinyasa yoga, or dance, pilates, strength trainingâthere’s something for every taste and every time constraint in their over 5,500 class library. Most workouts are in the 30-minute range and I usually alternate between 10 minutes of meditation or a 30-minute yoga practice. Getting those in in the morning feels like one more thing checked off my busy to-do list.
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3. Make My Bed
Once my husband makes it out of bed I sneak back in there to tackle one of the most important tasks of my dayâmaking my bed. This habit became second nature to me before becoming a mom. Making your bed first thing in the morning is a great way to start the day with one goal checked off your list. Yes, I happen to be a neat freak, but this one small act makes me feel accomplished early in the morning.
Don’t just take it from me, take it from the very inspiring University of Texas speech by former Navy SEAL Admiral William H. McRaven’s (which inspired the book Make Your Bed). âIf you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day,” he said in the viral speech. “By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter.â If that doesn’t get you making your bed, I don’t know what will.
4. Drink Something Green
I know, I know, but hear me out: starting my day off with a green drink really helps me feel like I did one thing for my health first thing. Getting greens in early helps my digestive system activate and also sets the tone for healthy choices for the whole day. I also just love the way it tastes and what it’s done for my skin! I’m partial to the easy Bonberi combination (another busy working mom!) with coconut water, spinach, bananas, and mango. Here’s my little trickâevery other day I make enough for two days worth so I have one ready for the following day. Honestly feels like I’m giving my future self a little gift!
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5. Open My Windows, Even in Winter
Every morning I open my living room and bedroom windows for five minutes. My son has asthma and I’ve always been concerned about indoor pollutants. After investing in some air-cleaning (and beautiful) plants, I learned opening your windows for five minutes a day can be very helpful in eliminating indoor pollutants. It’s actually especially important in winter when windows are always closed and pollutants can gather more intensely. I also just love the smell of fresh air first thing in the morning!
Those are just a few of the morning habits that have kept me going in the last year. It’s what works for me but might not work for everyone else. What are your healthy morning habits?
This post was in partnership with obé fitness but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only recommend products we genuinely love.