Good day! How has your January been so far? Mine has been interesting. It has been almost a month and I am now confident to share with you my morning routine.

For the first time in a long time, I had nowhere to go on New Year’s Eve. I was not feeling too well but I wanted to do something. A few hours before midnight, I decided to act as if it was just an ordinary day and do as I would like to do the rest of the year. 2021 started off with a hearty meal which I ate at around 12 midnight. After eating, I proceeded with the routine that I wanted to follow the rest of the year.

I followed this routine for a few days and decided to consult a Physical Therapist / Trainer to make sure it is a healthy routine. More importantly, I wanted to know if it would help me in achieving my fitness goals. She suggested some adjustments and I have so far been enjoying my “mornings” better. Note the quotation marks on “mornings” since I do not always wake up in the morning.

Simply put, this is how I start my day. No matter what time of the day I wake up.

My Morning Routine

Here is a quick look at how I start my day (or night, if I wake up late).

• Meditation
• Quick Snack
• Workout
• Breakfast
• Shower and Skincare
• Coffee and Me Time

Morning Meditation

My day starts with some quiet time with the Down Dog Meditation App.

I used to hate quiet moments and could not stand even a minute of meditation. After a few days, I have come to love this part of the day. Now, I meditate several times throughout the day.

Sometimes, I would wake up and immediately check my inbox and my messaging apps and would spend time working or “socializing online.” When I catch myself doing this, I immediately stop and get ready for meditation.

After meditation, I take down a few notes and reminders that I learned from the meditation guide. Or I jot down ideas that bubbled during meditation. Meditation is an important part of my morning routine that signals my mind and body to get ready for the rest of the morning.

I take pride in the fact that I make my bed and fold my blanket everyday. I hate this chore and consider this unnecessary until recently. And I am glad I have changed this messy bit. Hope to make more changes like this.

The next part is preparing my stuff and the area I use for workout. But first, a banana for a quick snack.

Initially, I ate a meal, rested a bit then did my workout. My therapist suggested I try eating a banana before workout and eat a full meal after workout. I hate fresh, ripe bananas. LOL! But I made this adjustment and it has made my routine better. Sometimes, I substitute crackers or an avocado or an apple.

Going down the stairs to the kitchen to grab a banana and to fill my water bottle and going back upstairs also helps to warm up my body.

Workout Routine

After I have my quick snack and some water, I proceed to do my workout.

I use several apps for my daily workouts. These apps guide my workouts and record my sessions. I recently made the mistake of erasing my yoga sessions from Down Dog. So it is great that I also record sessions on my realme Watch. I should do better in recording everything via the Nike app.

Fitness Apps and Gadgets

Here are what I use regularly:

• Down Dog HIIT
• Nike Training Club
• Down Dog Yoga
• realme Watch
• realme Smart Scale

More about those apps and gadgets on future posts. I also use a yoga mat, of course, and some weights. I plan to invest on more equipment soon.

Last week, I modified my workout routine to be a bit more challenging. Again, always with the advice of my therapist. And so far, it has been tough but rewarding and fulfilling.

The workout session usually starts off with 6 – 10 minutes of HIIT, including one minute of warmup. After which, I do strength workouts for the abs, core, and arms. I usually do arm workouts 2 – 3 times a week, as prescribed by the therapist. Occasionally, I add some squats, lunges, planks, and other exercises.

Finally, I end the workout session with a yoga routine. Most days, I do a 20 minute Restorative Yoga routine with 5 minutes of Savasana to cooldown. Some days, the entire sessions is just 30 minutes to an hour of yoga. Yoga is my go-to exercise even when I am super tired or lazy.

I do my workout at different times of the day. So sometimes it is a morning workout routine. But there are times when you would see me sharing a sundown session. And there would even be times when I do my workout late at night. The important part is I workout at least 20 minutes a day.

And yes, I need to do better in doing cardio exercises.

Breakfast

After workout, I have my first meal of the day. My “breakfast.”

Again, the “breakfast” is in quotes because this is not necessarily breakfast food nor eaten in the morning. Typically, I just eat whatever is on the table. I try to limit my rice to about half a cup. I eat this with some veggies and some protein.

On some days, when I am not in the mood for whatever is on the table or when I crave for something specific, I prepare and cook my own meal. I love breakfast food, so it is usually eggs and some breakfast meat like sausages, luncheon meat, or corned beef. Sometimes, I would have some Kimchi Bokkeum or Jjigae for my veggies.

In the coming days, I hope to get back to eating more oatmeal, quinoa, and aldai. I do not count my calories but maybe I should start doing that.

After I eat, I proceed to prepare iced or hot coffee. But I save it for my coffee time.

Morning Skincare Routine

After a hearty meal, I take a hot and cold shower. I start with hot or warm water and end with cold water. As a person who hates hot showers, it took me a while to enjoy shower time. I take hot showers after exercising or when I’m tired. Hot showers make me more relaxed.

I end with a cold shower to close my pores and to make me feel refreshed.

Then, I proceed to do a simple skincare routine.

I start off with My Skin Origins Brightening Toner or Anti Acne Toner or Luxe Organix Aloe Vera Water. It depends on my current skin condition and the weather.

I follow that with my favorite My Skin Origins Stay Serum and end with the My Skin Origins Breathe Day Cream. Sometimes, when I am not too lazy, I apply some tint on my cheeks, and some powder.

Coffee Time!

My morning routine ends with my favorite part of the day: COFFEE TIME!

Most days, I rush through shower time because I know my coffee is waiting for me. I should really try to find myself a mug warmer. But so far my coffee tumblers have been great in keeping my coffee warm.

My coffee time is usually spent just enjoying my coffee while I listen to my Coffee and Tea Playlist. Most days, I watch a few videos or play a few games. When I feel energized enough, I start working on a few tasks while enjoying my coffee time.

Sometimes, I do indulge in some cookies, chocolates, or other sweets while having coffee. On Sundays and days when I badly need to sleep, I do not have coffee at all. Or at least I try not to have any, so I have tea or citron with chia seeds, instead.

This is also usually the time when I update Daylio, my mood tracker app.

As I sip the last drop of my coffee, my Morning Routine ends. Then, I proceed with work.

One Month with My Morning Routine

I have been doing these every single day, no matter what time I wake up. It has evolved over the past month but I have committed to following a morning routine since January 1. The goal is to stick to it for the rest of the year. I acknowledge and I accept that there might be days when I cannot follow my set routine. I am ok with that.

In the past, missing one day would mean I would totally forego or forget about the entire thing. Now, I have committed to myself to just get back to it even if I do miss one day.

Forming Habits

For more than a decade now, I have not followed any schedules, routines, or whatnot really. This year, I intend to have a more structured life. Not rigid or strict but with enough rules and habits that will help me become healthier, more productive, and yes, happier.

Related Link: 2020 Intentions

I did a bit of reading last year and various studies have posited that habits are formed when done for at least 14 days to up to 100 days. It really varies from person to person. Last year, I was able to commit to more than 100 days of working out. But after I faltered a bit, I gave up on it. This year and onwards, I intend to be better. So far, everything in my routine are now habits I enjoy.

Yes, I do depend on so many apps and a few gadgets to do my waking up or “morning” routine. I just work and operate better that way. I am more motivated to stay the course and work when I am competing. And I compete best with myself. This is why the apps and gadgets are crucial in keeping track of what I do and what my records are. So I can always try to do better than I already did.

Another way I keep motivated is by joining online groups of people (mostly strangers) with similar goals. Shoutout to the members of the Filipino Fitness Support Group on Facebook and on Messenger for keeping each other in check every day. I feel accomplished every time I update them that I am done with my workout.

I have so many maybes and hopes and some plans to make my routine and my life better. Some are noted here, some are on my journal. Suffice to say, there is still a lot of opportunities to improve.

Follow My Journey

I share snaps and glimpses of my routine and my progress online. By sharing my journey, I remain more committed, inspired, and motivated, as well. I am able to keep myself accountable. And it is my hope that I am also able to motivate others to develop routines and habits that will make them happier and healthier.

Follow me on social media to see more of my ideas and to follow my journey. Here are my accounts: Facebook Page at fb.com/DiyosaBlogger, Instagram @riajosedavao, and Twitter @riajose. Do not forget to follow my Youtube Channel at youtube.com/DiyosaLifeTV. Let me know if you want to see vlogs of my routine and daily life.

PLDT Home powers my apps and gadgets to guide me daily, to keep tabs on my progress, and to share my progress. Rediscover what matters. Rediscover home and what it means to you with PLDT Home.

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