My Morning Routine

Our world has changed drastically over the last few weeks due to the spread of the Corona Virus (COVID-19). People are staying home more than ever as we practice social distancing all over the world. While a homebody lifestyle may be new for the majority, I have practiced this way of life for years as an introvert who works from home. I have become a bit of a hermit, so my day-to-day has not changed much recently. I began working from home in March of 2018 and graduated college in June of 2019. Once I graduated, I had even less reason to leave the house and the structure of my day was entirely up to me. For the first 1-2 months after graduation, I struggled to get into a good flow for work. In search of some balance throughout the week, I decided to curate a morning routine which helped me focus on my tasks and uplifted my mood. If you are struggling to get into a positive groove during this time, I wanted to share my morning routine in hopes of helping you out! I created this routine based on what makes me feel the most positive at the beginning of each day. The morning routine you create for yourself may look different based on what makes you feel best!

1. I set my alarm to 8:00 AM Monday - Friday and take my dog Rosie on a 15-30 minute walk as soon as I wake up. Since we have been spending more time at home, I have been trying to take her on longer walks, but ultimately it depends on how much is on my to-do list that day. During this time, I catch up on my favorite podcasts and enjoy the fresh air. 

2. When we get back home, I drink a large glass of room temperature lemon or lime water on an empty stomach. Doing so has many health benefits such as aiding digestion and fighting inflammation. It’s also a really easy way to get an extra boost of vitamins and get hydrated first thing each day.

3. As I sip on my lemon/lime water, I make 1 large cup of coffee. I have been making coffee at home for at least 6 years and it has saved me so much money! I usually spend between $7.00 - $10.00 on a bag of coffee beans that lasts 2-3 weeks. I typically limit myself to 1 strong cup of coffee per day. This is the coffee maker and bean grinder that I have at home (affiliate link).

4. After a few sips of coffee, I begin preparing for my morning workout. I do my best to exercise at home for 30 minutes 5 days per week (Monday - Friday). My favorite workouts are on the Popsugar Fitness YouTube channel. I usually search for full-body workouts with no equipment needed and sometimes I’ll throw in an additional 10-minute ab workout or extra stretching session. I also try to incorporate yoga at least once per week.

5. I’m not always hungry first thing in the morning, so sometimes I practice intermittent fasting until my appetite is sparked around lunchtime. If I’m mildly hungry after my workout I usually eat something quick and easy like fruit or a bagel and other times I’ll make a full meal such as a potato bowl with beans and raw greens. I’m going to share this recipe on YouTube soon. Be sure to subscribe here so you don’t miss it!

6. Once I am done working out and eating, I shower and change into something cute and comfy like leggings and a sweater. After I graduated college, I would often skip showers or just wear the same pajamas all day, but I have realized that showering and changing is actually a great way to reset for the work day- even if I don’t plan on leaving the house for much. I don’t usually do my makeup unless I plan on shooting content later in the day. I’m typically ready to start admin/computer work between 9:30 - 10:00 AM.

For a while I also implemented making the bed, but I must admit that this is the least important thing to me first thing in the morning. I do it often, and I love how it makes the bedroom feel neat and organized, but everything else on this list is much more important in contributing to my overall happiness and productivity for the day/week. I am still trying to get better at it, but I am not always consistent with it. Something else I would love to incorporate more is journaling, but I have a hard time squeezing this in without waking up earlier and I am not naturally a morning person. At the beginning of the year, I was writing in my journal once per day (mostly at night) and I would love to pick this up again at some point throughout the day because writing is very therapeutic for me.

Creating a structured routine and turning inward first thing each day has been life changing for me! I hope that sharing how I start my day encourages you to try something like this to optimize your time and mood throughout the week.

My Journey with Self Love

My journey towards self love began around age 25. Growing up, I had a rough childhood and the patterns of extreme adversity I faced continued through my early 20’s. I was an only child (for the first 10 years of my life) who often resorted to playing with babydolls and Barbie’s as an outlet. When I got into my pre-teen years, I transitioned into playing with my hair and makeup which resulted in becoming more self aware of my appearance. Not to mention the surge of hormones that make us all a little coocoo during those prime puberty years. I began to obsess in the mirror over my appearance and hated everything I saw in my reflection.

As a mixed girl, I felt so confused with my identity. I transferred schools often because my mother and I moved frequently and I was bullied, so I didn’t have a solid group of friends. Whenever I started at a new school students would ask, “What are you? Mexican or White?” I would then explain that I am German, Scottish, and Nicaraguan and immediately become insecure because I didn’t feel “enough” of anything. My mom was born in Nicaragua, but primarily spoke English to me. I was painfully shy and was scared to speak my second language out loud until much later. My paternal grandmother was born in Germany and I went to German school on Saturdays, but I started later than other kids in my class and felt insecure that all the younger children were more fluent than me.

The confusion I faced with my identity transformed into body dysmorphia. When I looked into the mirror I despised my reflection and would think to myself, “I wish my hair wasn’t wavy. Why can’t I have corkscrew curls or stick straight strands so that I can fit in more with one side or another? I wish I could be tan so that I could look more like my mom and the Hispanic girls at school would accept me faster.” When puberty hit I prayed for large breasts every night, that never came, so I fantasized about the day I would be able to get a breast augmentation while watching MTV’s “True Life: I’m Getting Breast Implants”. I was also a very picky eater and was extremely slim which adults would often point out deepening the insecurities that surrounded every inch of my being. I despised when teachers or my friends parents would endearingly touch my back out of fear that they would feel the way my bones popped out of my skin and say something about it. My insecurities ran deep from a young age and I was miserably unaware of how to love myself until my mid 20’s. 

As I mentioned earlier, I had a rough childhood and my difficulties continued through high school and college. I had extensive falling outs with various family members from senior year in high school and sophomore year in college that affected me tremendously.  I felt betrayed by the tribe that raised me which resulted in immense heartache, financial hardships, and deepened my anxiety to new heights. The stress became so difficult that I began breaking out in hives and having night sweats throughout the night that caused me to change a handful of times because my clothes were soaking wet. I felt as though I was mourning the loss of my loved ones and I felt so alone. The financial hardships caused me to take several breaks from college and pushed me to focus on work to survive rather than my career long term. I was working in retail as a stylist and later as a manager. I loved the company I was employed with and threw myself into work which was so rewarding. My finances fell into place at the perfect time and I was grateful for that, so I continued to dedicate myself to work. After four years with the same company, I had an epiphany that it was time to shift my priorities and focus on finishing school. My love for work began to consume my life and eventually I had no balance, so I made the difficult decision to leave and work part-time elsewhere until I finished my Bachelor of Arts in Humanities. Since I was leaving my former employer, I had to get new insurance but wanted one more doctor visit before my coverage expired. I made an appointment the day before my insurance ended and was diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety. I couldn’t even talk about my symptoms or circumstances without crying at the time. The doctor encouraged me to take anti-depressants, but deep down I knew what I was going through was manageable as long as I made serious life changes.

As I transitioned into my new life as a broke college student working part-time, I was also going through a hard breakup. This breakup was a significant game changer for me because after that relationship ended was the first time I consciously chose to spend time alone and learned how to love myself. For the first time in my life I had no desire to date, rebound, nothing. I just wanted to be alone, do things I loved, and learn who I was. This was something I had to do in solitude so that I could block outside noise, other people’s opinions, and focus on myself. While I wish I reached this phase sooner in life, I felt this was the first time I was ever truly ready. Something just clicked and I had no desire to flood my life with anything that no longer served me. While I began healing and working on myself I also I began building new friendships, strengthening old ones, and when blogging came into play more seriously. 

I’ve shared many times in the past that blogging helped bring me out of a depression and it really did. I have always been a creative person, but for so long I didn’t have time to breathe let alone make space for my art. Once I left my full-time job to focus on school and got out of a toxic relationship my soul yearned to be filled with a creative outlet. I finally had the mental and physical space to style outfits on my own time and take pictures around my neighborhood. My friends were so supportive and helped me shoot content several times a week. I felt fulfilled for the first time in a long time. That was the summer of 2015 and I have continued down this path ever since. Blogging is still a huge part of my life- one of the biggest parts of my life- as I have chosen to pursue my creative outlet as a career post college graduation.

While I still struggle with mild body dysmorphia and bouts of sadness and anxiety it is very mild compared to what I went through in my early 20’s. I no longer hate every inch of my being when I look at my reflection and I have learned to love the traits that my mixed genes express. The irony about obsessing over how much I hated my wavy hair at a young age is that it is one of the features I get complimented on the most as an adult. One of the key components I learned during my self love journey is that spending time nurturing yourself is necessary. Once I sought and found balance, it took so much unneeded pressure out of my life. During my self love journey I formed my own opinions and learned how to express them. I also learned that I can be happy all by myself. I continue to be fueled by alone time and protect the energies around me. I am a very sensitive and intuitive person, so in order for me to experience inner peace I have to be careful with how I spend my time and who I surround myself with. Guarding my heart and mind with awareness of how certain experiences or other people influence my spirit has been pivotal in maintaining a positive mental state.  I can’t help but wish I had things easier growing up, but the hardships I faced have made me resilient, strong, and intelligent, so I wouldn’t trade those qualities in for anything else.