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Life, Registered Dietitian, Self Care

My Morning Routine

November 9, 2016 By Robyn 24 Comments

I find it so interesting to hear how people spend their mornings. I’m naturally curious and love to know everything about someone (hence a career in nutrition counseling and nursing) and how they do things. Like…why do you do things the way you do them?

This is the morning routine that gets my day started out awesome! | The Real Life RD

We all have different personalities (hiiiii to all the ENFPs!) so we all process and navigate life differently. Imagine how boring it would be if we all did things the same? Womp wompppp.

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LAME.

Nick is an ENTJ and we could not be more different when it comes to thinking through decisions and going about the flow of our day. Somehow we work well together though. He makes my life easier by helping me avoid preventable problems and I keep his life way more fun and interesting with a lot of unexpected and spontaneous happenings.

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Case in point: It’s not in my nature to plan head. Nick will make sure he has everything in his bag when he heads to the airport and plan so he is there plenty early as to avoid stress. I assume I have everything in my bag, give myself exactly as much time as Google maps tells me to get to the airport, show up at the airport without an ID, have to be fully searched at security, and frantically sprint to my gate, arriving 3 minutes before the door shuts.

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I’m an 86% feeler and 14% thinker. I make decisions with my heart, not my head. This is sometimes good and sometimes not so good.

So when it comes to my mornings, I sooooo desire to be more disciplined and structured, but I go about my morning based a lot more on feelings then on a timeline. I hate feeling micromanaged or confined to rules or guidelines. So let’s call it functional messiness rather than routine shall we?

Based on when I get to bed (I shoot for between 10pm and 11pm unless I’m at clinical late or it’s the weekend) I wake up between 6am and 7am. But always after snoozing twice. Yes, I’m a snoozer. You are too?

Usually, I love the idea of a morning workout and most times I have that planned. But only 60% of the time does that actually get executed.

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Whether I’m working out or not, I always brush my teeth very first thing, and then have a couple cups of coffee and read my bible + journal for a bit. Then if I’m feeling a sweat I go take a workout class or run in Central Park. If I just can’t get myself out the door, I answer email, write a blog post, or finish a tedious school assignment for 45 minutes or so.

I’m almost always running late. I don’t know how to not be late. It’s like a disease or something. Nick use to get frustrated with me, but now he’s just learned to either a) expect me 15 minutes past when I say I’ll be there or b) tell me to be there 15 minutes earlier than I actually need to be.

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After working out or doing computer work for a bit, I make a typical green smoothie using ½ scoop Vega One, frozen organic spinach, maca powder, frozen fruit (blueberries, mango or banana usually) plus almond milk and ice. I’ll drink that while getting ready along with another cup of coffee (maybe one day I’ll wean back to one…)

My getting ready routine…shower, put on fluffy robe, brush wet hair, throw on a few swipes of mascara and my glasses, then put my hair in a twisty wet bun and then I take it down later to finish air drying. Then I get dressed in something comfy if it’s a non-clinical day. My everyday wear for fall/winter is black legging or jeans, my Nike flyknits, a flannel or chambray button down, my favorite vinyasa scarf, and an oversized sweater.

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In the midst of running around my apartment getting my bag for the day ready and making myself semi presentable, I’m usually throwing together pancakes or oatmeal to take with me and eat on my commute to class or wherever I’m going.

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No day is ever the same. Sometimes I totally crave a structured 9-5 job where I’m disciplined and have this weekly morning routine, but my life is just not that. The above is most days, but depending on the week and how I’m feeling (aka stressed or tired or unmotivated) mornings can look different.

Now you go…what’s your morning routine? Anyone else more of a feelsy than thinky person?

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Filed Under: Life, Registered Dietitian, Self Care Tagged With: breakfast, healthy balance, life, oatmeal, pancakes, pumpkin, workout

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Comments

  1. Tess says

    November 9, 2016 at 6:34 am

    As a fellow blogger, I read your blog all the time and just love it! I am pretty sure I would be the same letters as you for personality but I forget mine lol. But I am always late, have been late since I started running after my school bus at 7 years old (lol!) and totally make decisions based on feeling. It’s so weird though because I love the morning and I try SO hard to right out structured schedules and to do lists for myself to follow in the mornings and throughout the day but most of the time
    I just hop around randomly! I’m not sure if I just need to give up the idea of being structured at this point and accept my personality ha! So anyways, my point, thank you for this post! It’s so refreshing to hear someone say “this is how I am and that’s the way it is.” Instead of, “you just need to be more disciplined or you’re not trying hard enough.”

    Reply
    • Tess says

      November 9, 2016 at 6:36 am

      *write out! Not “right out” oy lol!

      Reply
  2. Sam says

    November 9, 2016 at 8:30 am

    I am more similar to Nick except I’m not normally getting ready for something until the last minute. So I may pack at midnight the night before and realize I don’t have something, resulting in an emergency trip to the store in the middle of the night.

    Reply
  3. Heather @ Polyglot Jot says

    November 9, 2016 at 9:46 am

    I also find these super interesting. I’m more like Nick definitely! I’m a planner and get to things early to avoid stress. I have a structured office job though and definitely crave variety and not the same old routine every morning…but maybe the grass always seems green on the other side!

    Reply
  4. Megan King says

    November 9, 2016 at 10:04 am

    I like a slow morning where I wake up, put on moisturizer and a swipe of mascara, and then go start coffee and breakfast. I like eating first thing because it makes me feel my best. Always an egg plus banana bread, toast, waffle, pancake, etc with peanut butter or a homemade latte. Then I eat slowly, get dishes cleaned up and finish getting ready for work. Any extra time left is spent reading the bible, deep breathing, and packing a snack for work. 🙂

    I used to be habitually late but worked HARD to change that habit. It literally made me anxious to be early! I told myself it is more respectful to myself and others to be on time. If I am anxious I tend to run late so I work on being calm, relaxed, and streamlining my process of getting out the door. It has helped so much. Also, my clock on the kitchen and in my car are set 5 minutes fast!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      November 17, 2016 at 11:58 am

      I feel calmer even after reading about your morning – so awesome!
      My problem is then I remember that the clocks are fast – HA!

      Reply
  5. Anastasia says

    November 9, 2016 at 12:09 pm

    Love this!! And I love getting to read what others love in the mornings too!

    I am definitely someone who likes their routines! I love starting the day with a sweaty run or Crossfit workout. Then once I get back home I make a beeline for the coffeepot and get to work on making a smoothie/eggs/or oatmeal. Then I like to sit with my breakfast and coffee and have some quiet time with my Main Man. Without that quiet time, my day seems off and unbalanced.
    After talking to Jesus, I shower, throw on some CC cream and mascara and change into jeans, an oversized tshirt and some Toms. I grab my backpack (that my Type A personality packed the night before haha) and I make my way to campus.

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      November 17, 2016 at 11:57 am

      oh girl you are leaps ahead of where I was in college! Best of luck to you 🙂

      Reply
  6. Sarah @ BucketListTummy says

    November 9, 2016 at 12:22 pm

    Love these. I’m somewhat of a planner, but only in the short term. I can’t plan blog posts more than a week ahead of time, I don’t know how people do it months out! I also struggle with planning meals ahead of time because I eat what I’m craving in the moment. More often than not, I’m running late too because I’m trying to squeeze in everythingggg!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      November 17, 2016 at 11:57 am

      I am the same as you in the running late and the blog posts department! I eat out often so that helps with not having to plan too much!

      Reply
  7. Bethany @LuluRuns says

    November 9, 2016 at 12:50 pm

    I’m totally like you! I really love the idea of being more structured and getting to places super early, but yeah, going with my emotions is a lot more my style. My husband on the other hand, is a lot more like Nick and we balance each other out well!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      November 17, 2016 at 11:56 am

      yep – I say we balance each other out too 🙂

      Reply
  8. Hayley Lytle says

    November 9, 2016 at 2:34 pm

    I love having a morning plan! If I don’t I feel like the rest of my day is a jumble. I do plan some quiet time but I also feel the need to plan every morning (and day) step the night before.

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      November 17, 2016 at 11:56 am

      I bet that leads to a lot less stress and productivity – I admire you!

      Reply
  9. Jennifer @SimplePureWhole Wellness says

    November 9, 2016 at 2:37 pm

    Thanks for sharing your routine. It is always fun to get a glimpse of how life flows for someone. I tend to be a planner and definitely lean toward being too early but vacillate between going with my head versus my heart!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      November 17, 2016 at 11:56 am

      I would LOVE to learn to be early! I love how we are all different

      Reply
  10. Julianna says

    November 9, 2016 at 4:35 pm

    I’m also super nosy and love reading about other people’s days and routines! I also thought that personality test was so interesting…. took it and it was spot on for me!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      November 17, 2016 at 11:55 am

      it reveals so many things!

      Reply
  11. Katie says

    November 9, 2016 at 10:43 pm

    I love this so much! Thanks for sharing 🙂 Pre-babies my routine looked a lot like yours 🙂 Now it’s more like.. Wake up. Coffee. Breakfast & wild kiddos! I’m an ISFJ (All the feelings here!)

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      November 17, 2016 at 11:55 am

      yesss to all the feels 🙂

      Reply
  12. Liliana Salinas says

    November 10, 2016 at 11:51 am

    I subscribed to your blog a couple months and I must say I truly appreciate your stories. Ever since then I’ve been reading your blog on a weekly bases. Thanks for sharing! I’ve subscribed to other great nutrition blogs but never stuck along because I did not have the connection I have with yours.

    My boyfriend and I are exactly the same way you and Nick are. Alejandro (my boyfriend) and I are very different in so many ways yet together we are the perfect match. He is a perfectionist when it comes to timing and planning. I in the other hand I’m always running late and don’t believe in such thing as a schedule. Yes I do create my to do lists but I work better by going with the flow.

    My mornings consist of a morning run, followed by shower then having breakfast with a cup of coffee while hearing or watching the news. Once I’ve had my daily dose of coffee and news I dress myself depending on where and what my day will consist of.

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      November 17, 2016 at 11:54 am

      I’m so glad you are enjoying Liliana! Thank YOU for reading. Hey, opposites attract right and that means you all balance each other out 🙂

      Reply
  13. mallory says

    November 10, 2016 at 1:15 pm

    Love your blog.

    I thrive on routine- I just need it to keep me sane! I work a typical 9-5 and I love it that way.

    I wake up between 5 and 5:30 and spend about 30 minutes waking up fully/having a small snack and pre-workout drink. Then I go to the gym for anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes, and am on the train into Boston by 7:15. Get into work between 8-9.

    I love this because it allows flexibility in my evenings. I can go to dinner, be lazy, order takeout etc because my day is DONE! Oh, and I love being able to fall asleep so quickly since I get up very early

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      November 17, 2016 at 11:50 am

      I totally admire your discipline! And having nights free is the best!

      Reply

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A non-diet dietitian and nurse practitioner helping women find peace with food, accept their natural body size and heal from hormonal issues and period problems.

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