Our founder, Amanda McMillan, talks about her morning schedule and starting each day right

The most important thing I have found over the past few years with a morning routine is that it is completely unique to each individual. Some people thrive on getting up early, while for others late evenings work best (my husband is definitely a night owl).  There is so much hype now days about morning routines – but I believe it is crucial to find your own rhythm, experiment with what works best for you and then continue to make tweaks and changes as your own personal circumstances change. Try not to put pressure on yourself that it has to look a certain way, and bring humour into it if everything falls apart.  One thing I know for sure is that my morning has a huge effect on my overall day and therefore if nothing goes “right” I try to laugh about it (spilt coffee on my new suit, my girls having a meltdown because their hair won’t go right, no goats milk in the house...). If I can bring some kindness and gratitude into my morning this flows through to my entire day.

I love mornings particularly as I live in the Country and there is something quite special about waking up in the dark and watching the sun rise as the birds become louder and the fog lifts.  My morning routine is really important to me and I can really feel it when I am out of sink with it. As I love mornings I wake fairly early and do a few key things (all under 5 minutes) to take some time for myself.  This includes; walking outside and breathing in the air (feeling the grass under my feet), meditation (I try to mix things up and choose a different technique each week or so), a cup of water with lemon and apple cider, journaling (using the automated writing technique) and then pulling an affirmation card at random to anchor my day.  After this I usually take a shower and get ready for the day. I like to do this prior to spending some time with my girls (now 11 and 10). We love to eat breakfast together (one of my girls is a fabulous cook and will often make an omelette for us all to share) while we talk about the upcoming day and all of the things we are excited about/looking forward to.  I check in on emails before leaving the house each day to see what has come in overnight and to get myself in the mindset for the day ahead, checking over my top three priorities (I write my top three priorities each evening before going to bed). I make coffee in a take away glass cup and then hit the train or car. The commute is over an hour and so I like to listen to podcasts, audio books, connect with family or use the time to reflect and be creative.  Once I arrive at work I then workout – yes I am spoilt as I work in a Wellness Centre which includes a gym (at the moment I have a Personal Trainer I am working three times a week or I catch a yoga class). I don’t like to schedule meetings until 9.30am so that I am not rushed and can be flexible with my mornings if something does not go to plan (as it often does!)

Amanda’s three key takeaways:

1. Work-out what works for you

Let go of what you think a successful start looks like and focus more so on what works with your schedule and nourishes you. For some, this will be catching up on emails from bed, and for others this will being up for sunrise yoga. Your morning routine should be as individual as you are. 

2. But whatever it is, ensure you have a morning flow

Habits and intentions allow us to strive towards the best possible outcome. Once you work out what works for you personally, try to stick it in, in some form each day. You’ll feel calmer when you are in-sink with a purposeful and mindful start.

3. If you fall out-of-sink, it’s okay: 

Learn to laugh when things don’t go as planned! Not everyday is going to be perfect, and that’s okay. The most important thing is being able to identify what your ideal morning looks like as ‘the plan’, and then be able adapt (or abandon in some cases!) the plan accordingly as you go.