Wake up between 5.30 am and 6 am

I am not going to stick to a set time of 5.30 am as a wake up as I know some nights will be late ones due to football and I will definitely benefit for an extra half hours sleep. As long as I am up and moving by 6 am I will consider this to be a successful start to the day as it means I have a lot more time than I am used to for setting up my day.

Cold water plunge

Now this one wont happen until I get the ice bath set up when the garden has been tidied up a bit. However, once it is up and running as soon as I am up I will be heading outside to jump in the ice bath and start my day with some cold water therapy which I am really looking forward to as I should see a huge difference mentally by doing this daily.

Get showered

Once my time in the ice bath is done I will be heading straight back in to jump in the shower just to get ready for the day whilst also warming myself back up a little although this won't be too hot as I don't want to lose the benefits of the cold water plunge. 

Skincare routine

Once I am out of the shower I will be implementing my new skincare routine and making sure I am not skipping any days for this as I know now I really need to start taking care of my skin so much more. This routine wont be over the top but it should help sort out my terrible skin. I have some products I am currently using up for this but keep an eye on here and Instagram as the more I get into this habit I will start to buy some much better items to add into the routine.

Hair routine

Once the skincare is done it is time to move onto the biggest task of the morning... sorting my hair out. This used to be so easy when my hair was short as I would just towel dry it, run a brush through and be done. My hair is so much longer now though and I need to blow dry it and then style it to make me somewhat presentable for the day. Hopefully the more I get into doing this the quicker it will become.

Take my vitamins

This is something I have done every morning since the start of the year and it is something I am going to make sure I kept up to so it is going straight into the start of my morning routine so it doesn't get forgotten about. I keep all these in the spare room aka my office/dressing room and they are near all my hair stuff so it just makes a bit more sense taking them before anything else.

Get dressed

Once all the above is done it is time to get dressed and luckily if all goes to plan all my clothing will be ready and waiting for me so I don't need to be hunting around for what to wear. The only things that wont be out will be the accessories but a quick trip back to the bedroom will allow me to pick what goes best with the outfit when it is being worn. Having everything ready to go will just mean a much more efficient time where I am not left rushing the rest of my morning routine.

Wake the dog up

Once the dog is asleep that is it so none of the above steps will have woken him up. So once I am ready it is a case of heading downstairs to wake him up and get the day properly started also known as let the chaos begin. Liam may do this step a few times if he is up and about before me however, I quite enjoy waking Odin up and just having a bit of time the two of us. By the time I am at this stage though Liam may already be on his way to work so we shall see as the routine takes shape just who wakes the dog up each morning.

Feed Odin

Once Odin is awake it is food time so before doing anything else after opening his crate I will be heading to the kitchen to refill his food and water. This should keep him quiet and out of the way for a bit too but no doubt once the next step in the routine takes place he will have forgotten his food and be glued to my side once again.

Make my own breakfast

I am sick of skipping breakfast so the plan is to make sure I have time to eat a proper breakfast each day, I don't want a fiber bar or a bowl of cereal every morning, I want to make sure I am eating properly to help me along with my weight loss goals so my breakfasts will be leveling up to the likes of eggs, turkey bacon and chicken sausages. A little time in the kitchen will definitely help me out a lot with my overall goals in 2024. I will also use this time to pack any lunch that I wasn't able to do the night before.

Eat breakfast and plan out the day ahead 

Once my breakfast is done I will be sitting to the table away from the TV and eating this whilst planning my to do list for the day. This will include planning anything I have to get done at work, any blog or social media things that need sorting as well as what I need to get done after work such as fitness classes, football or anything else that might be taking place that day. This just gives me time to think about the plan of action and not losing track or double booking myself.

Check social media

Once breakfast is done it is time to sit and relax for 10 minutes or so with the dog before we head out. This time will be designated to checking my social media, making any last minute scheduled posts, replying to comments or messages and just scrolling. Having a time limit for this before work should help me consume less social media and also keep me on top of things for once.

Walk the dog to work

Once all the above is done it is time to head out the house and get Odin a nice walk in before heading to the office. I like to make sure we do a longer route these days as it tires him out a little bit more and he settles much easier when we get to work. No matter the weather these longer walks get done although it is so much nicer when it is dry and cool rather than wet and freezing.

So there you go that is going to be my weekday morning routine going forward however, on those days where Liam has the dog I will definitely be adding more chill time into the mix and going at a much slower pace. In an attempt to be even more efficient I will also be making sure my work bag gets sorted on an evening and all outfits are planned the day before. All this is just going to make mornings much more enjoyable and help get the day off to a great start.

Keep checking on social media to see how this routine ends up working out and keep checking back here as once I get settled into an evening routine I will be sure to write about that too.