Author Topic: Morning Routine Before Work  (Read 8040 times)

Kiwi Mustache

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Morning Routine Before Work
« on: March 17, 2016, 02:14:07 PM »
I'm a morning person due to years of competitive swimming. I therefore wake up at 6am every morning, even in weekends.

My new job I don't start work until 8.30am. I commute by bicycle now, and leave my house at 7.45am, which leaves time for showering and eating a light breakfast at work.

I've essentially got 90 minutes to fill in time wise in the mornings now. I feel like I'm wasting this time just scrolling through Facebook, online dating websites, newspaper websites and forums.

I would normally exercise before work then drive into work, but because I'm commuting by bike, that is my exercise for a weekday.

I'm also single, 27, male so don't have a partner and/or children.

What can I do to make the most of this time?

What is your morning routine?

Friar

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2016, 02:22:16 PM »
Quote
I'm a morning person due to years of competitive swimming. I therefore wake up at 6am every morning, even in weekends.

As an ex competitive swimmer myself I found the complete opposite when I quit! I think my body decided that, as getting up at 5am was no longer mandatory, it would no longer maintain that capability.

My current morning routine is:

- Get up
- Shower (if necessary)
- Eat (always necessary) & read online
- Get dressed
- Go to work.

Out of curiosity what were your events?

Alenzia

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #2 on: March 17, 2016, 02:23:55 PM »
I like starting a slow cooker meal in the morning - cooking always puts me in a good mood and then I have less to worry about in the evening.

AlwaysLearningToSave

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2016, 02:25:15 PM »
Posting mostly to follow, as I also feel like I waste time in the morning.  I feel like I need to kill my morning read online newspaper habit to reclaim that time. 

Schaefer Light

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #4 on: March 17, 2016, 02:26:31 PM »
Get up
Shave
Brush teeth
Shower
Get dressed
Take out the dogs
Eat breakfast
Drink Bloody Mary
Go to work

Okay, so I don't do one of those steps but I sure would like to some days.

AlwaysLearningToSave

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2016, 02:27:39 PM »
Get up
Shave
Brush teeth
Shower
Get dressed
Take out the dogs
Eat breakfast
Drink Bloody Mary
Go to work

Okay, so I don't do one of those steps but I sure would like to some days.

Pretty sure your coworkers would like it if you started brushing your teeth :-)

Paul | pdgessler

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #6 on: March 17, 2016, 02:30:37 PM »
I'm unsure about your commute distance relative to your desired amount of exercise, but...

In that situation, you might extend your commute route before work to get some extra exercise in (since you'd be showering at work anyway).

La Bibliotecaria Feroz

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #7 on: March 17, 2016, 02:31:11 PM »
The Frugalwoods have done some nice blog posts about their morning routine. That's when they would work on their blog, for instance. (Dunno if this is still true now that Babywoods is in the picture.)

Cook dinner for the evening? Start a garden? Maybe some weight training? The possibilities are endless.

maco

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #8 on: March 17, 2016, 02:35:15 PM »
When the daylight shifts so that it's easy for me to get up early, I take the extra time to weed and water the garden. Conveniently, that daylight shift is at the same time as the garden becoming active.

Campanula

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #9 on: March 17, 2016, 02:41:27 PM »
I wake at 6am most days too, which is much earlier than necessary. On a lethargic (lazy-ass) day, I catch up on blogs and forums and tell myself I'll get up in just five more minutes. On my better days, I catchup on housework, laundry, admin etc - all the things I'd rather not deal with in the evenings and at weekends. Not the most exciting reply but it keeps life organised.

Fishindude

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #10 on: March 17, 2016, 02:42:54 PM »
You need to live on a farm so you could have "chores" to do every morning.

Kiwi Mustache

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #11 on: March 17, 2016, 03:45:30 PM »
Quote
Out of curiosity what were your events?

Open water 5k and 10k

DebtFreeBy25

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #12 on: March 17, 2016, 04:24:19 PM »
I'm not a morning person, so I've never had this problem. :)

If you're looking for productive things to do in the morning you could:
- Load the dishwasher
- Read
- Reply to personal texts, emails and messages
- Work on a side project
- Prep dinner for later
- Take out the trash
- Check your accounts
- Do a load of laundry

seattlecyclone

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #13 on: March 17, 2016, 04:32:09 PM »
I also tend to waste a bit too much time online in the morning. I can't really get into a book in the morning. Sometimes I get out to play Ingress if I have a little extra time.

mm1970

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #14 on: March 17, 2016, 04:46:35 PM »
I have kids, so I don't have this problem.  But:

Exercise (maybe you could do some weight training)
Dishes (put away clean dishes from last night)
Make breakfast (smoothie, fried egg, toast)
Wash breakfast dishes
Make/ prep lunch (wash vegetables, chop/ shred for salad, mix up salad dressing, scoop out sunflower seeds)
Make/ prep dinner depending on the day (baseball days, for example - more veggie prep, or put something in slow cooker)
Surf facebook
Maybe work on a craft?
Work on blog
Plan out meals for the week
Recycle/ throw stuff away/ pick up all the crap that ends up all over the house (you know, kids)
Feed the fish
Check finances
Surf web (for new recipes, etc.)
Do PTA volunteer stuff
Study (I don't do this anymore, but pre-kid days I was in grad school at night...)
Draw /color /do art stuff

horsepoor

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #15 on: March 17, 2016, 05:07:27 PM »
Page won't open for me right now, but Google 5 am Miracle.  I believe he has a podcast and would have some good ideas of ways to use those pre-work hours to take charge of things you want to get done.

+1 on the gardening thing.  It's a nice time to stroll out there and pick greens while they're nice and crisp, pull weeds, get soaker hoses going and all that. 

Less

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #16 on: March 17, 2016, 06:03:42 PM »
What do you WANT to do? Do you already feel like you have too much time in the day?

I design stuff. Sketch and CAD for my own projects, since i don't feel like doing this at the end of a work day made up heavily of the same. I read news but not novels or i am late to work for trying to finish the chapter. Without flat-mates i would play guitar and bake but too noisy when there are others sleeping (I am in a groove of 5.30 starts at the moment and leaving for work around 7.30.

use2betrix

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #17 on: March 17, 2016, 06:14:18 PM »
5:25 wake up
Wash face
Put contacts in
Get dressed and gym clothes ready for after work
While doing all this my wife cooks 6 eggs, 1 piece Ezekiel bread, 2/3 banana
Eat breakfast
Brush teeth
Leave for work at 5:55 am
Get to work at 6:20 am

I work often on weekends, but when I don't I'm usually still up by 6.

My daily routines are like a well oiled machine. My good habits are incredibly ingrained in myself. It's great as they are good habits, but I also tend to stress a bit when my schedules need to be altered for whatever reason.

FrugalShrew

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #18 on: March 17, 2016, 06:16:39 PM »
This isn't exactly "productive," but besides exercise, my other favorite morning activity over the years has been working on a puzzle! It's a very zen way to start the day.

I also like the routine of having a physical newspaper: going outside to get it and reading it over breakfast. It's a contained activity in a way that the Internet is not.

Finally, I'll second the slow cooker idea. Prepping a meal for the slow cooker can take a bit of time, so that would be a great way to put your time to use in the morning, and then dinner would be ready and waiting when you got home.

lukebuz

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #19 on: March 17, 2016, 06:26:02 PM »
Why would you go to work at 6:20 and work weekends?

I wonder what it's like to enjoy your job enough to do so...

Altons Bobs

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #20 on: March 17, 2016, 08:39:00 PM »
You probably don't want to be like me, I'm a night owl. I wake up whenever, then I lay around in bed for a while, and when it's close to 10am, I wake up, brush, hair, change into my day clothes. Then I go drink a cup of green juice, breakfast, then I go check on my plants, water, pull weeds if I feel like it. Then I come back in and go to my office to start work. After a couple of emails, it's lunch time!  ;-)

kimmarg

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #21 on: March 17, 2016, 08:56:52 PM »
Why would you go to work at 6:20 and work weekends?

I wonder what it's like to enjoy your job enough to do so...

Shift work. I go to work at 5am and work weekends. Why? because that's what they pay me to do.

teen persuasion

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #22 on: March 17, 2016, 09:12:02 PM »
DH and I run thru the Morning Report (what's on the agenda for the day, who has Pit or practice or lessons or appointments or whatever after school/work/dinner).  Even now that we're down to 2 of 5 still at home, divide and conquer is a necessary MO.

Sign school agendas/permission slips, what-have-you while confirming with the younger boys on who needs to stay after for practice (and how long - late bus, or need pick-up), or will go to library after school to meet me.

Throw in a load of laundry, breakfast (mine and cat's) while watching news and clearing out email, put away dishes, pack lunch, prep dinner.

Hang laundry to dry (taking down dry stuff and folding/sorting), make bed, bathe and dress, shut down all lights and electronics others left on.

Pack a bag of books/dvds due, to return to work with me.

gliderpilot567

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #23 on: March 17, 2016, 11:04:47 PM »
When I am at home, I get up about 2 hours before the kids need to be at school. I'll drink my coffee, pack their lunches, feed them breakfast, help the younger ones get dressed, and do whatever random tasks need to be done around the house (usually a laundry load, dishwasher unload, crap like that). My wife gets up 10-15 minutes after me (I bring her coffee) and then she spends the next 75-90 minutes doing shower/hair/makeup stuff. At 7:45 one of us (usually me) sends the kids off to school, the older ones ride bikes and I walk with the youngest. I come back and usually my wife is just finishing up getting ready. I spend the next 10 minutes getting myself ready, which consists of shit/shower/shave/dress, and I'm off. My wife usually leaves a few minutes after I do.

When I am traveling for work, I get up 15 minutes before I need to leave. I'll do my shit/shower/shave/dress routine then grab some food and coffee from the hotel breakfast on the way out the door. Back home, my wife somehow manages to get everyone to school and herself to work on time. I think she's lazy when I am at home!

The one thing we ALWAYS forget in our morning checklist is to take something out of the freezer for dinner. I think I need to post a sign or set some kinda reminder, because otherwise I inevitably end up stopping at the grocery on the way home to get chicken or whatnot.

Last summer I had a great routine of getting up at 4:45 and going running. Can't run anymore because I messed my knee up since then, but I should restart this habit with biking and weight lifting.

On weekends I often rise earlier than during the week, because dammit those are MY days and I want to enjoy every minute.

pdxmonkey

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #24 on: March 17, 2016, 11:12:18 PM »
Hit snooze a bunch of times.
Roll over, power on laptop.
Maybe plug it in if I'm feeling extra awake, otherwise, get to work.

Get out of bed if I need to use the bathroom.

LadyMaWhiskers

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #25 on: March 17, 2016, 11:43:44 PM »
I'm waiting for the parents of itty-bitties to hijack this thread and do a comedic-version. I don't have the energy...

The assignment: parents of under 5s (esp single parents), what the first two hours of your day look like?

WerKater

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #26 on: March 18, 2016, 01:08:24 AM »
I'm a morning person due to years of competitive swimming. I therefore wake up at 6am every morning, even in weekends.

My new job I don't start work until 8.30am. I commute by bicycle now, and leave my house at 7.45am, which leaves time for showering and eating a light breakfast at work.

I've essentially got 90 minutes to fill in time wise in the mornings now. I feel like I'm wasting this time just scrolling through Facebook, online dating websites, newspaper websites and forums.

I would normally exercise before work then drive into work, but because I'm commuting by bike, that is my exercise for a weekday.

I'm also single, 27, male so don't have a partner and/or children.

What can I do to make the most of this time?

What is your morning routine?

How far is your bike commute? Would it make sense to take a longer route and thus get even more training in the morning?

I currently have the good luck that I can start basically as early as I want (I'm also a total morning person). My favorite time in the office is before anyone else is here. I also love my morning bike commute when it is still freezing cold.

My morning routine is fairly extreme (but won't help you since it's the opposite of what you want)
- Alarm clock at 05:50
- Get up at 06:00
if [ Biking to work ]; then
    - Dress [10min]
    - Bike [75min]
    - Shower and eat breakfast at work [15min]
    - Start working at ~ 07:45
elseif [ driving the car to work ]; then
    - Wash and dress [10min]
    - Drive [35min]
    - Eat breakfast at work [10min]
    - Start working at 07:00
fi

Johnny Aloha

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #27 on: March 18, 2016, 03:41:34 AM »
I've started doing burpees first thing when I wake up.  It's a great way to get the blood flowing. 

Do you have any personal goals?  Morning would be a great time to listen to podcast, research investments, etc ... or you could set aside time for hobbies - painting, reading, etc...

MickeyMoustache

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #28 on: March 18, 2016, 05:53:58 AM »
I'm waiting for the parents of itty-bitties to hijack this thread and do a comedic-version. I don't have the energy...

The assignment: parents of under 5s (esp single parents), what the first two hours of your day look like?

My kids sleep great... so my morning routine is still really short and easy on most days.

if I get up early, my day goes like this:

wake up at 5am
get dressed to work out in the basement
grab some juice to get a little sugar in me before lifting weights
lift weights for an hour
by 6am finish lifting and make breakfast (cereal or eggs and toast)
read some online news until 6:20 with breakfast
shower
iron clothes
shave, fix hair
get dressed
go wake up kid #1 while wife wakes up kid #2
if kid #1, do dog duties if kid #2 (younger) help him get dressed
7:00am
make kids a waffle or frozen pancake each
let dogs out, feed dogs, give dogs and cats water
feed fish
make lunch
pack bags
get kids shoes and jackets on if they didn't do it already
close up house
out by 7:15

If I don't work out in the morning, i get up at 6:20 and squeeze breakfast in somewhere else.

teen persuasion

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Re: Morning Routine Before Work
« Reply #29 on: March 18, 2016, 07:05:18 AM »
I HAVE to eat first thing, no way could I wait until getting to work to eat, especially if biking!  In fact, by the time I get to work, I'm usually hungry again, even if I added a snack before zipping out the door to work.

I don't consciously exercise, I just am constantly moving, especially doing lots of stairs, and hauling books around.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!