by | Feb 20, 2018 | 10 comments

Megan Lyons' Healthy Morning Routine

Now that you know I wake up at 4:20 and start my healthy morning routine around 4:30 on most mornings, are you curious about what I actually do?  If you haven’t read my last post, which describes why and how to develop a healthy morning routine, you’ll want to head over there first.  In today’s post, I’ll share the 10 habits that make up my current morning routine, as well as any resources that will help if you want to include these things in your morning routine, too!

  1. Reading positive quotes. The very first thing I do after taking care of my hygiene is read two quotes from positive tear-off calendars (I have this one and this one at home, and this one in my office.  As I mentioned in my previous post, I like to force positive thoughts into my head, so I don’t even get the chance to think any negative ones in the morning.  It’s the reason that the top of The Pepper Planner has one of my favorite quotes for each day!
  2. Walking Maverick and Riley with positive music. Their first walk of the day is dedicated to listening to positive music (here is my playlist).  This helps me feel energized and happy, and the walk gets my blood flowing.
  3. Exercise. I generally start my workout between 5am and 6:30am, and I’m doing a different thing each day, but I make it a point to move my body every day!  I believe that exercise is most beneficial for stress-relief and energy if done in the morning.  Curious about how to build a workout routine?  Here are my best tips!
  4. Meditation. I always used to be one of those people who thought I just wasn’t cut out to meditate. I have a monkey mind, a hamster wheel constantly turning, have struggled with anxiety for years, am constantly thinking about my to do list … all things that don’t seem to add up to mental serenity.  But that only means I need meditation more.  Meditation isn’t something you can or cannot do; it is truly a practice, and once I realized that, I realized that meditation could add so much to my every day life.  I am going to write a post on meditation soon, but here are a few resources to help you out now.  If you’re just beginning, I recommend starting with Headspace or Calm (both free-to-start apps that help you establish a practice of meditation), and if you’ve been meditating for a while, I love my Muse headband, which measures brain waves and gives you biofeedback to help you achieve a meditative state.healthy morning routine meditation
  5. Gratitude / reflection. The benefits of gratitude are enormous (I talk more about them here), and having a daily gratitude journal for over 5 years has been one of my most impactful habits.  Of course, there is a space in my Pepper Planner to guide my reflection, but this could take any form for you – a post-it note, a few minutes in prayer, or anything else that helps you appreciate the positive things in your life.
  6. Affirmations. I know – many of you are rolling your eyes, and I did, too, when I heard about affirmations.  Rather than thinking of Stuart Smalley, or some of those cheesy “I am a billionaire!” affirmations, think about affirmations as a way to remind you of your goals and priorities every single day.  I write new affirmations at the beginning of each calendar year, based on what I want to achieve and where I want to spend my energy that year.  Reading them every day helps me remember what is truly important, and helps all the other nagging thoughts and to dos seem less important.  Here is my blog post on how to write affirmations, if you want more.
  7. Reading. I spend 10 minutes each morning reading a nutrition, wellness, business, or personal development book (and have two other scheduled chunks of time on weekends when I read, as well). I love reading, and it’s a habit that makes me feel that I am making time for what is important to me and what makes me happy.  It doesn’t hurt that it helps me advance my business and serve my clients even better!  I’m currently reading The Urban Monk, but obviously, this varies over time.
  8. Education.  As I’m driving home from my workout, taking Maverick for a second walk, and / or getting ready for the day after a shower, I listen to Darren Daily, Brian Johnson, and / or a TED Talk. The amount of time I spend here depends on the day, but I always get in at least a few minutes of additional motivation and education.positive music healthy morning routine
  9. Planning my day. Before diving into email, I take just one more minute to review my day and my priorities, and center myself before the deluge of client requests hits my brain. Again, this is about entering the day feeling empowered and energized, and controlling my schedule, rather than letting it control me.
  10. Supplements. I start my day with apple cider vinegar, L-glutamine, and a big handful of other supplements before drinking my coffee (with collagen and Nutpods!) and eating my breakfast. Curious about my current supplements?  The 10 supplements I take currently are in this blog post.

With these 10 habits that make up my healthy morning routine, I’m ready to tackle anything the day throws at me feeling grounded, confident, energized, and grateful.  It may seem like a lot, but again – if you build on it over time, I’m confident that you’ll be amazed by the benefits.  If you’re just starting out, I can’t recommend The Pepper Planner any more highly – it will walk you through every step and keep you accountable to your own morning routine!

Now it’s your turn … Have you tried any of the habits that make up my healthy morning routine?  Do you have a healthy morning routine of your own?  If so, what do you do, and what benefits have you experienced?

10 Comments

  1. Ozlem

    great, encouraging articles to renew the intention of having a productive day. Thank you Megan!

    Reply
    • Megan Lyons

      I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Ozlem!

      Reply
  2. Meredith

    I love this post and I would like to read about your supplements!

    Reply
    • Megan Lyons

      Thanks, Meredith! Just added a supplement post to the list 🙂

      Reply
  3. Arzina

    Hi Megan – loved both parts of the article! This was part of my reading this morning- I really learned a lot! I got out of bed thinking I want to read it first so I can get some brilliant ideas to add to my miracle mornings! What’s your motivation? Do you have a night routine? I’ve noticed it helps to go to bed with the right intention or the last few things you say to your self before you sleep.
    I am trying to get back into this because it really helped when I first realized how well it helps me!
    Thank you for sharing your details I really enjoyed reading this!

    Reply
    • Megan Lyons

      Thanks, Arzina! My nighttime routine is definitely shorter and less formal than my morning routine, but yes, I agree that positivity and reflection helps!! My motivation for this is just to be a more productive, happy, grateful person every day, so that I can show up better for those who I love and I can serve the world to the best of my ability!

      Reply
  4. Kirstie

    I recently read The Miracle Morning and am slowly creating my morning routine. Thank you for sharing yours! I have been doing the 5 minute journal since November and can’t recommend it enough. So simple and I love the quotes. I would definitely be interested in hearing about how to build a workout routine, what your supplement regiment is, and how you create affirmations. I’m excited to listen to your Spotify playlist tomorrow morning!

    Reply
    • Megan Lyons

      Thanks, Kirstie! I just added a post on how to build a workout routine and one on my supplement regime to the list. The affirmations one is interesting … why not throw a post on that in the lineup, too? Thanks for the feedback!

      Reply
  5. Katie Wild

    Thanks for sharing this Megan! You are the one who introduced me to having a morning routine via the Miracle Morning that I am so grateful for. I would love to see a post about your supplements as you mention above, curious about what would be some important ones to start incorporating and why!

    Reply
    • Megan Lyons

      Tentatively scheduled it for 4/3, Katie! Thanks for the feedback, and so glad you’re enjoying your morning routine!

      Reply

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  1. How to Write Affirmations (and 10 Positive Affirmations to Say Today!) - My Blog - […] 13 affirmations daily.  They are a critical part of my morning routine (for more, see Part 1 and Part…

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Megan Lyons Headshot

Hi! I'm Megan Lyons,

the voice behind The Lyons’ Share. I love all things health, wellness, and fitness-related, and I hope to share some of my passion with you. Thanks for stopping by!
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