This post was sponsored by Hood as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Hey Ladies! At the beginning of May, I shared a post chatting about some of the healthy changes I was making to my daily routine. Since then, a lot has changed in my life and I’ve thrown a few more healthy habits into the mix that I wanted to share!
So the first thing I’ve been doing was a huge adjustment for me…
I’ve made it making it a point to not look at my phone the moment I wake up. And for a good hour after that as well. Instead, I’ll make myself a bowl of cereal, a hot coffee, and go sit somewhere quiet to update my journal. Yes. Girlfriend now has a journal. I never thought I’d be a journal-er. But here we are.
I’m still starting my mornings with some Hood products. I use the Reduced Fat Chocolate and Fat Free Calorie Countdown dairy beverages (available at Walmart) in my cereal and in my coffee.
The Chocolate beverage is only 80 calories (56% less than traditional chocolate milk), plus 67% fewer carbs, and 75% less sugar. Great substitute for creamer!
And the fat free version is my go-to for morning cereal. It has 42% fewer calories, 75% less sugar, 67% fewer carbs than milk, and provides 25% of my daily value for calcium and 15% of my daily value of Vitamin D (based on a 2000 cal diet) per cup!
Once I have my little breakfast made, I’ll sit at my desk, on the porch, hop back in bed…anywhere quiet and comfortable, and begin to write. Sometimes I’ll write a few pages, sometimes a few sentences, but I use my journal to jot down the random thoughts that seem to constantly fill my head. It feels really good to remove them from my mind and place them somewhere else.
When I need to be present during the day, it’s helpful to tackle these thoughts first thing! I’ll note good things, bad things, things I’m excited about, things I’m scared of… all the things! And then I try to set an intention for the day. It can be a small goal or a big goal, but it’s usually something that’ll be beneficial to my mental, emotional, or physical health. It’s been a much more productive use of my time than scrolling through social media and I find that it helps me relax a little bit before jumping into the day.
Once I’m done writing (if I still have a little time), I’ll read a couple of chapters in a book. My book club is currently reading The Wife Between Us and it is SO good. I’m almost done and cannot wait to see how it ends.
Then I usually do my hair and makeup real quick, get dressed, pack up my things, make an iced coffee to go using the Hood Calorie Countdown Reduced Fat Chocolate Dairy Beverage again…and head out the door! Side note: the no plastic straw movement is serious business and I want to invest in some reusable straws so I can stop being part of the problem. Let me know if you have any that you really love and that are easy to clean!
So that’s my mindful morning routine in a nutshell! I have a bit of anxiety and have been feeling waves of different emotions lately, but taking that quiet time to reflect and relax has made a world of difference. I’d highly recommend trying it out if you don’t already do so!
For more information about Hood, a leader in high quality dairy products, visit their website (you can find some more great recipes over there), as well as their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest accounts. Also, if you’re interested in trying them for yourself, click here to grab a coupon!!
Thank you all so much for reading! I have some new beauty products that I’ve been LOVING and am dying to share with you! Hopefully later this week or early next…stay tuned!
XOXO
I love how mindful your mornings are and how you DONT look @ your phone when you wake up, i literally spend 30 mins daily when i wake up scrolling, commenting, replying. Its so unhealthy and i’ve been thinking of shaking this habit, i keep a journal-ish as well, but am not as regular with it! I am going to try to not look @ my phone as soon as i wake up, and see if it helps me!
also i just finished reading the wife between us a few weeks ago, it was really good!!!
XOX
I swear, time goes by 10X faster when you’re on your phone! I used to lay in bed in the AM and scroll for what felt like 2 minutes, but ended up being 45+. It’s still hard not to look, and I’ll catch myself checking my phone for the time (note to self: get a REAL clock lol) but once you and your phone are in different rooms, it’s so nice to realize you don’t need it & you’re not missing anything. Definitely give it a go. 🙂 Journaling can be tough, I have missed a couple of days here and there, but don’t stress it. Once it becomes part of your routine it’s easy to return to. I love that you just read The Wife Between Us! I am loving it and can’t wait to finish — SOOO good! Any other book recommendations? I don’t have anything on my radar for afterwards yet!
Your right! Ugh i waste 30 mins minimum each am on my phone, depressing for sure! Need to shake that habit, let’s see what i can do! 🙂 Yay for loving it! There is this other book i’ve heard is good: The woman in the window (or something similar, not sure if i have title 100% correct) but i’ve heard great things about that, so you can give that a go or look into it next! 🙂
Dang phonessss! And thank you for the suggestion, I haven’t heard of that one but a quick Google search and it looks like thats the title! It sounds like a pretty awesome thriller… I’m going to check it out. 🙂
so blissful Mz Amanda, great start to the day and amazing outfit
Thank you!
This sounds like an awesome routine! It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve also managed to break the habit of immediately checking my phone and scrolling through social media the second I wake up. And when you think about it, it’s really no surprise that getting bombarded with the craziness of the Internet first thing in the AM can end up setting the tone for a less than ideal mindset throughout the rest of the day! Once I realized how very few notifications on my phone require an immediate response, it became so much easier to distance myself from it! I also love that you’ve started setting an intention for each day- I think that’s a habit everyone can benefit from! XOXO
You’re so good! The no phone in the morning thing was the weirdest adjustment, but we lived for many years before having that little device glued to our finger tips and it’s really nice to remember and realize…we don’t need it 24/7. That kind of stimulation definitely is a bit much first thing in the AM. I love setting an intention or small goal, it’s nice to have something different to focus on and work towards everyday. Thanks for reading GF!! 🙂 XO