I am starting to embrace a new lifestyle and adopting as a morning person. 

Morning rituals set the tone for the day. It makes me feel more accomplished that allow me to enjoy the luxury of free time at night.

My body clock used to be set at 10:00 in the morning but I painfully adjusted 3 hours early. I used to just jump off from bed, to my mailbox and Instagram after waking up. 7:00 AM seems to be a little late for a normal working girl, but it is just a perfect time  to get things done for someone who works freelance and is home-based. 

Here are my new morning rituals for a productive day:

I drink water before having coffee

This one sticks in my morning ritual. I drink water before consuming anything. Water serves like a fuel in my body. I want to hydrate every organ of my body before starting my day (and I consume 1 gallon of water everyday) 🚰

I make my bed

I make my bed as soon as I get up and I make sure that it is made before I leave the room. It is nice to go home to a nice, clean bed after a long day. I try to tidy up my room as it makes me more productive. 

I make a game plan

I jot down all the things I need to accomplish in a day. I make different lists – from deadlines, to errands, down to the things that I need to take a photo of. At the end of the day, I love seeing some (if not all) of the items crossed off my list. It makes me feel more accomplished and productive. 

My tip is, if a task would only take 1 minute to accomplish, do it right away. 

Morning stretches and exercise

My body has long said goodbye to my younger years when I could eat anything I want and not gain a weight. I need to keep myself in shape and stay strong so I can do more things and go to more places. 💪 I have my quick morning exercise ritual that I follow. Just think that if others make time to work out and exercise, it must be important. 

I write and blog in the morning

My English teacher back in Grade School once told us that the best time to study is at 3:00 AM (this is provided that you have slept the night before and did not stay up late to party). It is when your brain cells are more open to new ideas. Since then, I usually set my alarm clock at 3:00 AM whenever I need to study for exam, or do something that needs preparation/writing/creativity.

On a normal day, I usually write/blog in the morning (before I prepare for event coverages/parties). It is also the best hour for my eyes 🤩

If you are not a writer/blogger, you can simply write your thoughts and ideas. It helps a lot. 

I do not skip breakfast

Waking up early means having breakfast. I used to skip breakfast (because I used to wake up at 10) and only have banana before having brunch.  Now that I wake up at 7:00 in the morning, I make sure that I eat healthy and delicious meals to start my day. 

Bread is the default breakfast meal. 🍞 It may sound a little tiresome to eat the same kind of bread everyday. It is just rightful to eat “masarap na tinapay”. Thankfully, we always stock on Gardenia Bread.

Always present at home is the Gardenia Classic White Bread (Regular Slice) I love its cottony-soft and creamy goodness, made from Uncle Slocumm’s special American recipe. It is perfect with anything – jams, bacon, egg, or any spreads. 

Gardenia High Fiber Wheat Raisin Loaf is my mom’s favorite but I also love munching on it while checking my email. It has sweet and juicy California raisins embedded on soft and moist Gardenia Wheat Bread. One slice is equivalent to 29% of your daily dietary fiber needs. I feel so healthy even after eating 4 slices!

Gardenia High Fiber Wheat Raisin Loaf 

Pandesal will always be the favorite bread of every Filipino home. Everyone in the family prefers Pandesal for breakfast. I was ecstatic to discover the Gardenia Premium Pandesal! Personally, I always choose Pandesal over the classic pan breads (especially when it is toasted and heated). I love the contrast of texture – the crusty feel on the outside, soft on the inside, and full to the bite. It is enriched with Vitamins A, B1, B2, Calcium and Folate. Guilty pleasure, I love dunking plain pandesal with butter and cheese on my hot coffee! ☕

I was quite amazed with the Gardenia Amazing Black Forest Loaf . Its chocolate-y smell is so inviting. Opening the pack is like unboxing a Black Forest Cake! It has luscious cherry bits

embraced in generous dark chocolate swirls on soft and moist Gardenia bread. I tried to resist and tone down my sugar/sweet intake but it is simply indulgent. I usually grab a pan for my afternoon snacking. 

Gardenia Amazing Black Forest Loaf 

Yes, I have a new love affair with Gardenia bread. I love that it has different bread variety that I can enjoy with my favorite “palaman sa tinapay”, or even indulge in on its own (my mom does it!).  

I think, the only thing I need to work on and include in my ritual is planning my outfit for the day. 

Trying to wear the same old stuff inspired by great leaders. 

What are your morning rituals?

Read my other Life Skills for Success.