When you think of “that girl”, you likely think of someone who wakes up well before the sun rises. She likely has an extensive morning routine packed with healthy habits and self-care activities. “That girl” gets her workout in before most people would even think to open their eyes; in her perfectly matched workout set. After that, she’s likely journaling or reading as she sips her morning coffee. Alongside her avocado toast. She has an extensive skincare routine, and she does her makeup flawlessly. Yes, even if she’s staying in for the day! And she always gets herself dressed in a well-coordinated outfit.
Oh, and did I mention that she hasn’t even touched her phone all morning?!
It may feel impossible to be “that girl” with such an extensive morning routine to follow. Perhaps, you literally don’t have that kind of time. And every time you’ve attempted to wake up at 5:00 AM, you just felt tired and grumpy. Your circadian rhythm was simply not built to be up at such an hour! And you know what? That’s okay. You can still be “that girl”, without having to do a bunch of things that don’t feel good to you.
Being “that girl” is about living a lifestyle that helps you thrive, and allows you to show up as your best self. “That girl” doesn’t merely try to copy someone else’s morning routine. She takes her unique wants and needs into consideration to coordinate her morning routine to suit her best life!
Decide on Your Morning Wake Up Time — Or Times
Ideally, you should be striving to wake up at the same time every morning. But it’s understandable if you don’t want to wake up at the same time you wake up for work on Saturdays. I’m not about to tell you that you can’t do what feels good and sleep in on the weekends. However, I would keep all of your wake-up times consistent with one another. Consistency is key when you are building a routine. And having a solid routine in place helps give you a sense of direction and stability.
So if you’re typically waking up at 5:00 AM for work, do the same for every work day. Even if you technically could wake up at 6:00 AM and still make it to the office on time. And if you’ve decided upon an 8:00 AM wake-up time for the weekend, resist the urge to roll back over and sleep until 9:00 AM (or noon), just because you can.
Choosing Your Wake-Up Time for Work
Unless you work from home on your own schedule, or your shift just happens to coincide with your body’s circadian rhythm, you’re probably going to have to wake up at a less desirable time than you’d like. Perhaps, these are the days you channel the energy of “that girl” who wakes up at 5:00 AM by choice. Even though it hardly feels like a choice.
That said, while I know most people don’t want to wake up for work any earlier than they have to, I do recommend giving yourself at least two hours between the time you wake up, and the time you have to leave. That way, you have ample time to prepare yourself for the day, while still allowing yourself a relatively slow morning. Because there’s nothing worse than feeling like you have to rush through every part of your routine when you’re on a tight time restraint.
To use myself as an example, I have to leave for work around 7:30 AM. So I choose to wake up for work around 5:15 AM. This way, I have plenty of time to stretch my body, do my skincare, glam up, eat breakfast, make my coffee, and then have some free time. Because my brain needs those moments of calm before the chaos begins.
Choosing Your Wake-Up Time for Slower Mornings
When you don’t have to be anywhere early in the morning, and you have time to allow yourself some extra rest, there is no need to get out of bed before the crack of dawn. That is, unless that’s what feels good to you! Your wake-up time on the days you get to take your morning on your terms should be, well, the time that feels best for you. And because no one knows you better than you know yourself, it’s entirely up to you what that perfect time is!
Tune in to your body, and make note of what time your body naturally wants to wake up most mornings. (Even if you’re not mentally ready to get out of bed.) Allow yourself to trust your body’s judgment and see how you feel waking up at that time, even if it feels earlier than you’d typically choose to wake up. Or, perhaps, even if it feels a bit later. Although, you should also be choosing a time that feels early enough that you don’t feel guilty for wasting the morning away, and you don’t feel rushed.
To use myself as an example again, I’ve found that I’m a late-morning person, and my body wants to wake up around 7:00 AM. My Oura Ring [not affiliated] even confirmed that I’m a late-morning chronotype! So with that in mind, I strive to wake up at 7:00 AM on my days off, so I can make the most of my slow mornings.
The 6 Aspects to Cover in Your “That Girl” Morning Routine
“That girl” doesn’t just have all those self-care-focused steps in her morning routine for the vibes. She intentionally implemented them into her morning routine to ensure that her needs are taken care of as she begins her day. Her morning routine was curated to enrich her health and mental well-being. “That girl” always makes it a priority to make sure she’s prepared for her day so that she can put her best foot forward. She gives herself what she needs, and graciously allows herself to find joy in the process.
In other words, she does what she needs to do to feel good physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. She’s taking time to ensure she looks put together, even if she’ll be at home by herself for the day. She’s making sure her space is tidy, and not cluttered. She prepares herself as much as she possibly can to have a stress-free day. And she doesn’t cut corners, especially when it comes to the bare essentials.
1 — Hydration and Nutrition
Your body needs hydration after you’ve been sleeping all night. “That girl” keeps her water bottle easily accessible, so she can start hydrating as soon as she gets out of bed. Or maybe she has some fruit-infused water waiting for her in the fridge. She also doesn’t skip breakfast, as she knows her body needs some fuel in the early hours. So give yourself something to eat in the morning, even if it’s a small bowl of fruit.
2 — Moving Your Body
Even if going to the gym isn’t your thing, there are plenty of free home workout videos available on YouTube. “That girl” knows that even low-impact workouts like yoga and pilates work wonders for her body and aid with the release of serotonin to help her feel physically and mentally amazing. Even if you’re short on time, a 10-minute movement session is better than not moving your body at all. Even if it’s as simple as taking a little extra time to stretch your muscles as you’re getting out of bed.
3 — Mindfulness
We should all be taking the time to tune in with ourselves and collect our thoughts before our day begins. “That girl” makes it a priority to check in with herself and bring some positive energy into her morning in a way that resonates with her. She might sit in meditation, pull some tarot/oracle cards, journal, or simply allow herself to observe without expectation. Even if it’s only for a few minutes, taking the time to tune in with yourself and your energy is never a waste of time.
4 — Preparing for the Day
Having a sense of direction and knowing that you aren’t forgetting anything truly helps your day go smoother. Every morning “that girl” takes the time to set herself up for greatness, even when she’s taking a rest day. She curates her game plan for the day and ensures that everything is all set, so she doesn’t feel like she’s forgetting anything. Taking a few minutes to make sure everything is in order will set you up for a successful day. Even if it’s simply knowing what fun activities you’ll be doing for leisure on your rest day!
5 — Glam Time
When you look good, you feel good. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean you need to look red-carpet-ready when you’re not even leaving the house. Or when you’re just going to the grocery store. That said, “that girl” is still putting effort into herself and ensuring she looks put together every day. Whether she’s putting on a full face of makeup, or simply making sure her hair is neat, she always takes the time to glam up. And this isn’t about impressing other people. This is about your own self-perception.
6 — Leisure Time
Life is too short not to make time for leisure and joy! “That girl” makes sure to include at least one activity that brings her joy in her morning routine. Now, preferably, this should be something that doesn’t involve the use of your digital devices. However, “that girl” will allow herself to consume some motivational or uplifting content in the morning. If you’re short on time in the morning, listening to inspiring content while you get ready in the morning can add some leisure into the early hours of your day. Whatever you choose to do in your morning leisure time, make sure it’s something you truly enjoy.
Planning Out Your Morning Routine — Or Routines
Curating a morning routine that suits your needs and you can sustain is key. Remember, you want to be able to take your mornings slowly and even romanticize each step of your morning routine. After all, being “that girl” is also about romanticizing the little moments in your life. Even on a mundane Monday morning. With that in mind, your morning routine should not feel overwhelmingly extensive. Nor should it include steps that don’t enrich your life, and only feel like a chore. And, of course, some adaptability and flexibility should be more than welcome in your morning routine.
“That girl” isn’t afraid to switch things up when her morning routine begins to feel a little bit stale. She may even rotate through different morning activities throughout the week. Maybe for her mindful moment on Monday, she writes in her journal. Then, on Tuesday, she sits quietly in meditation for 10 minutes. Wednesday, she checks in with her energy through a tarot reading. You get the idea.
“That girl” also knows that her morning routine will have to look slightly different on her work days versus the days she’ll be staying in. Either way, she wants to start her day off right, no matter what the day may bring.
What are Your Morning Essentials?
Is there anything that you absolutely have to do in the morning? Otherwise, your day ends up feeling a little bit chaotic. Or you simply don’t feel like your best self. Or it’s something that objectively needs to be done every morning. Something like drinking your morning cup of water!
We all have those tasks that we have to take care of every morning, regardless of what the day has in store for us. These tasks will vary from person to person, based on that person’s unique needs, goals, and personality; we’re all different. Likewise, “that girl” knows what her essentials are every morning, and prioritizes them in her morning routine every morning, without compromise. Regardless of whether she’s staying home, going to work, going out for coffee with her bestie, or whatever else she’s doing that day. She understands that she should never cut corners, and always makes sure her needs are taken care of!
To use myself as an example, one of my non-negotiable essentials is tidying up my bed in the morning. My mind feels a little chaotic when my bed is messy, even when I’m not in my bedroom. Taking the time to make my bed, even when I feel short on time, spares me that chaotic energy as my day progresses. So making my bed has been hard-coded into my morning routine.
Laying Out Your Morning Routine(s)
I totally get it if immediately jumping into your workout as soon as you get out of bed doesn’t feel right to you. Sometimes, you need more than just water in your system before you can even think about rolling out your yoga mat. Or maybe you need to meditate for a few minutes before you hop out of bed and grab your water bottle. “That girl” has laid out her morning routine in the way that makes the most sense for her, and helps her feel her best. So you should absolutely do the same for yourself in your morning routine!
As long as all of your essentials have been implemented into your morning routine, and you’re covering the six aspects that we discussed earlier in this post, there is no right or wrong way to set up your morning routine. “That girl” goes with her own flow. She doesn’t try to force herself into a rhythm that doesn’t feel natural to her. She also gives herself some grace and allows for some trial and error until she gets it just right.
My morning routine; to give an example.
Remember, this is the morning routine that works the best for me. I encourage you to switch things out, nix things completely, add in your own personal steps, and adjust it to suit your timeline for the morning.
If you need a little extra guidance in setting up your morning routine, subscribers of my free email newsletter, Stridefully Magazine, get access to my free downloadable printables. Including my worksheet for creating your “that girl” morning routine!
Conclusion
Being “that girl” at its core is about living your best life and being your best self. You don’t have to wake up at 5:00 AM or earlier every day if it doesn’t feel right for you. Nor do you need a super extensive list of steps in your morning routine, when half of them aren’t even suited to your needs or desires. From here on out, give yourself permission to put the focus on what allows you to thrive. Giving yourself what you need in the early hours is what will truly help you become “that girl”.
What does your morning routine look like? What do you do in the morning to set yourself up for greatness for the rest of the day? Do you thrive waking up before the sun rises, or are you more of a late-morning person? Do you have a favorite thing to do each morning? I’d love to hear from you!
Yes, being that girl is all about creating a routine that helps you thrive!
For sure, Claire! Being that girl is about thriving, and setting up a routine that helps you live your best life!