Mornings can be rather hectic and stressful. We oversleep, skip breakfast, and rush to get to work on time. Alternatively, we might pick up our phones and start scrolling through emails while worrying about what we might have missed or fret about getting the kids to school or making their lunches. According to a growing body of scientific opinion, a stressful start to the day can have a significant impact on your mental and physical well-being not to mention work productivity.
Taking into account how hard it is to get the morning ritual right, we decided to profile a number of famous faces on how they prepare for the day ahead. It would seem getting up early mixed with some exercise and introspection could be the key to getting things on the right track. Put simply: your mornings should be all about “me” or you as our celebrity profiles illustrate below:
Oprah Winfrey – uber-celebrity
The first thing Oprah does every morning is to simply appreciate nature and being alive. This might mean gazing out the window or, taking her dogs for a walk.
Next, is at least 20 minutes of meditation, which she believes gives her “hope, a sense of contentment and deep joy”. After this, it’s exercise time. With Oprah, this means getting in an hour of low impact, flexibility and strength training followed by some cardio-training.
Tim Ferriss- American author, entrepreneur and in-demand public speaker
Tim Ferris has interviewed over a thousand global leaders on their morning rituals so not only can he offer his own insights but plenty of others from some of the world’s most recognisable people.
For Tim though, things start pretty simply; he makes his bed. He finds this small accomplishment gives him a sense of pride in achieving something as soon as he wakes up. Like Oprah, he likes to meditate for 20 minutes although (unlike Oprah) this is followed by just 30-seconds of light exercise and a cup of strong tea. Tim likes to finish his routine with 5-10 minutes of journal writing, which clears his mind and taps into his creativity.
Former US President Barack Obama
Now most of us would agree Barack Obama seemed to be a pretty chilled-out President. Maybe it was because of his morning ritual. While in the White House, he would always start his day early, at least two hours before his first appointment, so he could enjoy some “me time”. This early start allowed him to prioritise exercise, which he did on a daily basis. Next was a cup of green tea (full of antioxidants and a touch of caffeine to spark the mind and body into action) with breakfast, and then he would prepare for the day ahead by catching up on the overnight news and sport.
For those keen on honing their morning ritual, Karma Spa offers sunrise yoga classes, ensuring you start the day right.
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