What is your morning routine like and what do you do before you start your school or work day proper?

Stories about the morning routines of celebrities and politicians are a new trend in the self-help genre. The rich and famous like Richard Branson and Mark Wahberg provide glimpses into a typically private time of the day, which invariably show off how energetic or productive they are. For instance, Wahlberg claims that he rises at 2.30am, eats breakfast at 3.15am and then works out for several hours.

From the morning routines that we read about, we see a movement towards self-care. Instead of chugging down a coffee and diving straight into work, morning routines have now been repackaged as sacred rituals like drinking a glass of lemon water or having an ice bath. Does this describe in any way how your morning routine is like?

Read the full article on The Atlantic: The False Promise of Morning Routines

Analysis:

It has become more fashionable to treat our morning routines with a sacred glow and slap on a self-care label. For those of us who do not have a celebrity-like morning routine, it can be very pressuring to discover that we do not match up. But is this the whole reality?

In the first place, people, including celebrities, are more likely to present flawless versions of their lives on social media. We are more likely to hear about an ideal morning routine rather than a realistic one. This may become an endless hamster-wheel trap for those who feel like they need to have the same self-care routine to truly care for oneself.

Furthermore, not everyone will have the resources to go for a morning jog or a hot yoga session in the morning. Perhaps, some celebrities are able to have their pampering or vigorous morning routines because they are able to delegate to assistants or chefs. This is not an option for some who have kids, commutes or other obligations in the morning.

Questions for further personal evaluation: 

  1. What are the elements of your ideal morning routine? Why do you pick these elements?
  2. Why do you think there is such a surge in interest in self-care products and services?


Useful vocabulary: 

  1. ‘felicitous’: suited to the circumstances
  2. ‘adherent’: someone who supports a particular party, person or set of ideas