#morning-routine

#morning-routine

Branislav Nikolic wakes up every morning at 7 a.m., energized and ready to greet the day, no alarm clock required. At night, instead of doom-scrolling until 2 a.m., he's peacefully asleep by 11:30 p.m. It's been his routine for the past decade, thanks to his fascination with circadian rhythm, the body's internal clocks that regulate energy and appetite.

I wake up between 6:30 and 7 a.m. I don't use an alarm clock because I hate them. The first thing I do is turn on the "Today" show, grab my phone, and have a cup of black coffee. Everyone says, "Don't get right on your phone in the morning," but I love getting on my phone for at least 30 minutes to check emails and catch up.

Here, Nicole Polizzi - aka Snooki - shares her mind-clearing self-care ritual, fave feel-good workout, and modern-day "GTL." During her years on MTV's Jersey Shore, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi spent many evenings getting ready for the club alongside her female castmates, layering foundation, eyeliner, and gloss over their freshly tanned faces. A few hours later, that makeup would inevitably be smudged by tears and sweat.

Most of my co-workers liked to ease into their workday. They stopped and chatted on their way to their office. Once there, they put down their stuff, turned around, and headed to the break room for coffee. When they finally drifted back, they checked a few news sites (why do that at home when you could do it at work?), glanced at their email-in athletic terms, they warmed up for 20 or 30 minutes.

My husband pushed the double stroller with our two younger kids on board. My eldest child rode her bike. My task was bike escort duty, running alongside her for encouragement and traffic monitoring. This meant that my daughter dictated the pace of our trek. Sometimes I sprinted in a futile effort to keep pace with her. Other times, I walked backward, coaxing her forward.

She woke up and looked around, finding herself in a familiar room with a pounding headache, indicating a night of indulgence spent with company.

I actually get my phone. I know that's terrible, but that's what I do. Or I lay awake for a few minutes.

Always be the one that makes the breakfast in the morning. Always be the one that gets up first, and let your partner have a lie-in. Do the breakfast because that's the time of the day that your kids are the least angry.