What’s the first thing you do when you get out of bed in the morning? A well-rounded morning routine sets the tone for the day and gets you prepped—both mentally and physically—before diving into a packed schedule filled with emails, chores, happy hours, workouts, and more. Our series Morning Person profiles those who have mastered the art of the morning routine. Tune in every Monday morning here and on our Instagram to learn exactly how the pros get it all done before the sun comes up, from their go-to breakfasts to their a.m. workouts.
How sustainable is your morning routine? When I start counting off the amount of plastic I utilize while the sun is barely up—toothbrush, razor blade, Starbucks cup—and I quickly realize I have a lot of work to do. Olivia Dahan and Kira Cahill, however, have got a plastic-free morning routine down pat. The two recently co-founded Bold Box, a subscription service that brings you eco-friendly products straight to your door (a sustainable Birchbox, if you will). Because we know you'll ask, their boxes—which come quarterly—are 100% recyclable and use tape made of paper. According to the brand's website, you can even eat the packing peanuts inside, although they certainly don't recommend it.
These two are clearly experts when it comes to having an eco-friendly lifestyle. That's why in honor of Earth Day, we begged them to share their recommendations on making our morning routines better for our planet. Here are their tips:
7:00 a.m.
We both usually start our days around 7 a.m. but have different morning rituals.
Kira: Let me start by saying that I am not naturally a morning person, but I’ve found ways to trick myself into being one. Mornings are now my favorite time of day, and I try to be as intentional with the time as possible as it helps to determine how the rest of the day will go. I try to start my mornings without the presence of technology. So, though I use my phone to wake up, that will be the only time I look at it for at least 40 minutes. My ritual is: Wake up, immediately get out of bed and stretch (generally this just includes one to two spine rolls, some neck stretches, and downward dog), brush my teeth, and then haul my sleepy self to the kitchen.
I’m a groggy morning person and have found that immediately drinking hot water with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and dandelion root helps me to be less of a zombie. Part of me training myself into being a morning person is by not drinking coffee first. I used to guzzle three cups of coffee upon waking, and then my body learned that it couldn’t wake up without it. Enter the golden milk latte.
Olivia: My mornings start with taking three big deep breaths before checking emails and looking over my to-do list for the day. For me, it is helpful to visualize my schedule for the day ahead. I am a planner, so that helps me relax for a few hours before I deep dive into work later. After brushing my teeth and washing my face (using a bamboo toothbrush/Bite tablets and Osea Face Cleanser and Blemish Balm), I drink a glass of water with lemon juice and brew my French Press coffee.
7:15 a.m.
Because we are best friends and business partners, it is really important for us to remember that we are friends first! No matter what, we always carve out time in the mornings to talk about our personal lives so we are ready to work the rest of the day.
Olivia: I drink copious amounts of coffee with almond milk, and Kira usually drinks golden milk lattes (recipe below).
Ingredients:
2 cups of almond milk or other non-dairy milk
1 tbs. ground turmeric
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
4 black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
1 pinch of whole cloves
1 star anise
Agave, honey, or a sweetener of your choice to taste
Recipe:
Add the almond milk to a small pot and warm on medium heat. Add the turmeric, ginger, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, star anise, and cloves. Whisk to combine. Heat for four to five minutes, until steaming. Try to not let it boil! Serve warm or over ice. Add sweetener and (Kira's addition) one very small scoop of reishi mushroom powder!
*Warning: Turmeric stains! We suggest pouring over a sink to eliminate any potential damage.
7:45 a.m.
Today we are going on a hike because it’s Earth Day and also happens to be particularly lovely outside. One of the benefits of living in Los Angeles is the vast number of hikes readily available.
Kira: I prefer to work out in the mornings for the sake of consistency. Generally, I’ll switch up the workout between a general trip to the gym, a home workout (I’m obsessed with Kayla Itsines and her programs), Spin, or hiking.
Olivia: I also prefer working out in the mornings. It helps me fully wake up and get all of those endorphins flowing for a productive day. I don’t always have time for a full workout, but getting up and out for even a morning walk around my neighborhood is something! I do a variety of generally low-impact workouts like Pilates, yoga, barre classes, or hiking.
8:45 a.m.
Kira: Breakfast depends on what workout I did and how I’m feeling. I switch between eggs, oatmeal, and green smoothies. But alas, those are all dreamy and sometimes (okay, a lot of the time) I’m running late. When time is limited, I’ll grab a large apple and two hard-boiled eggs to go. Breakfast also marks the time of day when I allow myself to have coffee.
Olivia: For breakfast, I normally either eat rice cakes with almond butter, sliced banana, and cinnamon on top, or rice cakes with avocado, arugula, red chili flakes, and salt. Both of those are pretty easy on my stomach and last me until lunch. Oh, and of course I have more coffee.
9:30 a.m.
Olivia: My hair never knows what it wants to do: Curly? Wavy? Straight? All three? Yes! So I normally shower the night before (using Lush shampoo and conditioner bars) so I don’t have to do very much in the morning. I generally do low-impact workouts, so I can get away with body showering in the morning, which helps me get out the door faster. Makeup consists of mostly Lily&Lolo products for blush, eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara.
Then it’s off to work or meetings with a travel mug full of coffee.
Kira: My level of getting ready is completely dependent upon what my schedule holds. But at the very minimum, it consists of a shower, mascara, my Coola matte sunscreen, and blush (which I also dab on top of chapstick for added color. Is this a good idea? No clue. Does it work? 100%).
After getting ready, I’ll pack my bag full of a range of healthy snacks along with a reusable water bottle. Voilà! C’est fini!
Next up: 11 Brands to Shop If You Want to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
This article is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to be used in the place of advice of your physician or other medical professionals. You should always consult with your doctor or healthcare provider first with any health-related questions.