In celebration of the new school year, I decided it was time to add some structure to my life (as I assume many students going back to school feel they need too). One problem with me is that I am not a morning person. I’m an incessant binge snoozer. While that wasn’t a problem during the summer, I thought that it was time for some structure going into my third year. I tried out the morning routines of five different celebrities to see which was the most compatible for a student and which components of their routine I would like to incorporate into my own life.
- Jennifer Aniston
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My inspiration for undergoing this little experiment was stumbling across an article about Jennifer Aniston’s morning routine. As an avid Friends watcher, I knew I had to try hers first. If she had work, she would wake up at 4:30 am. Since that didn’t apply to me, I followed her “lighter” schedule where she wakes up between 8:00-9:00 am. She starts off the day with a cup of warm water and lemon and proceeds to do her skincare, all of which I found was the perfect refresher. She then proceeds to meditate for 20 minutes.
I had never meditated before, so this mindful practice was strange to me and slightly funny. Still, once I found a decent YouTube video with which to follow along, I found it enjoyable. After finishing mediating, Jennifer has a protein shake and then heads to the gym with her trainer for an intense spinning class and 40 minutes of yoga. I, unfortunately, was not able to go to spinning classes, so I compensated with a run and 30 minutes of yoga. I found that the workout took up too much time, and I enjoy more dynamic and fast-paced workouts.
Overall rating: 7/10
- Barbara Palvin
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On her days off, Victoria’s Secret Angel and international model Barbara Palvin opts to wake up at 7:00 am, do her skincare, and have three cups of black coffee. While waking up early was not a struggle, I drew the line at three cups of coffee— I did not need that much to function. Also, I don’t like black coffee. After three heaping cups of coffee, she heads off to the gym for an hour doing various body-weight exercises. I wish she mentioned specifics in her Vogue video, so I would’ve had clearer directions since I didn’t know anything off-hand. After working out, she has a protein shake and heads off to lunch with her boyfriend, Dylan Sprouse.
I commend Barbara for having the willpower to wake up at 7:00 on the weekend, but I found that it wasn’t the most compatible with my student schedule. There were very few specifics, and it felt almost too open-ended for me to maximize productivity and have a reason to wake up so early. Not having my own Dylan Sprouse to have lunch with is a bummer as well.
Overall Rating: 6/10
- Michael B. Jordan
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This week, I wanted to challenge myself and decided who better to follow than the legendary actor Michael B. Jordan, recently famous for his role as Killmonger in Black Panther? Every day he starts his day at 6:00 am with a shower. He meditates while in the shower and what I liked about his version was that it was less forced. He mentioned that it’s just about clearing your head and getting excited for the day. By 7:00 am, he has breakfast, and honestly, I was pleased that he ate a proper breakfast. Generally, he goes for hash browns and pancakes. I opted for pancakes. At 8:00 am, he goes to the gym, usually doing jump rope, sit-ups, circuit training, and boxing.
This was among the most intense workouts and unfortunately, working out too hard has the effect of making me sleepier rather than energized. But if you love a good intense workout first thing in the morning, this may be a winner for you! It was fun to change up my routine and push myself, but ultimately this morning routine would not be sustainable long-term.
Overall rating: 7/10
- Oprah Winfrey
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A talk show host, producer, writer, and internet celebrity, Oprah Winfrey’s impressive skills result from her hard work, dedication, and well-structured morning routines. Oprah wakes up without using an alarm clock around 6:00-6:20 am, takes her dogs for a walk, has a cup of coffee at 6:25 am, and then heads to the gym at 7:00 am. She likes to do 20 minutes on the elliptical and half an hour walk on the treadmill followed by sit-ups and meditation. Then, she has breakfast around 8:30 am.
This routine works quite well for me because I generally do not need an alarm to wake me up, but it’s a very risky game during weekdays to not have one set at all. This routine is one I would consider and recommend to anyone that wants to become an early bird. In fact, it goes into the specifics of what workouts you can do and different mindful/productive practices.
Overall rating: 8/10
- Dr. Mike
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Dr. Mike, the internet’s acclaimed most handsome doctor, and recent YouTube sensation’s morning routine were among my favorite ones. It’s great for beginners who want the freedom to incorporate their priorities. He wakes up on the dot at 6:30 am, does his skincare, makes his bed, and has breakfast by 7:30 am. Following this, he goes for a walk with his dog, and then at 7:45 am, he goes on the stationary bike. He then showers and meditates for fifteen minutes and by 8:50 am, he’s dressed and ready for work.
By the fifth day of this experiment, I was exhausted— unsurprisingly. Celebrities work out a lot and do so on very little nutrition! So, when I saw Dr. Mike’s schedule, my knees and I let out a little sigh of relief. I felt his routine was the most realistic for students as it allowed for a small walk, proper inclusion of breakfast, and a moderate level of exercise.
Overall rating: 9/10
This experiment was a success for me in several ways. The first was that it allowed me to test out for a few days, which practices benefited me, get in the routine of waking up early and incorporate some exercise which has been difficult given the ongoing pandemic.
This was a great learning opportunity for me, so I tried to choose celebrities with slightly different routines and intensity levels to gauge what might work for me. I would recommend that you select 2-3 celebrities you like and try to implement their morning routine with yours.