The First 10 Minutes Are Mine

“We spend eight-plus hours a day giving to our jobs, our bosses, everyone else. We can give ourselves ten minutes first.”

I used to wake up and immediately feel behind. Alarm goes off, phone goes up, texts, emails, the whole thing and I hadn’t even brushed my teeth yet. I don’t do that anymore, and it’s been one of the best changes I’ve made.

My mornings are slow now. On purpose.

The first thing I do is turn off my Hatch alarm. Second, I say a prayer. It’s not for everyone, but starting the day with gratitude before I look at anything else has been grounding for me. From there, I open my Five Minute Journal: three things I’m grateful for, what would make today great, and a little affirmation. I look forward to what I journal in at night following the prompt: three amazing things that happened today.

Next comes bone broth. Not coffee... (yet). I add a pinch of salt, sometimes a squeeze of lemon, and sip it while I get ready. Between the collagen, gut health support, and the protein, it’s become a ritual I actually look forward to.

Once I’m at work, I take my creatine, plain, unflavored monohydrate, 5 grams in water. It dissolves fast and has no taste. I wasn’t consistent with it until about 2.5 months ago, and honestly, I wish I’d started sooner. It supports muscle strength, recovery, cognitive function, and bone density, which matters a lot for women long term.

My mornings used to feel like I was already losing before the day even started. I’m not here to tell you what to do with yours. But slowing mine down changed something for me mentally.

There is something about starting the day without rushing that makes everything else feel more manageable.

We spend eight-plus hours a day giving to our jobs, our bosses, everyone else. We can give ourselves ten minutes first.

Cindy Moreno

Tuesday 5:45pm Pilates Forge