I want to be a morning person

so i tried a morning person's routine & breakfast

May 09, 2025

The only time I can recall being a morning person was on my days off from working the opening 4:30 AM shifts as a barista. When I first started, I remember thinking, "How does one wake up to be at work at 4:30 AM?" and "When do I go to sleep?" Luckily, coffee shop jobs come with an unlimited supply of coffee. That eventually turned into a bad cycle of drinking way too many shots of espresso, not being able to sleep, and then doing it all over again. I would hardly call this a path to a healthy morning routine, but it did mean on my days off I woke up early because my body was used to it.

It's been many years since I've been a barista, and it didn't take long to fall back into my circadian default settings. I've always been the type to sleep past my alarm and do the bare minimum to survive the morning. Growing up, my parents had to yell at me to get out of bed multiple times, and I would run after the bus after getting ready in 15 minutes. This habit followed me into college where I repeatedly missed 8:00 AM classes — I wish I could go back in time and tell myself to stop signing up for morning classes and be honest with myself. What was I thinking? I’ll tell you — It was the perpetual desire to be a morning person and then beating myself up over and over for failing.

I still do that and I know i’m not alone. Why do we valorize early risers in a modern society no longer bound by agrarian sunlight constraints?

coffee in bed, my idea of a morning routine

“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”

We've all heard this phrase — actually first popularized by Kellogg’s marketing campaigns in the 1940s and not by nutritionists like many would assume — and for far too long I thought it was just a myth people perpetuated to get kids to eat breakfast. Turns out it wasn’t a myth, but a marketing campaign that might have some substance to it. As someone who rushed for the bus, missed 8:00 AM classes, and threw back espresso shots during morning rushes, I've never consistently had a breakfast routine. My mornings have been ruled by survival: brushing my teeth, getting ready as fast as possible while drinking coffee, and running out the door.

When the pandemic happened, I suddenly had much more time at home and no office to rush off to — but unfortunately, old habits die hard. I don't even think I started liking breakfast food until I was an adult. Growing up, my dad would make these huge weekend spreads with homemade biscuits, gravy, bacon, eggs, grits... whatever he was in the mood for that you could also find on a southern diner menu. I never appreciated this then, but now I'd give anything to go back in time for one of his homemade biscuits.

One thing i’ve introduced to my morning routine that has made a significant difference in my morning experience is the Fellow Aiden. The scheduling function has been transformative as a non-morning person. I’m able to grind my coffee and set the brew size at night when I’m more alert and it’s one less thing I need to think about in the morning.

This past year, I've started eating breakfast more regularly thanks to making homemade granola — I shared why I've been on such a granola kick in this video & here's another video making it. In short, as a non-morning person, this is a super easy breakfast and I love pairing it with Icelandic skyr and jam for some added protein. If you asked if I'm a sweet or savory breakfast person, I'd say both — but savory breakfast requires more work than I'm ready for first thing in the morning.

my most common breakfast, coffee & granola with yogurt and jam

The Science of Morning Aversion

I highly recommend reading this article if you’re interested in cycles and Chronotypes but to summarize the key points:

I recently learned that humans' internal clocks are determined by genes and not something you can just pick and choose. Even more surprising: forcing yourself into an internal clock that isn't yours can lead to health problems like heart disease, obesity, or depression. There are things you can do if you still seek — or need — to be a morning person though: bright light when you wake up and melatonin at night. I already take melatonin, so I'm halfway there. A walk right after waking up is suggested for bright light exposure (foreshadowing to Sandy's routine) or a specialty lamp if that's not possible.

There's even a term for those who are out of sync with morning people: social jet lag. This is to describe the misalignment between biological and social time. The average person suffers from about 90 minutes of social jet lag, with "night owls" experiencing substantially more. Somehow having a name feels comforting, like "I'm not the only one experiencing this," but also serves as a ammunition when the early riser club boasts about their superiority.

Does the early bird really catch the worm?

an interview with Sandy Sanchez on mornings

My friend Sandy Sanchez is a morning person who often shares her beautiful breakfasts, so I wanted to talk to her about mornings. She's a Senior Copywriter at Headspace, but you've probably seen her here on Substack writing about interiors, living slow, and design on Small Pleasures.

Would you consider yourself a morning person? Have you always been a morning person?

I would say so! Ever since I can remember, I’ve enjoyed getting up early in the morning. As a kid, I liked having enough time in the morning to have my breakfast, read a book, and watch a little bit of TV before going to school. Now as an adult, not much has changed. The only time I really fell off my morning routine was in high school and during college. Too many late nights and never enough sleep made me a night owl (which was fun at the time), but as soon as I graduated and moved to NYC, I settled into being a morning person again.

What do you enjoy most about mornings?

I love how quiet everything feels during my morning walks, almost like I have the neighborhood to myself. I don’t think I’ll ever be a “wake up at 5 AM” type of morning person, but I’m happy with the way I structure my mornings and the amount of time I allot for myself. My mornings make me feel really energized for the day. And no matter how busy I am, my morning routine comes first.

Walk me through your morning routine.

I usually wake up anywhere between 6:45 AM to 7:30 AM. On weekdays, it’s usually 6:45, and on weekends, it’s closer to 7:30. Here’s what my mornings usually look like:

6:50 AM: Rise and shine! I just got an Oura ring last week, so I’ve been having fun seeing all of my sleep data.

6:50 - 7:00 AM: I try not to use my phone first thing in the morning, but it’s hard! It helps having journals and books on my nightstand, though, so after a few minutes of phone time I’m like “wait, get off your phone, read your book.” I also have a journal where I write down any dreams that I had.

7:00 - 7:30: Read. Currently, it’s Ninth Street Women and When the Going Was Good.

7:30 -7:40 AM: Get up, do some stretches, brush my teeth, and get ready to walk my dog, Noguchi.

I had to share a photo of Sandy’s adorable dog, Noguchi

7:40 - 8:00 AM: Walk around the neighborhood. I love starting my day with walking Noguchi. The cross guard always says good morning, the kids are all getting ready to go to school, the bodega nearby smells like bacon, and the birds are chirping.

8:00 - 9:00 AM: Breakfast time. My partner Aaron usually leads the breakfast efforts, and I make the coffee. During this time, we play whatever album we’re currently obsessed with, make breakfast, have our coffee, and read some more. And (sometimes) I do the NYT Crossword Puzzle and Spelling Bee. I also feed Noguchi.

9:00 - 10:00 AM: I shower, do my skincare routine, and get dressed. I have a full-time job, but almost everyone is on the West Coast and my meetings usually don’t start till past noon. This means my mornings can be slow, which I love. Before starting my work, I usually take this time to reply to personal emails regarding freelance work or brand collaborations, put finishing touches on upcoming newsletters, post on social, and take a look at my to-do lists for the day and week.

10:00 AM: Time to start work!

P.S. I do pilates 2x a week, usually at 8 or 9 AM, so my morning routine differs a little bit when it’s a Pilates Day. On those days, Aaron takes Noguchi on a walk instead, and we don’t eat breakfast until I return at either 9 or 10 AM.

Do you drink caffeine in the morning? — coffee or tea?

I do drink coffee! I’ve been drinking coffee since I was a kid, but somewhere between 22 to 27, I took a break from coffee for many years and only drank tea. But I’ve been back on my coffee game for the last couple of years after a trip to Italy and now I need a cappuccino every morning. Some days, I’ll switch it up and have a matcha or chai latte instead.

I love seeing your breakfast spreads on socials, what is your most common breakfast you make? Can you share the recipe?

Breakfast tacos! I will never get tired of a breakfast taco and I eat these a few times a week. I tend to just use the Vista Hermosa flour tortillas but sometimes we’ll make our own corn tortillas using Masienda flour. And other times, I’ll buy a pack of tostadas and do breakfast tostadas instead. Generally, this is what’s on them:

Scrambled eggs
Bacon or Mexican chorizo (rarely, but always a treat when it’s there)
Feta, queso fresco, or shredded cheddar cheese (always)
Homemade chile de arbol salsa or Freddsters’ salsa macha (a must)
Basil (only when I have a bunch of leftover basil — it adds a beautiful touch!)
Cilantro and onion (sometimes)
Avocado (sometimes)

How often do you have breakfast or coffee out somewhere as part of your morning routine?

I rarely have coffee out because I find that coffee from coffee shops is too strong for me and I end up getting super jittery and anxious. But I’ll make an exception for the occasional visit to Bar Pisellino or Saraghina Caffè. To me, they have the best, more traditional cappuccinos!

When it comes to breakfast, I love breakfast sandwiches on a biscuit. I get one once a week from Poppy’s. And every once in a while, I’ll have a bacon, egg, and cheese with scallion cream cheese on an everything bagel from the bagel shop nearby. I also love the griddle cakes from Salt Cure, so I go once every couple of months. It’s so crowded on the weekends, but it’s nice to go on a random Wednesday at 8 AM when there’s no one there.

A pastry run is also a big part of my weekend morning routine. On weekend mornings, Aaron and I walk Noguchi together and go get our favorite pastries from the spots nearby.

Does your morning routine change with the seasons?

My routine itself doesn’t change much with the seasons, but the biggest difference is that my morning walks are significantly shorter during peak winter.

or when traveling?

When traveling, I tend to stick to a similar routine! Wake up early, explore the neighborhood, try a nice breakfast spot or go grocery shopping to make breakfast at home, and make time to read or write. Experiencing mornings in a new city while traveling is probably one of my favorite feelings ever.

Any tips for people wanting to be better at mornings?

Do what feels good for you and be compassionate with yourself. I once read that being a “morning person” or a “night owl” actually goes back to prehistoric times when society members needed to take turns sleeping and being on night duty. I don’t know how true this is, but it kinda makes sense that there may be some genetic reasoning. We also experience different sleep patterns at different ages, so something to keep in mind! When I was in high school, I’d literally go to sleep at 3 AM, even on school nights.

That being said, if you want to improve your morning routine, I recommend starting slow! If you wake up at 10 AM every day, don’t just suddenly start setting your alarm for 6 AM. Take it slow and wake up a little earlier every day. Do things in the morning that bring you joy. Play an album you love. Make your bed. Read something interesting. Move your body in a way that feels good to you.

It’s also really important to get sunlight during the first 30 to 60 minutes after waking up, so a morning walk is probably the best thing you can do to improve your mornings. To me, the better your morning, the better day you’ll have.

So — does the early bird catch the worm?

let’s try Sandy’s routine out

6:50 AM: Rise and shine!

This wasn’t as rough as I thought it would be. I think I was excited to try out a friends routine.

6:50 - 7:00 AM: Phone time.

This feels familiar and normal — should probably continue the 10 minute cut off.

7:00 - 7:30: Read.

I chose to read my current Paris Review, but to be totally honest, I think I'll choose something lighter for morning reading going forward. I've also been meaning to start The Artist's Way, so I'll likely incorporate that into my morning reading. I don’t think my brain is prepared for any dense literary pieces before coffee.

7:30 -7:40 AM: Get up, do some stretches, brush teeth, & get ready for walk.

I think it's time to incorporate stretching into my lifestyle. Is everyone stretching?? Let me know your routines because that's another thing I need to add.

7:40 - 8:00 AM: Walk around the neighborhood.

It felt odd to leave home so early with no destination in mind, but I will admit it was nice to get outside and get some fresh air and Vitamin D. I was surprised by how many people were out — to be fair it was 60% people with dogs, 35% runners, and the rest like me or smokers.

I listened to this perfect playlist on my walk & continued through breakfast — it was the perfect way to romanticize my morning.

8:00 - 9:00 AM: Breakfast & Coffee with music.

I was very excited to eat and drink coffee at this point, especially as someone who usually starts their day with doom scrolling and coffee on an empty stomach followed by a granola bowl. The difference between my usual rushed coffee from my Fellow Aiden (which, don't get me wrong, I adore for its scheduling function that lets me wake up to fresh coffee) and this mindfully prepared breakfast experience was stark. I love how flexible the Aiden is for when I change up my morning routine.

I was honestly really excited to have a savory breakfast and to my surprise it wasn’t as much work as I try to imagine it out to be. I followed Sandy’s breakfast taco formula with mine being: flour tortilla, eggs, chorizo, queso fresco, onion, cilantro, and some chile de arbol that I picked up in Mexico City. It was so good and now I’m wondering why I don’t make breakfast tacos more often.

9:00 - 10:00 AM: Shower, skincare routine, and get dressed.

Pretty self explanatory — but let me know if you ever want to hear about beauty favorites!

10:00 AM: Time to start work!

Unsurprisingly, I felt ready for the day and went on to have a very productive day after Sandy’s routine. So maybe the early bird does get the worm? Or maybe it’s that a good routine does.

I think all this time I’ve been so focused on not liking mornings that I never found a way to enjoy them. Sandy showed me that you can ease into your day slowly while still having structure. I don’t think I’ll keep the exact timestamps — I’m not quite ready for pre 7:00 AM wake ups — but I will be integrating much of her routine into one for myself.

I’m feeling quite exposed here admitting how awful my morning routine (or lack there of) has been my whole life but I imagine I’m not the only one. I still want to be a morning person even after knowing I likely don’t have the genetics for it, but after talking with Sandy and doing more research, I feel prepared to find my own way of being a morning person — one that works with, rather than against, my biological clock.

Maybe what I’m really seeking isn’t to be “morning person” in the conventional sense, but to create intentional beginnings that honor my individual needs while providing structure and meaning.

Do you also struggle with mornings? or do you have a morning routine you love? Would love to hear either way — let me know in the comments!

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