We’re chatting today with Lola of Rela Wellness. Lola is a certified relationship coach, she helps high-achieving women find success in dating and relationships. Find more info about her services here. She is also currently earning my degree at Bauer College of Business. Lola is a hybrid worker.
What time do you usually wake up? Is that a time that feels natural or painfully inconvenient for you?
I have to wake up at 6 am every morning, but I stretch it to 6:15 am every now and then. I am not a morning person so it is quite a chore to get out of bed and get moving. I recently learned from Mel Robbins, the “slither out of bed” tip, where you literally slither out of bed, and that helps!
Walk us through your morning! We want the full timeline; step by step.
Once I’m out of bed, I get the coffee going, do my personal care routine, then wake my 6-year-old up. Then I get his bath running, and while he’s getting ready, I multitask between making breakfast, picking up from the previous night, feeding the cat, and getting my little one dressed for school. By 7:20, I have him dropped off at school. I typically reserve 7:30 – 8:20 for my workout routine – I currently alternate between reformer pilates and running. If I have any early morning commitments like an early meeting or appointment, I skip working out altogether.
Do you make time for breakfast? Whatcha eating?
I used to skip breakfast but I recently started making it a priority again. I like to have something easy, like oatmeal, fruit, and wheat toast or a peanut butter sandwich. But if I’m running late, I get something from my favorite selections at Starbucks; roasted red pepper egg white bites and a cinnamon raisin bagel, or a spinach feta wrap.
What essential products/items are part of your morning routine?
Definitely coffee! – my brain isn’t fully awake until I get my caffeine fix.
My Echo Dot – I just say “Alexa, what’s the news?” or “Alexa, play morning music” and I can listen to anything as I make breakfast.
Share 1-3 things you must throw in your bag before leaving and why.
AirPods – This gives me the flexibility to listen to audiobooks or receive calls whether indoors or outdoors.
Sunglasses – Gotta protect my eyes from those UV rays!
Laptop – I like to take it everywhere; my son’s swim lesson, a doctor’s appointment – Instead of idly sitting in the waiting area, I’d rather knock something off my to-do list and maximize my time.
What’s a habit you want to remove from your morning routine?
Checking my emails immediately I wake up. I like to always be in the loop, but it’s not a healthy habit. I want to replace that with meditating for at least 10 minutes instead, to avoid being overwhelmed so early in the day.
A hack that has improved your routine
Planning my schedule the night before, so when I wake up it’s go time! Another extremely helpful hack is planning my outfits the night before. Research estimates that adults make 35,000 decisions a day. That’s a lot! If I can at least plan my schedule and outfit the night before, I can avoid decision fatigue in the morning so I have a less cluttered mind by the time I get to work.
Oop, that thing that puts a damper on your mornings every once in a while just happened again. What is it?
Driving in Houston is not my favorite thing to do. People always seem to be in a rush to get to places. If I drive by an accident or get carelessly driven next to, it puts a damper on my morning.
Your current favorite commute/pre-zoom song
I actually don’t have a favorite song but I like to rotate different playlists – mellow pop, RnB, or afro music depending on my mood. Some mornings, I just listen to podcasts.
What were you grateful for this morning?
I am grateful for the gift of life – grateful for where I am, grateful for the challenges I’ve overcome, and grateful for what’s ahead.
