My morning routine with Courtney Ustrzycki

Read time: 4 min

We interviewed Courtney Ustrzycki about her morning routine. Courtney is known for being an athlete, a fitness trainer and a head coach. She uses her platform to inspire and motivate others to create a positive body image and healthy mindset for themselves.

Through exercising and eating a nutritional diet, she has become a successful athlete and influences thousands with her inspiring journey everyday.

What is your morning routine?

I wake up around 5am naturally; bathroom routine and get dressed (don’t stay in my PJs so that I can be focused and in ‘work mode’ even though I work from home), make my bed, 10 minutes of stretching, 12oz water, a few notes into my gratitude journal, message my dad, prep my coffee, and get to work.

Has this always been your routine? How has your routine changed over time?

This hasn’t always been my morning routine it’s changed over time. I believe it’s important to integrate change and be willing to adapt in seasons of life. I’ve tried different options for my morning routine to see what works and when.

Do you incorporate any meditation into your morning routine, if so how and when?

I strongly believe that meditation looks different for many people. Meditation is about mindfulness; training attention and awareness into achieving a calm state of being. For me, that’s also evolved like my morning routine. I feel very calm during my morning stretches and when I write notes in my gratitude journal. I’m very present in each of those elements and I am very aware of the action at hand. For me, that’s my kind of meditation.

I think many people interpret meditation as sitting on a bedazzled floor pillow, feet crossed, and eyes closed and if someone cannot achieve this, they cannot meditate. I went through a phase of sunrise paddle boarding more recently, and to me, that was a state of calmness, attention and awareness, where I could be with my thoughts in the present moment and for me, I absolutely considered that meditation.

What particular food/drink do you have every morning and why?

12oz of water and my greens powder before my coffee. It’s not the greens powder that’s magical (an often-over-glorified supplement, in my honest opinion) but it’s the habit of drinking water before anything else in the morning. It helps me to drink up because drinking plain water doesn’t always appeal to me. It’s a great habit that comes with a reward after being able to drink my coffee.

How do you structure/plan your day?

My days are always planned ahead of time. I use a hand-written planner for the entire year, and I ensure I am organised and clear on my schedule before the day begins (weekly review on Sunday evening, and nightly review for the following day.) As I own my business, I have created my work hours. Just like my morning routine, this has adjusted and evolved during seasons of my life. As I live in Mexico, I like to be outside a lot and have opportunities to explore my surroundings. I ensure I am very productive in the mornings and ensure my clients commit to our appointments. I block out time for my workouts that are very important to me and ensure that I have time away from my computer daily. As I work from home for myself, I find it’s (almost too) easy to be attached to my computer all day long. I keep that very separate so that I can have a life apart from my work! But before the fun happens, I always ensure my work gets done.

What advice would you give to others trying to change their morning routines?

Habits need to be built and effort needs to be put in, but don’t force what doesn’t happen naturally or easily. If you hate getting up super early and have always been like that, why do you think it will change now? Try some things; stick to them for a few weeks (at least more than 2 weeks!) and see if the habit becomes easier and more enjoyable as you continue to put in the effort. If not, see how you can make an adjustment. You need to do what’s best for your schedule and your lifestyle. Don’t try to mold into someone else’s routine. That works for them.

How soon do you check your phone in the morning?

I used to really separate myself from my phone because I remember it used to cause me a lot of worry and anxiety. Looking at all the emails, messages, etc. I did spend a few months (maybe 6-8?) putting in an honest effort to stay away from my phone for at least 30 minutes in the morning. Now though, I don’t feel stressed or worried about seeing messages in the morning. I make sure I get through most of my morning routine before scrolling through messages and emails. Nothing is more important than my prep for the day, and whatever waited overnight can wait a few more minutes.