Describe your morning routine in Spanish and create a successful Spanish routine 1

There are multiple reasons why you should be comfortable describing your  morning routine, one of them being the DELE exam (as it is one topic that could appear in speaking part).

But there are other reasons, such as being able to talk about your habits with other Spanish speakers is a nice topic that facilitates connection. Also, being able to talk about what you do, every morning, seems like a good thing to be able to achieve.

Also, having a morning routine is something that sets the tone for the rest of the day, so it’s a quite powerful thing to talk about.

This post will be organised in two parts.  First, I will give you few pointers about how to describe your morning routine in Spanish. And second, – and this is the most exciting bit in my opinion – I will guide you to create a routine for success and a routine that helps you to immerse in Spanish language or just to insert Spanish in your every day life.

Sounds good?

Good! Let’s get cracking!

Two essential words if you want to sound Spanish native: Normalmente and (yo) suelo. The verb soler is a really handy one, as it means “tend to, usually…” and we, Spanish speakers, use it a lot. For example, yo suelo tomar un café nada más levantarme. (I usually have a coffee as soon as I get up).

– Tu rutina mañanera (Your morning routine) –

And let’s be honest, how many of you check your phone first thing in the morning. If you are like me (and probably thousands of other humans in this planet) the order of the events goes something like this: abrir los ojos, a veces me quito las legañas (wipe the sleep from the eyes), otras voy directamente al paso siguiente con la legaña pegada (the gunk in my eyes), estiro (stretch) el brazo, cojo el móvil, miro las notificaciones... Am I close? So, part of my rutina mañanera happens still in bed.

>>> Healthy morning routines include:

· Beber un vaso de agua templada (warm) con limón
· Meditación
· Ejercicio / Estiramientos / Correr / Yoga 
· Leer un libro durante 30 minutos
· Escribir en diario personal (Journaling) 
· 15 minutos de escritura libre (free writing)

After these very inspiring list of activities, we move on to breakfast.

Remember that we have a couple of ways to talk about breakfast: Tomar el desayuno / Desayunar.

Part of the morning routine of a big amount of people is making and ingesting stimulant drinks, such as café o té. Then there are some people who give themselves some time to do the healthy thing of having breakfast and not leaving the house con el estómago vacío (with an empty stomach). I remember this was one of my mums biggest concerns, still is. Still I leave the house with el estómago vacío and won’t eat anything until media mañana (mid morning).

We have a saying that goes: “Desayunar como un rey, almuerza como un príncipe y cena como un mendigo” (breakfast king lunch prince dinner beggar).

Via Olivia Sevilla (Instagram)

 >>> Desayuno Nutritivo

· Zumo de naranja o limón
· Cereales (avena, cebada, quinoa, pan de calidad…)
· Yogur con frutas y frutos secos (nueces, pipas de girasol, de calabaza…)
· Café con leche
· Zumo de naranja
· Bollería
· Galletas
· Tostadas con mantequilla y mermelada

Are you curious about what some successful people have for breakfast (maybe that is what makes them successful?). Let’s read about Shakira’s breakfast and whether is a pass or fail one.

¿Qué desayunan los famosos?

Shakira: La más cercana de las celebrities realiza también el desayuno más cercano al que podemos encontrar en las mesas de la mayoría: zumo de naranja, una rodaja (slice) de fruta (como melón), tostadas integrales con queso ligero (light cheese), y café con leche.
>>> Desayuno aprobado: contiene los ingredientes necesarios para un desayuno completo y equilibrado, como calcio, proteínas, hidratos saludables y fruta fresca. (Source).

– Una rutina de éxito –

If there is just one thing that successful and relaxed people have in common is, I think although I could be wrong (I don’t know all the successful people in the world) having a morning routine. And if there is just one thing that successful language learners have in common is having a routine around the language.

Do you have a daily Spanish routine? 

If you do, ¡enhorabuena! (congratulations), if you don’t, keep reading. I am going to share with you the initial steps to successful create a routine around your Spanish learning.

• It doesn’t need to be in the morning, it can be at any time during the day. Ideally at the same time every day. And it doesn’t need to be long, ideally from 15 to 30 minutes every day could do the job. Although the longer, the better.
  
  
• I invite you to get a notebook or download and print this template (perpetual monthly calendar grid + weekly planner) here. 
  
  
• When do you normally have time? What time of the day? Before going to work? After? Before going to bed? After dinner? Pick a time that works for you and block it in your agenda. This time is Spanish time!
  
  
• First thing, you have to organise the month ahead. Choose 2 or 3 goals for the month (maybe learn the present Indicative of -ar verbs, or memorise a list of words of a certain topic, maybe you want to improve your speech or your listening… ) Then, once you have your goals, divide them in little chunks for every day of the following weeks. Note them down in your planner. 
   
• Your routine can happen on the go (in the commuter on the way to work, or doing a power walk) or it can be at home in your kitchen table or in your couch. But, wherever it is, my advice is that it happens always in the same place. We are setting a routine and the more repeated elements the better. 
  
  
• Start with Día 1. Get your planner and have a look at the task for that day.  When you finish, do a mark on that day in your calendar  marking that you accomplished the task.
  
  
• Be ready to fail and don’t beat yourself about it. Just pick up  where you left.