

This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "Girl, Stop Apologizing" by Rachel Hollis. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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What does the daily routine of a mother look like? What advice does Rachel Hollis give for busy moms to take care of themselves?
In her bestselling book Girl, Stop Apologizing, author, business owner, and mother of four Rachel Hollis talks about how to stay healthy while also running a business and raising children. Her five essentials include waking up early, staying hydrated, eating well, exercising, and practicing gratitude. She also shares her daily morning routine.
Continue reading for advice on how to juggle your health, work, and parenting.
Rachel Hollis’s 5 Health Essentials
As she explains, tackling goals is much more efficient when your body and mind are operating at peak performance. Within this umbrella category of health, Hollis has identified what she believes to be the five most important daily habits for a healthy body and healthy mind.
1. Wake up early: Hollis recommends waking up an hour before everyone else in your house—the idea being that you have that hour to work on your goals before you start living for everyone else. She clarifies that this might not be practical if you’re currently going through a major life change that is already disrupting your sleep (for example, if you have a newborn). Note: While Hollis believes it is powerful to start your day on the right foot by spending it on yourself, she stresses that the important habit is to set aside an hour somewhere in your day.
A Glimpse Into Rachel Hollis’s Morning Routine
What does the daily routine of a mother and business owner look like? Rachel Hollis has a structured morning routine that sets her day up for success. She wakes up at 5 a.m. to give herself almost two hours of alone time before her family wakes up. She starts her day with a glass of water before sitting down with coffee to work on her current project. After finishing her morning work, she meditates for 15 minutes. She then does some journaling, where she sets her intentions for that day and writes down a few lines of gratitude and a personal affirmation.
At this point, Hollis wakes up her children and spends the next hour in mom mode. Once her kids are at school, she gets herself ready for work while listening to loud, upbeat music. After she is ready, she makes herself a green smoothie for breakfast.
Her final act of the morning before heading to work is writing down her dreams and one goal.
Hollis’s morning routine is a similar but abridged version of author Hal Elrod’s recommendations in The Miracle Morning. Elrod recommends you do the following each morning: –Engage in silence: Some might call this meditation. He says the important thing is to sit still, avoid sound, and live in the present moment. –Speak affirmations: Elrod believes in the power of saying your affirmations aloud and with emotion. –Visualize your dream life: Take a few moments to daydream in detail, focusing on your current goal. –Exercise your body: Get your blood flowing to jumpstart your energy for the day. –Read a book: Elrod says to read at least 10 pages each morning on a topic that interests you. –Write: Journaling, letter writing, words of gratitude are all suggestions. |
2. Hydrate: Hollis advises drinking half of your body weight in ounces of water each day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, she believes you should drink 75 ounces of water daily. Hydration provides a multitude of health benefits, but the one she focuses on the most is the energy you will have if you drink up.
Counterargument: 8 Glasses of Water Each Day Is a Myth It is commonly believed that humans need to consume at least eight (8-ounce) glasses of water every day to be hydrated; and if you weigh more than 160 pounds, Hollis believes you should drink even more. However, this advice isn’t supported by science, as detailed in a heavily researched New York Times article. Yes, hydration is crucial for health, but most of your hydration comes from the food you consume and even from beverages such as coffee and tea (which are mistakenly touted as being dehydrating beverages). Overhydration: How Much Is Too Much? Though rare, it is possible to drink too much water. Symptoms of overhydration include confusion, drowsiness, and headaches. Ideally, your urine should be straw- or tea-colored. If your urine is perfectly clear, you may be drinking too much water. |

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Here's what you'll find in our full Girl, Stop Apologizing summary :
- Rachel Hollis's lessons she learned while building a multimillion-dollar company
- Why "having it all" isn't something you should aspire to
- Why women need to stop trying to fit society's idea of a "good woman"