I Tried Katherine Power’s Morning Routine to Try to Find Some Normal in Quarantine

By: McKenzie Morgan

Once the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I went through a “peak and valley” kind of phase with my productivity. Some days I would be on the ball, hitting deadlines, and powering through classes. Other days I would be in an exhausted slump, barely typing a word onto the page.

Pre-pandemic, I was someone who spent most of her days waking up to run to catch the subway to class and then working shifts behind the bar until 2 a.m.

All of that was halted once COVID hit and I found myself suddenly not working for the first time in what felt like forever. I found myself waking up and moving three feet to my desk instead of running half of a mile to the subway to get to work. I was stuck seeing my friends on the screen instead of in the halls of campus buildings. More importantly, I found myself losing the momentum that I had built.

I came across a book collecting dust on my bedside table called My Morning Routine by Benjamin Spall and Michael Xander. The book outlines different morning routines by successful CEOs, celebrities, and influencers from Jillian Michaels to Ryan Holiday.

After having an inconsistent sleep schedule for months and waking up anywhere between 7 am and 1 pm, I decided it was time to find a routine that would not only get me up earlier but increase my productivity while still allowing me to get a workout in.

I came across Katherine Power’s morning routine while shuffling through a few sites looking for the perfect inspiration on how to start my day. Power is a multi-company CEO and co-founder of the famous Clique Brands, home to companies like the skincare company VERSED and fashion publication Who What Wear. Needless to say, she’s a badass and I want to be just like her. So why not start my day like her?

Here’s her routine, according to Newsette:

5 A.M. Wake up and get ready for a workout

6-7A.M. Workout at Tracey Anderson

8 A.M. Eat breakfast and make first calls of the day

Katherine’s typical breakfast: scrambled egg whites, turkey bacon, rice, avocado

8:30 A.M. Shower and morning skin, hair, and makeup

9 A.M. Leave for the day

Here’s what my routine ultimately looked like:

5 A.M. Woke up and got ready for a workout

6-7A.M. Workout in my bedroom

8 A.M. Ate breakfast and made first emails of the day

My typical breakfast: scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, avocado, and a protein shake

8:30 A.M. Shower and skin and hair routine

9 A.M. Move to my desk to start working

Here’s what I found after three days of doing her routine:

I Am Not an Early Riser

I have never been a morning person, but Power really inspired me to be one. On the first morning of this experiment, I enjoyed being awake before the rest of the city and having what felt like some alone time before I had to answer emails or make calls.

But I soon found myself trudging along on the second and third days, I felt like I wasn’t giving my 100%, especially in my workouts.

Workouts Were Failing Me

Keeping up with my workout routine was essential for me during the pandemic and I wanted to include it in my morning routine to make sure I was hitting my goals every day.

Prior to the pandemic, I was at the gym and weightlifting three to four times a week. Since then I’ve taken to working out in the small corner of the bedroom with just a yoga mat and a dumbbell set I bought off of a stranger on Facebook Marketplace.

My daily workout routine consists of an intense lower-body regimen (if you want to check it out, read our Fall Apocalypse Issue) and interchanging a core and arm workout. Even though I went from weight lifting four times a week to squatting in front of my closet mirror, I still try to keep up the intensity in my workouts. But, during this experiment, the ability to do this completely left me at 6 am. I found myself swapping out my squats and Russian Deadlifts for some light yoga to just get myself going.

Quality Over Quantity

After trying Power’s routine for three days and failing, one thing that did change for me was how I defined productivity. Before, I valued quantity over quality—I was concerned about getting more things done. Now, I’ve come to really value the quality of my work rather than how fast or how much I was getting it done.

During these mornings I focused more on work than myself. While I was completing more tasks, I felt like I was just going through my to-do list earlier and then I was just tired by 2 p.m, which is when it feels like the rest of the world is peaking.

This three-day experiment helped me redefine what “productivity” looks like for me. It suddenly didn’t become just a way for me to pump out work, but a way for me to have more time to refine my skills and produce quality work instead of just a lot of work.

I’m still working on working smarter and not harder, even if I find myself overworked or burnt out after midterms or a deadline.

I found myself adopting Power’s intention behind her routine rather than her specific steps. She focuses on starting her day off taking the time to take care of herself while still setting herself up to have a productive day.

After this experiment, I felt as though we are always trying to model a new trend or someone else’s life. Setting up my mornings has become a significant part of my day but I’ve found that I didn't need to wake up like a CEO to feel successful.