I Tried Gwyneth Paltrow’s Morning Routine and This is What Happened

Gwyneth Paltrow may be an A-list celebrity with a seemingly unattainable lifestyle. However, she recently revealed in her first Goop digital summit that quarantine has made her more relatable than ever.

Many of us have changed up our regular habits, diets, and routines since COVID-19 led to a nationwide shutdown. Paltrow shared that even her diet is, “so bad right now. It’s the least Goopy.”

“It’s all grilled cheese, quesadillas, taquitos… it’s fried, it’s gluten, it’s dairy, it’s alcohol,” she said.

That’s not the only thing Paltrow has switched up this year, though. During her summit, she shared her new daily routine, which is really pretty simple!

She said she wakes up naturally between 7 and 8 a.m., drinks a huge glass of celery juice, meditates, and then works out for an hour. She also added that she and her husband, Brad Falchuk, eat meals as a family.

For me, quarantine has meant waking up slightly disoriented around 10 a.m. and wandering around my apartment aimlessly until I can figure out what I need to do for the day. I decided to give Paltrow’s routine a try to switch things up and see if it helps me be a little more organized. Here’s what happened.

Since I don’t naturally wake up at 7 a.m., I had to set an alarm to get up that early. I tried to make it feel somewhat natural though. I set my alarm for 6:30, dozed for a little bit and then got up around 7:30 on my own.

I was a little groggy at first, but I stretched a little, splashed some water on my face and put on my clothes.

The first step in Paltrow’s routine involves drinking a big glass of celery juice. Now, if you’ve ever had celery juice before, it’s honestly an acquired taste. Having tried it before and knowing I couldn’t stomach a giant glass of it, I opted to drink a large glass of water to start my day instead.

Then, I made my bed, lit a candle and got comfortable while I picked out a meditation from my Headspace app on my phone. I meditated for about 15 minutes and felt like it helped me center myself before starting my day. I was calm and comfortable and focused by the end of it, which motivated me to get moving.

The next step was to workout for an hour. I have a gym in my building, but I decided to stay in my room and do some yoga instead. I was already so cozy after meditating with my candle lit. So, I rolled out my yoga mat and flowed for a little bit while doing some deep breathing. It felt nice and relaxing and not too overwhelming, but I still felt that burn and got the muscle movement I wanted before jumping into my day.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a husband to eat my meals with like Paltrow does. So, I asked my roommate if she would want to have breakfast with me that day. (Truthfully, we eat most meals together anyway). I made us some breakfast tacos and she made coffee and we sat down and talked about what we were going to do that day.

It was honestly really nice starting my morning like this. I got to take some time for myself first thing when I woke up. Then, I got to spend some quality time with my friend before getting started on my actual to-do list. I felt taken care of a fulfilled and ready to be productive.

After finishing up breakfast, I knew I actually had a very busy day ahead of me. During the pandemic, I’ve taken on a lot of new projects and side hustles. So, even though the world is “shut down,” I often feel like I’m a little overwhelmed and busy these days.

However, I had more energy than normal after waking up early and taking some time for myself. I made myself a list of what needed to be done and got started.

I actually ended up getting a lot done that day! I ran some errands, went to a doctor appointment, worked on several freelance projects, went on a walk and took some photos with my roommate, and finished up with “family” dinner and one more writing project. By the time I was done, it was 9:30 p.m. (a very full day!) and I was pretty exhausted. But I had maintained a high level of energy and focus for about 12 hours that day.

Typically, I struggle to be productive for more than about 4 hours a day. Something about starting my morning a little more intentionally made it easier for me to be productive for the rest of the day. I accomplished a lot and then I rested.

My roommates and I ended our long days by curling up with some tea and cookies and watching Game of Thrones on our projector.

All in all, I think having a morning routine like Gwyneth Paltrow’s definitely helped me push through the craziness of my day. Which makes sense, as I’m sure she has many crazy long days herself! That being said, I’m feeling a little inspired to be more intentional with my mornings and would definitely consider adopting some of these practices into my own routine.