How the Founder of Andie Swimwear Has Changed Her Morning Routine in Quarantine

What's the first thing you do when you get out of bed in the morning? A well-rounded morning routine sets the tone for the day and gets you prepped—both mentally and physically—before diving into a packed schedule filled with emails, chores, happy hours, workouts, and more. Our series Morning Person profiles those who have mastered the art of the morning routine. Tune in every Monday morning here and on our Instagram to learn exactly how the pros get it all done before the sun comes up, from their go-to breakfasts to their a.m. workouts.

This period of self-isolation and social distancing has, without a doubt, rocked our worlds and changed everything we know about our day-to-day lives. Whether you're now settling into a WFH schedule or adapting to a new routine entirely, we know that there's no right or best way to process and go through these tough times.

For Melanie Travis, founder and CEO of luxury swimwear line Andie, her mornings are now a time for her to do what makes her calm, grounded, and ready to take on the day. See how she starts her mornings in quarantine.

I have an internal clock and wake up naturally around 8 a.m. each morning. Before I open my eyes, I feel around on the bed to see if my dog has joined in the night. Usually, she has. I'll cuddle with her for a few minutes before I get up. I never thought I'd be the type of woman to share a bed with a 90-pound pit bull, but here we are.

Eventually, I emerge from the bed and stumble into the kitchen where I make coffee first thing. I can’t function without coffee, so it's my first priority in the morning.

Coffee brewing, I settle at the kitchen table with my laptop. I like to get a handle on my day before I have breakfast. I check my calendar, scan my email, and open our company's internal KPI dashboard to check our performance the previous day. Doing all of this first thing makes me feel more confident about attacking the day. I know what's in store, and now I can enjoy a nice breakfast and finish my morning routine before I get started with work.

A nice breakfast for me is typically something simple, like yogurt and granola, whole-grain cereal with milk, or something similar. I particularly love Early Bird for granola or Barbara’s Shredded Spoonfuls for cereal.

I take my dog for a walk around the neighborhood. Now that I'm living in the country during this quarantine, our walk looks pretty different from our typical Manhattan morning strolls. We're staying in a quiet neighborhood where we can walk right down the middle of the road. Sometimes I bring my skateboard, and we just have fun outside for half an hour. It's good exercise for both of us!

Back from our walk, I take 10 minutes to meditate using the Headspace app. I like to sit in a quiet corner of the yard, plug my Airpods in, close my eyes, and be still. I'm relatively new to meditating, but especially during these difficult times, I'm finding it really helpful to remain calm, grounded, and ready for anything.

Meditation complete, I hop in a quick shower. I have a very simple routine. I use Malin+Goetz for almost everything: the grapefruit face wash, the peppermint shampoo, and the cilantro hair conditioner. Most successful women smell like fruit salad.

Out of the shower, I apply Kiehl's ultra-moisturizing face cream, Native deodorant, and some Vaseline on my lips. Then I'm ready to go.

I start my workday at 10 minutes to 10 with a video call with my chief of staff. We sync on the day's priorities, and then it's off to the races!

Next up: Why This Superstore Actress Starts Her Mornings With a Cold Shower