15 Wellness Routines of Insanely High Impact Women

1. Oprah Winfrey – Media Executive, Actress, Television Producer, and Philanthropist

Oprah begins her day with exercise and spiritual exercises which include meditation for twenty minutes, reading a quote, and envisioning her goals for the day. She says that she prefers to wake up slowly and give her mind a chance to become fully focused. – Owaves

During the day, Winfrey gets in several workouts, one serious one and another in which she’s socializing with friends or family.

At night, Oprah winds down next to a fire, usually with family or a good book, And before bed, she writes five things that gave her great pleasure or that she’s grateful for. – The Hollywood Reporter

“For me, a perfect day is not just one thing; it’s a series of small things. It’s the crisp air on your face when you open the door in the morning, the reflection of mountains and clouds in a crystal lake. It’s paying attention.”

Oprah Winfrey

2. Beyonce – Mother, Singer, Actress, Founder of Parkwood Entertainment, Entrepreneur

Beyonce has talked openly about the stressors of work and life balance as a mother.

Here’s what she says about her current self care perspective as a mom…

“Many of us grew up seeing our parents act as if they were superheroes. Most women have been conditioned to ignore symptoms and just “tough it out” and focus on taking care of everyone else before themselves. I am no longer one of those people.

After having a difficult pregnancy, I took a year to focus on my health. I have researched information on homeopathic medicines. I don’t just put any prescription in my body. My diet is important, and I use tools like acupuncture, meditation, visualization, and breathing exercises.” – Elle

Beyonce Knowles

3. Katie Couric – Mother, Journalist, Author, Co-Founder of Katie Couric Media

Katie feels that as a procrastinator, she needs some amount of stress to fuel her momentum and get her moving. She also proclaims to be an adrenaline junkie, but credits exercise, meditation, and deep breathing for helping when she’s especially stressed out.

What Katie says about a typical morning…

“I’m pretty programmed to wake up at 7 a.m. This morning, I went to the gym with my husband [financier John Molner] for a half hour. Normally, I walk around the reservoir, take a spin class at Fly Wheel, stretch, or do yoga and then shower. – Harper’s Bazaar

4. Arianna Huffington – Mother, Author, Co-founder and Editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post

Huffington begins her day on her stationary bike and continues her morning with yoga stretches and 20-30 minutes of meditation.

After breaking her cheekbone due to a fall from exhaustion, she’s also now very vocal about the importance of sleep.

Here’s her night time wellness routine:

“First, I turn off all my electronic devices and gently escort them out of my bedroom. Then, I take a hot bath with epsom salts and a candle flickering nearby; a bath that I prolong if I’m feeling anxious or worried about something.

I don’t sleep in my workout clothes as I used to (think of the mixed message that sends to our brains) but have pajamas, nightdresses, and even T-shirts dedicated to sleep.

Sometimes I have a cup of chamomile or lavender tea if I want something warm and comforting before going to bed. I love reading real, physical books, especially poetry, novels, and books that have nothing to do with work.” – The Morning Routine

Arianna Huffington

See more good morning habit ideas here >>

5. Serena Williams – Mother, Tennis Star, Fashion Designer, Philanthropist

While this tennis star spends many hours of her day training and exercising, she also carves out time for family and friends every night at 6 pm. She is quoted as saying “tennis is just a game, family is forever.” –Careergirldaily

Williams is also a proponent for moms taking better care of themselves, is passionate about skincare, and uses coconut oil as part of her daily wellness routine.

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6. Jennifer Lopez – Mother, Actress, Singer

According to Elite Daily, J. Lo credits four major wellness activities that keep her going. She drinks LOTS of water, mixes up her workouts to keep them challenging, makes sleep a priority, and takes care of her spirituality with meditation and positive affirmations.

7. Lindsey Vonn – Olympian Alpine Ski Racer

This athlete has come back from devastating setbacks and injuries, proving incredible grit. Her daily routine includes six hours of workouts, a nap, and time for watching tv or reading before bed.- Owaves

“I love sleep. I am a good sleeper, I take naps every day, I try to sleep at least 10 hours at night. The more I sleep, the better recovered I am.”

Linsey Vonn

8. Jessica Alba – Mother, Co-Founder of the Honest Company, Actress

First, Alba starts every morning with a smoothie for herself and her kids.

“I make sure there’s plenty of fat in there with almond butter, then I’ll use Zico coconut water. Depending on whether or not I want a chocolate one or plain one, sometimes I’ll put fruit in it. The kids love it! I like to get them shakes so I can get some protein in them. Chocolate, coconut, almond butter shakes with banana butter!” – Byrdie

Jessica Alba

Alba also works out often, even on long work days. And she notes the importance of making time for those you love…

“Now my priorities lie in my family and in my friends, and I’ve been able since I took some time off with my first, to cultivate relationships that I never had before, and friendships,” Jessica told WomensHealthMag.com. 

Jessica Alba

9. Melinda Gates – Mother, Co-Chair and Founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

For this busy mom and philanthropist, the first hour of the day is set aside for quiet time. Gates does meditation, some stretching, yoga and “some sort of spiritual reading, like Mark Nepo’s “The Awakening.” – The Cut

After her morning ritual, she makes sure to get outside. “Even if it’s cold here in Seattle, I’ll get outside. I really like to go in the lake when it’s cold outside, or get my feet out in our yard, in our garden,” says Gates. CNBC

10. Sheryl Sandberg – Mother, Author, Facebook COO, Founder of Leanin.org

According to Business Insider, Sandberg makes it a rule to leave work by 5:30 p.m., no matter what. Her husband passed away suddenly in 2015, and Sandberg continues the tradition of eating dinner with her kids and sharing the “best and worst” parts of everyone’s day.

After dinner, Sandberg dives into a good book and at times catches some “bad tv” to unwind before bed. She also turns off her phone before bed and regularly hits an early bedtime.

For more even wellness tips check out the self care toolkit below! Then, read on!

11. Ellen Degeneres – Comedian, Television Host, Writer, and Producer

Degeneres begins her morning wellness routine with an hour and a half yoga session. She also meditates daily for twenty minutes. The popular comedian switched to a vegan diet years ago and like many of the other women on this list, cuts out most sugar and processed food from her diet.

At night, Ellen is an avid reader and she enjoys watching her favorite shows with her wife to unwind. – Owaves

“It’s hard, but you have to make time to take care of yourself. Only after you’re taking care of yourself can you take care of other business.”

Ellen Degeneres

12. Jada Pinkett Smith – Mother, Actress, Screenwriter, Producer, Host of the Red Table Talk Show

As shared on her popular “Red Table Talk” Facebook show, Pinkett Smith likes to meditate, and her mother likes to read and listen to audiobooks to de-stress. However, one thing that all members of the family can agree on is their love for working out. They take fitness very seriously in the Smith-Pinkett family, often working out together in group sessions.

Jada said recently…

“Taking care of your body in the way in which you want is an act of self-love,”

Jada Pinkett Smith

13. Anna Wintour – British-American Journalist, Editor-in-Chief of Vogue

Wintour is infamous for being the real woman behind the Devil Wears Prada movie. She’s notorious for incredibly high standards and works a lot. However, she does make time every morning between 4 and 5:30 am to play tennis for an hour before hitting a Starbucks and starting her day.

14. Rosalind Brewer – Mother, COO of Starbucks, Former President and CEO of Sam’s Club

Brewer begins her day at 5:15 with meditation before even leaving her bed. Next, like any mom, she gets laundry going and thinks about preparing dinner for later. Then, she makes a healthy juice for herself before heading into the office for the day.

Rosalind also has an insighful view on the question of “having it all” as a mother juggling so many things:

“If you’re methodical—you might deliberately slow down your fast-paced career at a certain point or choose to have your kids earlier or later—I think you can have it all. But not necessarily all at the same time.” – Real Simple: The Guide: Work & Money

Rosalind Brewer

15. Michelle Obama – Mother, Attorney, Author, Former First Lady

Mrs. Obama begins her day early. At 4:30 am. And it starts every day in the gym, with a good workout. – Careergirldaily

Michelle also notes the importance of making family time a priority, which she does nightly.

“My most important title is “mom-in-chief”. My daughters are still the heart of my heart and the centre of my world.”

Michelle Obama

And finally, Michelle finishes the day with alone time and a skincare routine that makes her feel good.

Something to Consider With Wellness Routines

There you have it! Beneficial tips and wellness routines from incredibly impactful women. What can we take away from all of these wellness routines?

1. Almost every single woman on this list mentions the importance of exercise. Most of them do it first thing. Some enjoy yoga, and others love more intense cardio, but moving the body is a HUGE priority to all of them.

2. Many of the women also include a meditation in their day. As each of these women leads a busy life with a lot of responsibility on their shoulders, it makes sense that they have a daily practice that helps them find peace, if only for a few minutes.

*Find more great wellness goals ideas and examples here>>

“My number one daily habit is to give myself permission to be happy. It’s physical and mental; it’s my diet, physical activity, and emotional state. That’s all tied together.”

MICHELLE OBAMA ON GIRLS EDUCATION IN GHANA | REFINERY29

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