I followed Oprah's morning routine for a week, and it was zen but also time-consuming and difficult

Get the Full StoryArielle Tschinkell Casey Rodgers Invision for Remy Martin AP Images

Oprah Winfrey has been open about her morning routine, which includes lots of meditation and time spent in nature.

I decided to try out her morning routine for a week, and it was much more challenging than I thought it'd be.

I struggled to meditate every morning, but I didn't find it too difficult to follow her rule about not setting alarms.

Visit Insider's homepage for more.

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most powerful women in the world, yet it seems like she starts her day on a pretty zen note.

The billionaire producer, former TV host, author, actor, and philanthropist has been pretty open about her morning routine, which includes plenty of nature and meditation.

And, as someone who is naturally quite anxious and could use a bit of peace, I decided to put her calming-sounding routine to the test.

Here's what it was like following Oprah's morning routine for a week. Oprah said she never sets an alarm, so I didn't either.

AP Themba Hadebe

I started this experiment on a Sunday morning, and it was admittedly a bit rougher than usual because I had been at a wedding the night before and was now a bit hungover.

Fortunately, Oprah's first rule is one I could totally get behind. In 2017, she told The Hollywood Reporter she doesn't use an alarm to wake up.

"I have never set an alarm, I don't believe in them. They are alarming! I put the number in my mind and I wake up before that, usually between 6:02 and 6:20, because the dogs are trained to go out around that time," she told the publication.

Not setting an alarm sounded pretty good to me. Plus, I'm also a naturally early riser so this didn't seem too difficult.

I woke up around 6:30 a.m., bleary-eyed and with a booming headache from all the peach sangria I'd enjoyed the night before. I was glad to not have been woken up by a loud alarm.

I can imagine that Oprah's alarm-free policy isn't very practical for those who have to go to school, work, or certain appointments early in the morning. Fortunately, I work from home and don't have a super strict schedule.

That said, not using an alarm became more challenging during the week, especially since my husband has to set his to wake up for work. I'm usually up before him anyway, though.

But as the week progressed, I found myself naturally rising around 6:00 a.m., so I was impressed that I truly channeled my "Oprah zen" without the aid of an alarm.

Oprah said she then focuses on her five dogs, so I spent my week giving my puppy extra attention in the morning.

Arielle Tschinkel

In 2018, the media mogul told Harper's Bazaar about her daily routine, saying, "First thing in the morning, I brush my teeth and take the dogs out."

Although Oprah has five dogs to care for, I have just one a puppy named Bruce Wayne. Fortunately, he generally wakes up around the same time I do, ready to see the outside world and start his day.

But taking him on a walk first thing in the morning was a bit of an adjustment for me. My husband is normally the one that takes him out for early walks since I work from home and spend plenty of time with him during the day.

But, by day three of taking my dog on a morning walk, I started to really look forward to enjoying nature with him while the world well, my neighborhood was mostly still asleep.

And as the week went on, my town in New York began to cool down and feel like autumn, one of my favorite seasons. Since Bruce is a mix between a Bernese mountain dog and poodle, he loves the cold weather we were both in our element during these morning walks.

I found myself starting to look forward to them.

Oprah likes to begin her day with a heaping dose of nature, which took some getting used to.

Arielle Tschinkel

In 2018, Oprah told Harper's Bazaar that it's a "perfect day" when she can wake up surrounded by nature while in her own home.

She also said enjoys lifting her blackout shades and watching geese fly over the backyard into the pond in the morning.

Alas, her primary residence is huge and is in Montecito, California. My home is in New York and, in terms of nature, I just live near a few trees. Plus, I don't have a pond or blackout shades.

So, I adapted. I made a point to focus on the nature I could see from my home.

I simply opened the curtains each morning and took a moment to appreciate the trees in my backyard, which is certainly smaller than Winfrey's 65-acre property with more than 3,000 trees.

It was kind of calming to take some time to appreciate the view, but it'd probably be more interesting if I had some sort of body of water and forest animals to look at.

Read More: A guide to Oprah's famous friends, from Meghan Markle to the Obamas

See the rest of the story at Business InsiderSee Also:The worst movies the stars of 'The Handmaid's Tale' have been inI took a 10-hour night train from Milan to Paris for 160, and it was one of the best sleeps I've ever hadKate Spade has an entire Amazon shop dedicated to home decor, and it costs less than you think

Share: