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In SELF’s Wake-Up Call series, we ask celebrities, athletes, and other notable people exactly how they rise and shine.
Like the rest of Elin Hilderbrand’s devoted fan base, I associate the author’s name with blissful relaxation. My copies of her novels have sand permanently ingrained in their spines and warped covers from resting on saltwater-drenched swimsuits. Hilderbrand has written nearly 30 novels (and sold over 20 million copies) set on her home island of Nantucket, and her works have been a beach bag staple for decades—beloved for their power to transport readers to a sun-soaked, mischievous universe from anywhere. So it’s probably safe to assume that the author prioritizes a healthy dose of leisure in her own day-to-day life, right?
Wrong—at least if we’re talking about her morning routine. I spoke with the Queen of the Beach Read over Labor Day Weekend (which is sort of like hearing from Santa Claus on Christmas) about her a.m. routine, which favors discipline over decadence, but still sparks joy. Hilderbrand is currently in the midst of “the biggest week of her life,” she tells SELF—the Netflix miniseries adaptation of her novel, The Perfect Couple, premieres today!—but luckily, she’s used to making the absolute most of her waking minutes: Her typical day starts before sunrise.
It may come as a surprise that a novelist who famously puts out a book a year doesn’t get to work first thing. But for Hilderbrand, a jam-packed, productive, and endorphin-filled morning is what makes a fruitful day of writing possible. When she rises and shines, three is her lucky number: she downs three cups of tea and moves through three modes of exercise. And even number-one best-selling authors aren’t excused from morning mom duties—although Hilderbrand says she relishes the opportunity to help her kids kick-start their days when everyone is home from college and work.
For those of us who make an annual tradition of visiting Hilderbrand’s (mostly) fictional Nantucket, it’s been a bittersweet summer: She announced that this year’s June release, aptly titled Swan Song, would be her last Nantucket novel. But, thankfully, her vision of “retirement” doesn’t match up with most. When I asked if things were slowing down with this chapter of her career closing, Hilderbrand answered with a resounding “Hell no.” Her morning routine is still setting her up for plenty of creative output and lots of projects—for all of us—to look forward to.
Below, read about Elin Hilderbrand’s tried-and-true Nantucket morning routine in her own voice.
As soon as I wake up, I brush my teeth, and then do a face mask.
I have five masks that I cycle through each week, so I like to do a different one every day! Four of them are from Fresh: I use the Honey, Black Tea, Lotus, and Floral Recovery masks. And the last one is the Microderm Instant Glow Exfoliator from GoopGlow, which stays on like a mask.
After my face mask, I moisturize—I love the Laneige Water Bank Moisturizer. And that’s it for me and beauty in the morning! I do wear SPF, but I usually put it on later in the day if I’m going to be outside. My dermatologist prescribes me a facial sunscreen from EltaMD.
After that, I go downstairs and do what I call “The One Hundred Silent Tasks of Being a Mother.”
I’ll take the trash out, do laundry, empty the dishwasher and clean up—my two older kids work late, so I’ll usually leave dinner out for them the night before. Then I’ll also make lunch for my son, who’s an electrician, and get his coffee ready. I don’t eat any kind of breakfast or drink coffee myself, but I do drink three cups of tea every morning, and they’re all different. I’ll have Earl Grey first, then lemon tea, and then coconut—no sugar, nothing added. There’s no real method to the order, but it’s the same everyday…. I’m just such a creature of habit!
While I’m drinking the teas, I love to go out to the garden and pick fresh vegetables and cut flowers in the summertime. Sometimes I’ll also meal prep in the mornings; if I’m doing that, I’ll throw on whatever show I’m currently binging. I just finished Industry on HBO, and loved it. Anyway, once my silent tasks (and teas!) are done, I’m spending the rest of my morning exercising.
The most important thing about being a novelist isn’t being talented or being inspired. It’s being disciplined and making sure that you get the work done. And that starts with my exercise in the morning.
First, I get on the Peloton bike every morning for a 45 minute ride. My favorite instructor is Jenn Sherman, and I also ride with Dennis and Emma. The only time I wouldn’t get on the bike, honestly, would be if I was traveling—but I’ve even tried to tailor my travel schedules so I don’t go first thing in the morning. And I never want to jump out of bed and do it! But I always get on, because I’m like, Okay, this is the discipline that sets up my day.
After the Peloton, I drink an ice water, then I do what I call yogging—a joke from the movie Anchorman—which is my very slow jogging.
It’s a little bit more than walking, but maybe not even as fast as a jog. I go for about an hour and ten minutes on the miles and miles of Nantucket bike paths every morning. I always listen to music while I’m moving, and right now my playlist has a lot of Taylor Swift—I love her new album. It’s mostly Talyor mixed with old-person classic rock, which I also love, because I am one!
My favorite sneakers for yogging are the New Balance Fresh Foam X. And for all my morning workouts, I wear a lot of Lululemon. I love the Speed Up Shorts (they have a little pocket in the back for my chapstick) and the Ebb to Street Tank Top, which is amazing. It’s ribbed and it has a shelf bra built in—I have it in all the colors.
I’ll end my route at my barre class at Forme Barre. And after that, I’ll head home, and that’s when I get down to work! I'm so lucky to be able to exercise so much, but I also feel like it’s a discipline that makes my writing happen. On an ideal day, I’m working from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., starting with either typing or composing content for my novels.
My routine hasn’t slowed down since I published Swan Song, because I’m still working on so much.
I’m promoting The Perfect Couple miniseries; I just had a short story, “Natural Selection,” come out on Amazon; my daughter and I are writing a novel together—we have a two book deal for novels set at a New England boarding school.
So even though I’ve said, Oh, I’m retired, I’m still constantly, frantically working! The Academy comes out next September, and after that’s turned in, I’ll have a little bit more time to relax. But, until then—and likely after—I predict that my morning routine will basically stay the same. Everybody’s different, but it really does work well for me.
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