Welcome to Waking Up Well, a column where we hand-select people we admire and ask them to share how they start the day. We think morning routines are a crucial part of an intentional wellness journey and we’re fascinated by the practices of our favorite figures.

Miranda McKeon is an expert at keeping her tank full. While her path was never traditional as a child actress, trained yoga instructor, and globe-trotter all before age 18, it got even more complicated when she was diagnosed with hormone-positive breast cancer after her freshman year of college. Her aggressive treatment regimen included months of chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, and many rounds of radiation — and it left her with a resilience and emotional maturity that has carried over into her work since. (She’s now in remission! Yay!) Part of her work today includes her small business, Fill Your Tank, a line of card games with interesting questions to foster connection. We’re big fans.

“While being based in NYC for the past year, Miranda’s built a pretty solid rotation of daily routines — rotation because no two days are ever the same.”

While being based in NYC for the past year, Miranda’s built a pretty solid rotation of daily routines — rotation because no two days are ever the same. Depending on what’s going on — a workout event, filming paid partnerships, or doing outreach for Fill Your Tank — she shapes her day around her needs.

If she has an evening cocktail party with a brand, she’ll get a workout done in the morning, spend midday working while her hair dries (lol, real life), film, edit, post, and then get ready for the event.

We caught up with her on a typical work day, and she shared her favorite practices for truly supporting her mental and physical health.

8:00 am | Inbox cleaning & ClassPass 📱

It’s not the most mindful habit, but I usually start my day by checking my inbox to see if anything urgent — or exciting — came through overnight. Then I open my calendar app to see what’s on deck. Depending on how my body feels, I’ll figure out what kind of workout I’m in the mood for that day; a run, weight lifting, or I might put on notifications to book a class like Physique 57, Fuze House Pilates, or SLT method on ClassPass.

8:15 am | Lotions & potions time 🧴

I always start by brushing my teeth — I’m obsessed with my Suri toothbrush. It’s lightweight, quiet, electronic, and adorably pink. In the mornings, I just splash my face with water (no cleanser) and go straight into skincare. First, a spritz of Caudalie Beauty Elixir — it’s been a favorite for three years now. The scent is absolutely divine: Minty, invigorating, cooling — it wakes me up better than coffee. Then I layer on the Patchology Calm and Protect Mist, which soothes my skin and creates the perfect base for either makeup or more skincare. I never skip sunscreen — right now I’m loving the Dr. Jart Every Sun Day Sun Fluid, especially since I’ve been spending so much more time outside.

Two electric toothbrushes, one green and one white, are mounted vertically on a pink wall with soft shadows cast across the scene.
A hand holds a bottle of Dr. Jart+ Every Sun Day Sun Fluid SPF 50+ outdoors under a clear blue sky.

8:30 am | Soak in the sun ☀️

I sit on my sun-drenched living room couch (my favorite spot) and start sending emails. It could be catering outreach for a Fill Your Tank event, a new content idea to my manager for a brand partnership, or coordinating with my technical and graphic designers on my next card game.

Several smooth, tan-colored cylindrical and wavy objects are displayed on wooden and white shelves against a white background.
Stickers on a beige couch, including “Fill Your Tank,” “POP-UP,” and one reading, “We make card games that start conversations.”.

9:00 am | Protein-packed brekkie and bev ☕️

Breakfast is simple but protein-packed these days — usually two eggs, a bowl of Purely Elizabeth dark chocolate chunk oats, or plain Greek yogurt with granola and berries. I’m all about keeping it easy but filling. I’ll usually make an iced latte using our espresso machine, brewing it over honey and cinnamon. Though this week, I’m determined to master homemade strawberry matcha — I just need to figure out how to make a good strawberry purée at home. I have a feeling it’s about to become my new obsession.

A bowl of chocolate oatmeal topped with almond slices, coconut flakes, and chocolate chips, with a gold spoon resting in the bowl.
A smiling woman with blonde hair in a ponytail wearing a light sweater and necklace poses indoors.

10:00 am | 10-minute makeup 💋

By now, I’m either dressed down for a workout or dressed up for an event — but no matter what, I always do my makeup (always a simple 10-minute look). Then I’m out the door and off to whatever the day has in store, or back to the window in my kitchen where I film all of my videos!

Images courtesy of Fuze House, Suri, Dr. Jart, Purely Elizabeth, and Miranda McKeon