Olivia Wilde On Dance Parties And The Thing She Does The Second She Wakes Up

The mom of two says she used to sleep in, but "10 a.m. is basically evening for me now."

Do you spring out of bed, ready to start your day, or hit snooze over and over again? That Morning Person is HuffPost’s attempt to make sense of mornings by peering into the routines of others.

"There’s something very cozy about having my cup of coffee and sitting on the floor with my kids in our pajamas," Olivia Wilde said of her mornings.
ISABELLA CARAPELLA/HUFFPOST
"There’s something very cozy about having my cup of coffee and sitting on the floor with my kids in our pajamas," Olivia Wilde said of her mornings.

Whenever Olivia Wilde is having an unproductive day, she knows that a dance party is usually the answer.

I think you can have a dance party anywhere you are,” she told HuffPost. “Dancing is a primal activity; it does something to me. You see it in kids, too.”

“I could say working out [helps], doing a physical activity, but I’d rather just have a dance party,” she added.

And if that bad day won’t go away, Wilde just tries to remember the mantra of “this too shall pass.”

But even before her day gets chaotic, the actress attempts to start it off on a positive note the moment she gets out of bed.

Below, Wilde describes her morning routine (which usually starts with snuggling instead of dancing) and the one thing she has to do the second she wakes up.

Olivia Wilde, whose busy schedule includes starring in an upcoming film and partnering with Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee at Home as a brand ambassador, says coffee fuels her morning.
Cindy Ord via Getty Images
Olivia Wilde, whose busy schedule includes starring in an upcoming film and partnering with Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee at Home as a brand ambassador, says coffee fuels her morning.

Do you consider yourself a morning person? Why or why not?

If there is coffee, I am a morning person, and I am an enthusiastic morning person. If there is no coffee, beware [laughs]. I struggle. I struggle.

What time do you usually wake up?

My kids wake up around 6:30 a.m.

Snooze button: Hit it or quit it?

My kids are the snooze button so I don’t really have [a snooze button]. They’re too contrived! [Laughs].

What’s your favorite thing about mornings?

Honestly, that cozy [time] spent with the kids when everybody’s still in their pajamas and we’re reading books and playing games before the work emails and calls start flowing in. It’s just this quiet, kind of special protective time and the light is really beautiful. There’s something very cozy about having my cup of coffee and sitting on the floor with my kids in our pajamas.

What’s the very first thing you do when you wake up?

I mean, it’s not interesting. I brush my teeth the second I wake up. I don’t know what it is ― I have to do it first before my eyes even work. I brush my teeth and then I do it again after I have my coffee. That’s my boring answer!

Exercise in the morning: Yay or nay?

On my good days, I do. I’ve been shooting a movie for three months, so I have not done much bodily movement. But yeah, in theory, on good days, I do it in the morning.

What’s your go-to breakfast?

Depends what city I’m in. If I’m in California, if I’m in LA ― I like making a good avocado toast because the avocados are a really nice, good quality here. If I’m in New York, I go for a bagel and I love lox on my bagel. I love cucumber, lox, cream cheese, capers ― lemon.

How has your morning changed since becoming a mom?

It starts way earlier. It used to start at 10 a.m.! 10 a.m. is basically evening for me now.

Fill in the blank: My ideal morning consists of _________.

Happy kids and a good cup of coffee!

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

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