Before we get into the nitty-gritty of her routine, let’s quickly recap who Taylor Swift is (as if you didn’t already know!).
Born in 1989, Taylor started her career as a teenage country singer, but she’s evolved into a music icon with an ever-growing fan base.
Not only is she a singer-songwriter, but she’s also an actress, director, and businesswoman. In fact, according to Forbes, her “…record-breaking, five-continent Eras Tour is the first to surpass $1 billion in revenue.”
And while we can’t all sell out stadium tours, we can learn a little something from how she structures her days.
If you’re looking for inspiration from other high achievers, check out Mark Wahlberg’s routine or even tips on how to build a daily routine. And for a more hands-on approach, try using our daily routine template to organize your day like the pros!
How we researched this routine: To put together what Taylor Swift’s daily routine looks like, we went through a variety of interviews, articles, and social media posts, including some from Vogue, Rolling Stone, and ELLE. We also explored detailed fan analysis and deep dives from some of the most hardcore Swiftie sources!
Despite often having to stay up late for her performances, Taylor wakes up at 7:00 a.m. Spending more time in bed is a luxury her hectic schedule rarely allows her.
This head start allows her to reconnect with her home environment (as she often has to spend a lot of time away from home) and sets the tone for a day of being both productive and creative.
“I love having a goal, feeling like I’m on a mission. I love trying to beat what I’ve done so far,” she told Marie Claire.
Taylor Swift loves to start her day by spending quality time with her three cats, Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Button. Cool names, right? Taylor has named them after her favorite TV and movie characters.
Taylor has such a soft spot for her three feline friends that she actually took Benjamin Button along to join her in her TIME Person of the Year cover in 2023.
“I have cats. I’m obsessed with them. I love my cats so much that when a role came up in a movie called Cats, I just thought, like, I gotta do this.”
At 7:30 a.m., Taylor Swift has a simple, nutritious breakfast. For someone who works as hard as her, mindful eating in the morning is necessary to help keep her energy up throughout the day.
According to Bon Appetit, Taylor also loves cooking up buckwheat crepes with ham, Parmesan cheese, and a fried egg on top, along with some orange juice. This provides her with a well-balanced mix of protein and carbs, perfect for the physically demanding nature of her work.
For Taylor, though, breakfast is more than just a source of energy. It’s also something she enjoys, a reflection of her love for cooking and home-style meals.
After breakfast, Taylor heads to the gym. Her go-to exercises are running on the treadmill and lifting weights. That combination of cardio and strength training is designed not only to keep her in shape, but also to build the endurance she needs for her lengthy and grueling performances.
According to Vogue, though, her workouts used to be lighter and more fun — a blend of cardio, dance, and Pilates training.
According to Women’s Health, however, Taylor cranked the heat up in preparation for her ‘Eras’ tour. She added lifting weights to the routine and removed the dancing, as she was already doing tons of that during her tour preparation.
When she doesn’t have professional appointments or studio sessions, mornings provide an opportunity for Taylor to connect with friends. It’s an integral part of her daily routine, as it helps her stay grounded and get a break from her work.
Taylor has nurtured a supportive circle of close friends over the years, including other household names such as Cara Delevingne, Selena Gomez (whom she’s even baked a birthday cake for!), Gigi Hadid, Jennifer Lawrence, Ed Sheeran, and Emma Stone. Catching up with them is more than a way to blow off some steam; it’s a reminder of what matters the most.
Taylor Swift’s songwriting process is deeply personal and often spontaneous, but that does not mean she doesn’t have to carve out dedicated time to work on lyrics and melodies.
This is when she’s most refreshed to focus on creating music, as the relative quiet of her mornings provides her with the ideal environment to reflect and craft her songs.
This video about her song-making process offers unique insights into what gets into making a Taylor Swift song.
She jots down lyrics, experiments with melodies, and pieces together the very songs that often grow to become our favorite hits. These moments of creativity are crucial, as songwriting is an intimate form of personal expression for Taylor. As she said in an interview, “I usually write songs about things I’m going through in my own life.”
A strategically scheduled middle-of-the-day energy boost, Taylor’s lunch is practical and balanced. Typically, it might include something like a grilled chicken sandwich paired with a side salad — a good mix of lean protein, healthy fats, and fiber.
Taylor Swift’s lunch is not just a utilitarian part of her routine, however. She often has friends join her in some of New York’s most “in” food joints (via Women’s Health).
Taylor’s relaxed approach to lunch is a reflection of her overall philosophy toward diet and life: healthy, but with room for fun and enjoyment.
Starting at 1:00 p.m., Taylor gets into serious business mode. Professional meetings, rehearsals, tour preparation — afternoons are when Taylor Swift handles business.
She’s known to be a hands-on kind of artist, highly involved with both the creative and the business side of her career. She often has to work with executives, producers, marketing professionals, and other members of her team to plan her upcoming projects.
Of course, if she’s feeling particularly inspired or is actively working on a new album, Taylor will often clean up her meeting schedule and dedicate this time to her creative process.
One of Taylor’s favorite ways to wind down, one she’s often mentioned (via Bon Appetit, for example) is baking. Who would have thought, right?
Whipping up batches of cookies and other treats in her spare time is a great way for her to relax and take a mental break from the everyday pressure of her demanding career.
Even if she doesn’t necessarily munch on all those treats herself, Taylor enjoys sharing them with her friends and neighbors, a form of kindness and connection.
Taylor Swift’s usual dinner time is as early as 6:00 p.m. if she isn’t on tour. Just like her lunch, her dinner is designed to be a source of energy that will fuel the rest of her demanding evening schedule.
Following through with her overall balanced approach to food, she opts for nutrient-rich meals of protein and vegetables, like grilled chicken and steamed broccoli.
Predictably, Taylor’s superstar career involves a lot of touring and spending her evenings performing. Her concert routine typically starts around 9:00 p.m. and can last until well after midnight.
Those evenings start with rehearsals and sound checks. She takes time to rehearse songs, practice dance routines, and ensure that everything is in order for her performance.
And then it’s show time!
Taylor Swift’s live performances, particularly during her ‘Eras’ Tour, have become iconic. Lasting well over three hours, they aren’t just about singing. Taylor puts on a full show that includes intricate choreography, elaborate stage setups, and engaging storytelling.
Connecting with her audience is an integral part of who Taylor Swift is as an artist, so she always makes time to meet and greet a few lucky fans after each performance.
When she’s not touring, Taylor Swift loves taking some time to enjoy quiet, introspective evening activities. Meditation is one of her favorite ways to relax.
After a long and chaotic day, it’s the perfect way for her to get some mental clarity, reflect on her day, manage stress, and maintain her emotional health.
An avid reader, Taylor Swift has been known to turn to a good book for both relaxation and inspiration. She has been always open about the fact that literature helps fuel her creativity, with many of her lyrics being influenced by the themes and stories she explores in books.
In fact, according to Billboard, she even wrote a 400-page book (sadly, never published) based on her life and friends as a teen.
She’s got quite a range as a reader, too; she enjoys various genres, from historical fiction to poetry and memoirs.
As any Swiftie worth her salt will tell you, journaling plays a significant role in Taylor Swift’s personal and creative life. It’s a way for her to process her thoughts, emotions, and experiences, and she actively treats it as a therapeutic outlet.
Taylor’s journaling is a ritual that has been going strong since her early teen years, and she’s made it part of her artistic process. Not only is it a way to stay grounded, but also a great source of inspiration for her songs and lyrics.
Given their physical and emotional intensity, Taylor Swift’s performances can be quite draining. After her shows are over, she often takes some time to unwind, reflect on her day, and post photos on social media.
When performing, Taylor Swift’s bedtime is as late as 1:00–1:30 a.m. And while she’s admitted to having some late nights even when not on tour (hello, 3:00 a.m. album drops!) she tries to maintain a consistent bedtime when she can, getting into bed at about 10:00–11:00 p.m. to get those precious eight hours of rest.
Under normal circumstances, Taylor keeps her fitness routine balanced and realistic. She’s not necessarily one to spend hours on end at the gym, but she likes to stay active, mixing in strength training and cardio.
To build up the type of stamina required to sing, dance, and perform non-stop for hours on end, however, Taylor had to do A LOT of running, lifting weights, and dancing — all while singing her songs.
Of course, her training didn’t end when she finally started touring.
As Kirk Myers also shared, “Taylor trained during the entire tour. We would average two times a week. In-season training was more about maintenance, and so it was more like stability, mobility, biomechanics.”
While we’re not sure about the minutiae of her workout schedule, we do know Taylor spends a lot of time on a treadmill.
“For me, running is about blasting a whole bunch of new songs and running to the beat. It’s also good because it makes me find a gym wherever I am.”
Other than that, she’s been known to lift weights, use ankle weights, and even enjoy the occasional game of pickleball.
Let’s start by addressing the elephant in the room; Taylor Swift has had experience with an eating disorder, a subject boldly broached in her Sundance documentary, Miss Americana.
Part of it was down to the widespread media coverage and the paparazzi:
“…a picture of me where I feel like I looked like my tummy was too big, or… someone said that I looked pregnant … and that’ll just trigger me to just starve a little bit — just stop eating.”
Fortunately, those times are behind her. As she explained in an interview with ELLE,
With her newfound outlook on food, diet, and nutrition, Taylor Swift is a big believer in balance. She’s all about eating healthily during the week, but she’s also a big fan of treating herself on the weekends.
It’s all about moderation, right?
Here’s what some trademark Tay Tay meals look like:
Another thing Taylor Swift loves is home-cooked meals. Not just eating them, but preparing them too.
As she shared in an interview with ELLE, “I’ve always cooked a LOT, but I found three recipes I know I’ll be making at dinner parties for life: Ina Garten’s real meatballs and spaghetti (I just use packaged bread crumbs and only ground beef for meat), Nigella Lawson’s Mughlai chicken, and Jamie Oliver’s chicken fajitas with mole sauce.”
While Taylor Swift’s not exactly big on supplements, she consistently includes a couple of them in her daily regimen:
L-theanine: Known for promoting relaxation without drowsiness, L-theanine is often found in tea leaves. It’s a great way for Taylor to manage stress and stay focused during her busy days.
Magnesium: A key mineral crucial for a variety of bodily functions, Magnesium supports overall wellness and promotes muscle relaxation and better sleep quality — something much needed after a hectic, intense three-hour performance,
While Taylor Swift hasn’t publicly shared the specifics of her skincare routine, she’s dropped a few hints over the years:
A self-professed journaling enthusiast, Taylor Swift has been journaling since her teens. For her, it’s more than just a daily habit — it’s a safe space to reflect, process emotions, and capture creative ideas.
Sometimes, you know, nothing can make you feel better about what you’re going through, but a lot of the time it’s easier to understand what you’re feeling if you write it down.
Taylor writes regularly, often favoring a free-form technique that reflects her inner thoughts as authentically as possible.
In fact, those journal entries are often the basis for her deeply personal lyrics, giving her songs that intimate and relatable quality that Swifties love so much.
Interestingly, Taylor Swift shared some of her most intimate journal entries with fans in the deluxe editions of her Lover album, handwritten pages that give fans a sneak peek into what later evolved into some of their favorite songs.
Taylor Swift’s routine is all about striking a balance between creativity, work, and self-care. It creates the space for mental health, while also encouraging physical activity and proper nutrition. Following a similar routine can help improve focus, reduce stress, and promote a healthier work-life balance.
While Taylor’s routine works for her, we have to keep in mind it’s important to tailor any routine to your own lifestyle, personal needs, and energy levels. Over-scheduling or trying to emulate her rigorous training regimen might become a source of unnecessary stress.
Taylor Swift has shared her love for reading over the years, and some of her favorites include Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Normal People by Sally Rooney.
Taylor maintains balance by setting clear boundaries between work and personal time. Self-care, mindfulness, and time with loved ones is a high priority for her. To make sure she’s not overwhelmed by professional demands, she also stays grounded through journaling and reflecting.
On her days off, Taylor loves to let her proverbial hair down and unwind by binge-watching TV shows, baking for her friends, and cuddling with her cats. Recently, the rumor mill has also been saying she’s spending most of her downtime with her latest beau Travis Kelce.
