For someone juggling a global acting career, a production company, a hair care brand, and a family, Priyanka Chopra Jonas moves through her mornings with a surprisingly human mix of ritual and relaxed imperfection.
A day in the life of Priyanka starts early – around 5 a.m. – thanks to her dog, Diana, who reliably demands attention at that hour. After some back-scratches, the two eventually drift back to sleep for a couple more hours. It’s a small but telling detail: the global icon is, by her own admission, not a morning person. And she has admitted this multiple times over the years through interviews and social media posts.
A ritual rooted in India
Before the espresso machine even switches on, Chopra begins her day with a practice she carried with her from India and now takes with her wherever she goes.
“I didn’t want the answer to this to be drinking coffee, so this is a new thing. What I now do, and it’s something I learned in India, is keep a copper glass next to my bed and keep water in it overnight. The good qualities of copper seep into the water – it’s good for the immune system, bones and nerves. I drink that cup first thing, then I start my espresso machine and go about my day,” she told Vogue UK in 2021.
She also says a few Hindu mantras as a form of gratitude for another day of life and even carries a little shrine with her around different filming locations. “I’m more spiritual than religious, but I am Hindu, so I have a little shrine with incense that I carry wherever I go… I say a few Hindu mantras, which are basically just saying “thank you” to the world. It’s a way to reflect and be grateful,” Chopra revealed to Harper’s Bazaar in an interview.
Music first, always
At around 7:30 a.m., music becomes non-negotiable. “The first thing I do in the morning is put on music. My life has always been pretty musical, and now with Nick [Jonas], it’s completely musical,” she told Harper’s Bazaar. She blasts Top 40 radio while getting ready.
Coffee, breakfast, and radical honesty about the gym
After the copper water comes the coffee. Chopra has a Nespresso machine at home and makes espresso – what she calls her “first breakfast.” She has joked that she’s rarely without a cup for the first four hours of her day.
When she does eat, her go-to options include an omelette, avocado toast, or, when the mood calls for it, dosa, poha, or idli. In New York, her assistant often arrives with a “second breakfast” – a Sweetgreen bowl of scrambled eggs, vegetables, and farro.
As for working out in the morning? Chopra is refreshingly candid. “I should work out. I have every intention to. But every day it’s like, ‘I’ll do it tomorrow, I’ll do it tomorrow.’ And then tomorrow never comes. It’s the Samuel Beckett version of working out,” she told Harper’s Bazaar.
On set, a different clock
When filming, the schedule shifts considerably – the day begins around 5:45 a.m. She showers, has her espresso, and heads to set; using the commute to get into the headspace of her character. On non-working mornings, makeup stays minimal: mascara, tinted lip balm, and what she calls “a little bit of a cheek situation.” On hair: “I either have it done by a professional or it’s in a topknot.”
It’s a morning routine that, stripped of the glamour, looks a lot like most people’s – copper water, coffee, music, a dog, and the best of intentions about the gym.