Morning Routine
I’ve begun to love mornings since graduating college – the peace, quiet, and time to set up my day. Life gets busy, we all know this. When I used to wake up late, I would frantically run around trying to get myself ready, eat something, and jump onto the computer for work or head into the office. If I don’t set aside time in the morning to slow down, connect with myself, and fill my cup, then I’m a shit show all day. So over the years, I’ve learned what I like in my morning routine and have a pretty solid one down. In my opinion, it doesn't matter how many steps you have in your routine or how long or short it is, as long as it leaves you feeling calm and centered enough to go into your day. While my routine may change if I have to hop into work early, when I teach my 6:30am yoga class, or when I travel, I fit in what I can when I can — changing it up to accommodate what I have the energy to do.
Meditation and Breathwork. This is the most important and non-negotiable part of my routine. No matter how I early I have to wake up or where I am, I meditate every morning possible. I’ve been meditating regularly for about three years now and, although its been a slow and steady process, I’ve truly noticed a difference in my mental well-being. I’ve gradually become less reactive, calmer, and find it easier to deal with uncomfortable situations like receiving *constructive* criticism at work or resolving issues with my boyfriend. As one who is a naturally emotional spaz that feels stress too deeply, this is huge. Along with meditation, breathwork has also become an integral part of my mornings — its pretty amazing what a few big belly breaths can do. I find using my breath as a means to connect with my body immediately clears my head, calms down any negative emotions, and slows things down. If I’m tired, I’ll do Wim Hoff’s 10-minute breath exercise.
Reading “Brain Food.” After waking up, I bring my lemon water and ice roller and sit with a type of book that I call “brain food.” Each morning, when I have time, I like to take about 15-20 minutes to read something that’s good for me. I learned somewhere that your subconscious is most alert first thing in the morning and before you go to bed — so I make sure to feed my brain with positive things during those times. Books I’ve enjoyed reading in the mornings include Think Like a Monk, The Defining Decade, Your Are a Badass, and The Power of Now. A few books I’m looking forward to reading in the moorings are 8 Rules of Love, Think and Grow Rich, Atomic Habits, and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck.
Morning Workouts. This has been one of the most challenging but rewarding actions I’ve implemented in my day. I have never been a morning workout person and if I ultimately have a choice, I love a good sweat after work and before dinner. But with longer days, I’ve loved prioritizing movement first thing so I don’t have to worry about it later. Yes, its frickin hard to peel out of bed before the sun’s even up and fast walk to yoga in the dark or put my running shoes on get out the door to some flat land (thanks San Francisco). But wow is it worth it! If you have trouble with this too, here’s some tips:
Set your workout clothes, shoes, and anything else you need the night before.
Add electrolytes in your water and try to hydrate before working, during, or after a sweat sesh.
Go to bed earlier! This one is particularly hard for me, so I totally get it. But having a strict rule of “in bed by 10/10:30” maybe with the help of a little melatonin or CBN edible, really helps with waking up early. Getting 7-8 hours of sleep is a must for me and most people, so I try to find a balance when incorporating an earlier morning in my week.
Listen to fun music or treat yourself to a latte afterwards! Find something fun and rewarding to look forward to and get your butt out of bed.
Dry Brushing. An auyervedic practice, dry brushing is basically when you take a large bristle brush, and brush your skin up your body to your heart. You start with the feet and legs, move to the torso, the onto the hands and arms, and lastly down the chest, neck area, and upper back — always brushing toward the heart. This is amazing for lymphatic drainage, exfoliation, and blood flow so it really wakes you up. I do this after my workout right before I shower.
Cold Showers. Not the most pleasant thing to introduce to your day but WOW I cannot recommend cold showers in the morning enough. This one is hard, but you really get used to it. I still practically literally gasp when the freezing cold water hits my skin, but once I get out, I feel so jazzed and awake. Try doing just 30 seconds then work your way up to longer time.
Face Rolling/Icing. Using my ice roller has always been an integral part of my routine, but when I’m short on time I love to literally take an ice cube and rub it all over my face right after cleansing. I wake up looking like a puffer fish so this helps bring any inflammation down and also brings blood to the skin’s surface to make me look cheery and awake. I move quickly and only do it for a few minutes to avoid irritating my skin! If time allows, I prefer to roll my face with my ice roller that I keep in the freezer.
Romanticize. This sounds cheesy and I know its over done on those vibey TikTok videos, but people do it for a reason. If you have a hard time waking up happy or enjoying your mornings or if you want to make them even better, make it fun. Make your bed all pretty, change into your favorite WFH or office outfit, play some of your favorite music (I like Khruangbin or Mt. Joy in the morning), put lip gloss on, or use your fancy mug for your matcha. Be intentional with your time and find a routine that make you feel good and get your day started in a positive way.
Here are a few products and tools that I use:
The Daily Stoic. After meditating for 10 minutes, I love reading the respective day’s page in this book. Think of it like a daily affirmation; each day’s message is based on beliefs and ideas from the early stoics, like Socrates or Marcus Aurelius.
Hatch Alarm Clock. This alarm has changed my life. I use it at night to give my room a red glow and give off the calming sound of rain, overnight as a white noise machine, and in the morning to wake up to sunlight and a peaceful chime or birdsong. If you’re like me and despise the cortisol-inducing loud pings from the iPhone or conventional alarm clocks or maybe don’t get natural sunlight in your room in the mornings, try it!
Ice Roller. As discussed above, I love this thing for waking my face up and bringing down bloat. If you want to be bougie check out the Skinny Confidential Hot Mess Ice Roller – this one’s on my wish list!
Saje Peppermint Halo. I usually use this for headaches but I’ll also rub a bit on the back of my neck to wake me up a bit or in hot yoga.
Electrolytes. I’ve been a loyal fan of nuun tablets for years and love adding one to my water for my morning workout. Liquid IV tastes amazing but I know its high in sugar so LMNT is my latest favorite — its super salty but I love it.
Aesop Room Spray. I love how grounding yet refreshing this room mist is from Aesop. Having something like this to make my space more pleasant in the mornings helps set the mood to have a good day.
Palo Santo. Also known at “Holy Wood,” this is a traditional piece of wood that when lit, emits an earthy, gorgeous, and grounding scent. It brings positive energy and I light it every single morning. It sets the tone for my meditation and start to my day.
Meditation apps. I personally love the Calm app, specifically the meditations with Jay Shetty and Jeff Warren. I’ve used Headspace, SuperHuman, Op e n, and even free ones on YouTube. Whatever works for you is important when it comes to a practice such as meditation in my opinion, so try a few out and see what you like best.
Have any other tips to make your mornings the best part of your day? Let me know!