Wake up at 4:30am, (no) meditate for 1 hour, (nope) have a kale smoothie. (ummm) Do 30 minutes of yoga outdoors followed by the latest, most trendy workout class in your city. Don’t forget the ice bath! Then be ready to hit your desk for 7:30am. That’s a big, fat NOPE. This is not my recommendation for how you create a morning self-care routine.
I don’t care if all Forbes 30 under 30 stars swear by it or if the most successful woman in Silicon Valley claims it’s the reason for her multi-million dollar fortune. It’s never going to work for me and I’m willing to bet it might not work for you either.
Whether you’re a morning person or not, your morning routine will only set you up for success if it’s created with YOU in mind. Here are a few tips to help you create your morning self-care routine that won’t make your eyes roll.
Contents
Use these tips as a guide to create your new simple self-care morning routine.
Get clear on your motivation.
Why are you making changes to your morning routine in the first place? Is it to look after your mental health? Boost creativity? To feel stronger, more alert and creative? If you don’t have a clear motivation and a good understanding of how these changes are going to benefit you, you’re going to struggle to commit.
I need all the help I can get to stop me from hitting the snooze button, so I’d even go as far as writing down my reasons why somewhere I can see them from my bed. Hello bedside post-it notes!
Upgrade your alarm.
In a dream world, we’re waking up with the sunlight and birdsong and feeling totally refreshed. In the real world, most of us need an alarm. But instead of a blaring noise, why not try an alarm that wakes you up gently by simulating the sunrise and playing gentle music or noises? Mary swears by her Lumie Bodyclock, especially as “someone who misses the sunshine in the UK.”
Re-hydrate.
You can keep it simple with just a big glass of water. If a celery juice or something more elaborate works for you, go ahead but it won’t necessarily superboost your routine. Sometimes what the body needs is hydration, plain and simple.
A little bonus info for you: I tried the whole celery juice trend and at best, I think it had a slight placebo affect by making me think I was somehow living a more healthy lifestyle. Sadly, there’s no actual science to back up most of the claims made by celery juice devotees. Also it tastes a bit disgusting, so do yourself a favor and keep it simple with water.
Get yourself into a positive mindset.
Breaking the habit of checking your phone first thing in the morning isn’t easy. But how often do you see a notification, email or InstaStory that couldn’t wait for a wee bit longer?
Give yourself a chance to breathe and get into a mindset that will set you up for success. So yes, if meditation works for you, do it! But don’t feel like if you don’t do more than 5 minutes that you’re not getting the benefits. Three deep breaths could be where you start tomorrow morning.
Maybe spend some time journaling. Again, this could be for as little or as much time as you want. Focus in on one simple question: what am I excited about today?
Get moving.
Think about what kind of movement you enjoy. Do you want to really get your heart rate up? Or do you prefer something more gentle, slow and focused like stretching and yoga? A great thing to incorporate into your morning routine is a walk outside in the fresh air. (Wahey! Finally a good reason to adopt a dog!) Getting some daylight is great for your mood, clearing your mind and helping your body clock get back on track.
Forget what the latest trends are, choose what works best for you.
Fuel your brain.
Choose a breakfast that’s high in protein and one that will fill you up. Make sure your carbs are high fiber whole grains. So, think scrambled eggs, bacon or oatmeal. Trust me, I LOVE french toast just like you, but not the sugar crash that comes afterwards.
Give yourself something to look forward to.
All the way through these tips I’ve been telling you to choose what works for you. If you love ice baths and they make you happy and give you a positive start to the morning than you do you!
But if that sounds like the worst torture ever, think about what your body and mind thrive on and incorporate those things into your routine. Don’t start the day struggling – set yourself up for success on your terms instead.
Test these out and leave a comment below to let us know what’s working for you nowadays. We’re always looking for new ideas to simplify!
Resources we recommend:
- BOOK: The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins
- JOURNAL: Zen as F*ck: A Journal for Practicing the Mindful Art of Not Giving a Sh*t (Zen as F*ck Journals) by Castle Point Books
- APP: Headspace – Guided Meditation and Mindfulness
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