Do you have a slow morning routine? You should

I’m all about routines. They provide structure in life, eliminate stress, help build good habits, increase efficiency and give me a sense of control over my life.

That’s why I’m a huge fan of morning routines – or, more exactly, slow morning routines.

What is a slow morning?

Let’s start with what a very bad morning is: hitting the snooze button 3 times, getting up late, skipping breakfast and getting a pastry and very bad coffee on your way to work, forgetting your gym bag at home – already feeling rushed and anxious and the day hasn’t even started yet.

Instead, imagine this: You have a nice, slow morning. You take care of your skin, take some time to gather your inspiration and motivation for the day, have a healthy breakfast, and leave behind a tidy, organized home.

The second sounds much better, right? With the right slow morning routine, you can start your day off the right way – be more focused, energized, and generally in a better mood.

And it takes less time or effort than you’d think.

(Disclaimer: Readers with small children? I know… Maybe try to incorporate one or two small slow morning habits? Or maybe this article can be useful?)

My slow morning routine

Prepare the night before

Write my to-do list, prepare for any meetings, go over my calendar, put together my bag or even my outfit. Any kind of preparation can help save precious little moments in the morning. It also significantly reduces morning anxiety, as I know (more or less) what the day will be like.

Wake up in time

I’m a big fan of early mornings. I’m usually naturally awake by 6.30 am, which I great, because I feel extra productive if I do a lot of things by, say, 10 am. However, I also always set an alarm at least 1,5 hours before I must step out of my home – in my experience, this is ample time to wake up and do my routine comfortably.

Drink lemon water

I try to drink at least two glasses of water immediately in the morning. Put some fresh lemon (and some mint) into your morning water! It’s such an easy and quick health hack – you get a big amount of Vitamin C right away, it helps digestion, and is also incredibly refreshing.

Burn essential oils

One of the first things I do in the morning is switching on my essential oil diffuser. It just instantly sets a nice vibe to the day. Essential oils are highly concentrated plant extracts with tons of health benefits. Basically, gems in a small bottle. My fave morning energizing essential oils are peppermint, lemongrass, and tangerine. Try it; it’s a game changer. But beware of fake essential oils – only buy the real ones and not “fragrance oils”. They are synthetic products without the natural healing properties of essential oils.

Make the bed

Yes, this is actually really important. A nicely made bed can transform the vibe of the whole bedroom from a mess to an organized place. Take that 30 seconds to make the bed every single day.

Skincare routine

This is also non-negotiable. I do my morning cleansing, ice rolling, some serums, eye cream, moisturizer, and SPF. On really slow weekend mornings or if I’m working from home, I might even do an eye or face mask. But without it, my whole skincare regimen is literally 3 minutes, and it still gives my skin everything it needs.

Listen to podcasts

I’m a podcast addict. I think I’m currently subscribed to more than 90. Is that excessive? I’m always on the hunt for and testing new ones. I save my absolute favorite ones for the morning, and listen to them while I do my skincare routine and make up.

Have a healthy breakfast

I’ve never been much of a breakfast person, but as with most things, once you make it a habit, it becomes a very natural thing, because your body grows accustomed to craving food in the morning. Eating a nourishing, healthy breakfast also increases the chances of staying on the health track for the whole day. My current faves are chia puddings, green smoothies, and scrambled eggs with fresh herbs and avocado. If I know that I won’t have time to make breakfast in the morning, I prepare it the night before: overnight oats are the simplest thing ever – just throw together some milk, a yoghurt, oats, honey, and chia seeds, stir, and put it in the fridge. Throw in some fruits in the morning and you’re good to go. It literally takes just 1 minute.

Coffee

Probably no explanation needed.

Read the news

Slow morning devotees will probably stone me for this, because usually the number 1 rule is to stay away from your phone in the morning. Whatever. I do like to take 15-20 minutes to read some news, or go through my favorite websites and blogs, and I prefer to do this in the morning with my coffee rather then in my work time. I feel like giving some mental stimulation to my brain helps me wake up a lot faster.

Whatever puts you into a great, energized, happy mood – make that part of your morning routine. Take back your mornings and enjoy how it can improve your whole day.

What are your morning essentials?

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