5 Simple Steps To Create A Morning Self-Care Routine
How you start your morning influences your whole day, which is why having a morning self-care routine is essential to set the right tone from the start.
What you do first thing in the morning plays a crucial role in how the rest of your day will unfold; it helps create momentum so you feel productive and focused, it also influences your mood and energy levels, and helps reduce stress and anxiety.
The key to create a peaceful morning routine is to focus on cultivating a sense of inner calm and peace before you do anything else and engage with the world.
So let’s see how to properly start your morning:
(This list does not include obvious steps like brushing your teeth, or washing your face, etc…)
5 steps to create a morning self-care routine:
1. Take your time to wake up
Avoid rushing. You don’t want to feel stressed and in a rush right from the start.
Instead, you want to really take the time to wake up while still in bed, and focus on feeling calm and peaceful before getting ready for the day.
For this, you can take a couple of minutes to practice mindful breathing to gently connect with your body and inner self, so that by the time you leave your bed you can start your day already feeling peaceful, centered, and connected. (This is really the most vital point of a mindful morning.)
2. Stay away from screens
You want to stay away from screens (and any other stressful activities) for as long as you can. Instead, you should really prioritize focusing on yourself, and turning your awareness within so that you can really harness this sense of inner peace and alignment before turning your attention to external matters.
3. Check in with yourself
Check in with yourself and notice how you feel. This allows you to know how to approach your whole day. How does your body feel? How does your mind feel? Is it a good day, or a low-energy day? Not all days are equal. Some days you feel at the top of the world and bursting with energy, and others you feel sluggish and exhausted. That’s perfectly normal.
For this, you can estimate an energy percentage to help you estimate what to expect from yourself.
4. Figure out your needs and goals
Now that you have your energy percentage of the day, you know how much energy you can afford and set realistic needs and goals that align with your energy level.
This step helps you avoid overwhelm and allows you to structure your day with clarity and intention — perfect for those seeking self-care for busy mornings.
5. Drink water and eat a nutritious breakfast
About water
Hydrating your body properly is important. And you want to start first thing in the morning.
For this, you can have a bottle or glass of water on your nightstand ready for when you wake up, or you might prefer to wait and have warm lemon water, instead. It doesn’t matter which.
Just aim to drink at least one full glass (or two) before breakfast.
About breakfast
Breakfast is certainly a divisive topic.
Breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day, but everyone is different, and so is their body. What benefits someone might not benefit someone else.
Some people need breakfast and proteins or they won’t be able to function and be productive, while others don’t. It really depends on the individual. (Personally, I’ve always had a sharper mind when I don’t eat in the morning, yet feel sluggish when I do, so yes, it’s really different for everyone.) Just focus on what works for you, and don’t listen to other people. Your body knows best so listen to it and what it needs.
But if you do eat breakfast, try to aim for a healthy and balanced meal that will help you be focused and alert, and avoid mid-morning energy crashes (brain fog, fatigue).
Also, don’t rush your meal. Take your time to chew slowly and focus on the tastes, and the textures. Be mindful instead of mindless with your food.
Optional Morning Activities
This last step is an optional one because it really depends on what your morning schedule looks like.
For many people, adding activities to their morning routine is not realistic. People have busy lives and busy schedules and kids, so working out for one hour every morning, going to the gym or a run, or even just journaling, is not feasible.
But if you have time for it, starting your day with healthy morning habits you enjoy (exercise especially) will increase your dopamine and serotonin levels and improve your mood.
If you don’t have time during the week, maybe try it during the weekends or on your days off, when you are not in a rush and have more time.
Some good morning activities ideas:
- Journaling
- Morning pages
- Reading
- Yoga
- Cooking or baking
- Morning walks
- Going for a run
Last Tip: Quick Morning Energy Boost
If you ever need a quick energy boost in the morning, opt for a quick cold shower, or put on your favorite tune and dance. This will boost your endorphins and dopamine levels and help you start your day feeling energized.
Final word
That’s it about the 5 only steps you need to create a peaceful morning self-care routine.
So if you often start your days feeling stressed, overwhelmed and or in a rush, there’s a way for you to fix it and improve your mornings.
Assess your current morning routine, and notice which part could require a little change so that you can start your day feeling calm and centered instead of stressed and overwhelmed,
The key to a calm and mindful morning is too really focus on taking your time and connect to yourself. That’s the most vital part of a morning self-care routine. Avoid the stress and the rush. Don’t allow the external world in until you feel calm and centered.
For more self-care ideas and tips, you can go and check out this guide How To Create The Perfect Self-Care Plan In 7 Easy Steps as well as The 7 Self-Care Pillars: A complete Guide and Checklist and Top 10 Common Self-Care Mistakes And How To Avoid Them to help you navigate self-care as easily and smoothly as possible.
I’m curious to know what your morning routines look like and what works for you, so don’t hesitate to share your thtoughts, tips and whatnot in the comments below.
And remember to take care and be kind to yourself. You deserve it!