if you're interested in a shorter, more condensed version of this article, read this insteadfirst i need to mention that i don't wanna set any unrealistic expectations here, nobody has the perfect morning routine every single day of their life, not even the youtubers who make videos about them.
it actually took me a lot of effort and practice to figure out the perfect morning rituals for my personal needs and preferences, so your "perfect morning routine" can be very different and that doesn't mean that you're any less cool or disciplined :)
i hope you find some of these holistic rituals interesting and let this inspire your next morning ;)
i have a handwritten list of this routine which it looks like this:
ｒｅｐｌｅｎｉｓｈ deeply breath in fresh air drink water or tea
ｌｏｏｋ ｗｉｔｈｉｎ yoga & stretching meditation
ｅｘｐｌｏｒｅ & ａｐｐｒｅｃｉａｔｅ one page of free writing gratitude & affirmation
ｎｏｕｒｉｓｈ prepare wholesome breakfast enjoy every bite mindfully
ｗａｋｉｎｇ ｕｐ
i try to see the sunrise as often as possible and i like early mornings when no on else is awake and i have some free time for myself.
ｒｅｐｌｅｎｉｓｈ
i love to start my day by taking some deep breathes of the fresh morning air while drinking some tea or water.
this is also the time i usually take my vitamins and supplements like milk thistle for helping the liver detox, ashwaganda for better stress management and rhodiola for improved energy levels and brain power. their effects are scientifically proven and i do feel some legit benefits from taking these :)
ｒｅｆｒｅｓｈ & ｃａｒｅ
a great hack to get some intense refreshment to wake you up is sliding an ice cube over your face - and that's even really good for your skin, it improves circulation, helps against acne and gives your skin a natural glow.
next i usually wash my face with pure, warm water and apply some moisturizer and sun protection afterwards.
ｉｎｔｒｏｓｐｅｃｔｉｏｎ
my most cherished morning rituals are yoga and meditation - it might be a clichè but it's a miracle for my mindfulness and emotional wellbeing.
i still sometimes don't feel like doing it but then i convince myself to get my ass up and take that time as an act of self care.
ｍｉｎｄｆｕｌ ｍｏｖｅｍｅｎｔ
for doing yoga i either turn on some nice music or i follow a yoga video on youtube (look up "yoga with adriene").
i love how you can basically feel the fatigue leaving your bones after some nice stretches. i usually do between 5 to 15 minutes. yoga in the morning improves your posture during the day and gives you more elegance in movement. but to be honest i mainly do it because it simply feels great ;)
for practicing meditation i use a timer on my phone (not an alarm, i just stop when i don't wanna do it anymore) and just let it run while i'm sitting on the floor or the couch, sometimes with a blanket, with my eyes closed.
my mindset while meditating is "let it go or let it be" - so when a thought arises i first try to let it go and if it's persistent, i don't get upset, i just let it be.meditation isn't the most fun thing to do to be honest, it's obviously boring but there's so much to gain from learning to be comfortable with nothing but your own thoughts.
if you practice this persistently, you will experience incredible changes in your level of overall awareness, the way you deal with your thoughts and you will grow to be more mindful and experience life in the moment.
meditation means altering your state of consciousness. you are changing from your default mode network into a special mode: being aware of the present.
here's a guide to "mindfulness mediation", great for beginners and pros alikeon an average school morning i spend about 10 minutes on yoga and mediation together which makes it a really easy to integrate habit.
ｓｐｉｌｌｉｎｇ ｔｈｏｕｇｈｔｓ ｏｎ ｐａｐｅｒ
i prefer to do my journaling before i use any electronic devices, so my mind is still fresh. that helps me to access my thoughts and feelings without them being blurred and buried by information from the outside.i used to aim for filling two pages by writing whatever comes to my mind, how i feel, what i dreamt about, my expectations for the day, what worries me and what excites me.. but by now i'm not even writing a full page on average.
i also write down three things that i'm grateful for (which i found uncomfortable and hard when i started this habit a year ago but it feels so authentic and good by now) as well as about three affirmations like "i have the power to create a wonderful life for myself" or quotes like "today, i choose happiness".
that's a very effective, yet underrated way to hardwire your mind for positivity c:
ｓａｖｏｕｒｉｎｇ
now it's about time to prepare breakfast for myself - i try to do some intermittent fasting which means the later i break that fast, the more beneficial detox effect for the gut. but sometimes i also get myself something to eat like first thing in the morning, it depends on my willpower i guess :'Dmy favorite breakfasts are smoothies because they are really easy to make, even when you're still all drowsy. usually i make a smoothie and another meal, but on school days i don't have the time.my second favorite breakfast is oatmeal with almond milk and i always add a lot of stuff like chia or flaxseed, always some nuts, fresh or frozen fruit and cinnamon or cacao. when i'm having a bad day i like to cheer myself up by adding some chocolate bits or something sweet like honey or maple syrup.my third favorite breakfast are vegan pancakes (i got the recipe from a detox cookbook so it's pretty good shit) made with buckwheat so they're even gluten free. give this article a 💕 reaction if you want an article with the recipe :)when i have some home-made bread at hand, i like to make an avocado sandwich. but when i run out of avocados (sad face) i usually have some vegan spreads instead.
the home-made bread is also from the detox cookbook, it's literally the healthiest bread i've ever eaten!
if you want me to post the recipe, leave a 🔥 reaction ;)when it's sunny, i love to sit in the garden while eating.
this way i can let the sun caress my skin, listen to the birds chirping and enjoy my delicious breakfast all at once :)
ａｃｔｉｖｉｔｉｅｓ
i'm still on my summer break so i can basically do whatever i want... i must admit i'm not really productive and spend waay too much time on the internet...but i'm trying to incorporate new creative hobbies into my life, like doing watercolour or working on an art journal. i also got some canvas to paint on but i'm too afraid i'll mess it up :'Di'm also very into reading even though i often neglect it in exchange for watching netflix...
but once i convinced myself to open a book, i enjoy it a lot.
right now i'm reading and highly recommend...
"slow" by brooke mcalary (life transforming)
"practice you" by elena brower (a beautiful workbook to get to know yourself)
"the art of war for women" by chin-ning chu
"#girlboss" by sophia amoruso (already reading it for the second time)
"a mind of your own: the truth about depression" by kelly brogan
"we have no idea, a guide to the unknown universe" by cham and whiteson
of course i also spend a lot of time listening to music - and creating new playlists :D
and that's finally it! :D that's how my mornings usually look like right now, i hope you enjoyed reading :)
i've been writing on this article for at least 4 hours so i really hope it's helpful to you and inspires you to integrate some rituals in your morning that make you happy :)
anyone in for an "𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓮" sequel?
then give this article a 💯 reaction!
...and all the other types of reaction just mean that you appreciate my work and want to make me happy ;)
i wish you many wonderful mornings and days, may your life be filled with joy and love! ♡
