Your alarm goes off and you snooze it for 10 minutes too long. This begins your day in a rush and leaves you feeling nervous and restless for most of the day. This used to be my life everyday until I had had enough! I want to share with you my exact guide to a slow morning routine that has helped me, and how you can create one with intention and purpose, allowing you to get the most out of your morning and be more productive!
Mornings can be one of your favourite times of the day if you discover the beauty of starting slow, mindful, and getting yourself ready for the day.
Make sure you are getting adequate sleep, so that you wake up feeling refreshed! To about how to get a good sleep read this post: ‘The Ultimate Guide to Quality Sleep and the coziest night routine‘.
My slow morning routine isn’t going to suit everyone. I am going to share what I do and then give some others ideas. It will then be up to you to pick and choose which ones are going to work for your Mornings! The most important element is to make your Mornings intentional.
I have 2 dogs and live in a small apartment so I need to incorporate a big walk for them in the morning which other people don’t need to do. So always keep in mind that my exact guide to a slow morning routine does not need to be exactly like anyone else’s. Just be inspired and see what works well for you.
Why you should consider changing your Morning routine
About 6 months ago I realized that my mornings were always so rushed and I knew that it wasn’t benefiting my day to start like that. So I decided to start getting up at 5am so that I could have a relaxing, slow start to the day. I wanted to still fit in a work out and an hour walk with the dogs but to fit all of this in meant time would have to be sacrificed somewhere else.
I thought back about what I do at night. Instead of relaxing and winding down I realized I was really just wasting valuable time and because I am tired at night I don’t always prioritize the right things.
So I made the change to a slow morning routine. In the morning I am more sharp. I am also aware that I have sacrificed a sleep in so I wanted to make it worthy of my time. I started getting up at 5am and going to bed at 8:30-9pm. Yes I sacrificed some of my evening but honestly after 8:30-9pm was when I noticed I started to do more time wasting things anyway.
What my Slow Morning Routine looks like
My Slow Morning Routine has been something I feel has been perfected for this season of my life. I have tweaked it until I felt I got it just right, it needed a lot of trial and error so don’t feel like you need to get it right instantly.
Here is how most of my mornings look:
5am– Wake up and lie in bed for 5-10 minutes thanking God for the new day. This is a perfect time to get your mind and heart in the right perspective and focused on God’s Goodness, His Presence and Blessings.
5:10am-Make Bed
5:15am– Turn the kettle on and make a Green Tea. Sit down and get my Bible and Journal out. I like to do Morning Pages (I’ll explain more about what it is and it’s benefits below) and write down my daily goals and reminders. Spend some time with God and reading the Bible.
6am-Work out. I rotate between pilate based workouts and full body intense work outs.
6:45am– Have a shower
7am– Take Dogs on an hour walk
8am – Eat Breakfast/Get changed/makeup/pack my bag.
8:30am -Leave for work.
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Helpful things to do so that your morning can be slow
Something important to note is that in order to sustain this slow morning routine without rushing I always need to be organised the night before.
I make all the food for the following day which included breakfast and lunch for both Aldrin and myself. Then I lay out my clothes and my work out gear.
I try to always have the kitchen completely clean so it doesn’t give me a chaotic vibe in the morning and make sure the dishwasher has been turned on the night before. If possible I try to have no cleaning or organizing to do in the morning.
I come home around 5:30pm from work and so I take the dogs for a 30-45 minute walk and then I organize our food for the next day, vacuum, and organize everything for the following day. If I do all of this as soon as I get home I have the momentum. If I get into relaxed mode as soon as I am home I know I won’t get everything done.
Once the house is in order and everything is set out and ready for the next day I usually have a shower and then get into relaxation mode. Aldrin and I love to then have dinner together to talk about our day and then we either watch a show for half an hour and then I read with a cup of Tea and then go to sleep.
This way I am getting enough sleep, I am also wayyyy more intentional about what I am spending my time doing. My exact guide to a slow morning routine is absolutely built on organisation! Without it, it just doesn’t work for me!
***This post may contain affiliate links, but only to products I genuinely love. It won’t cost you anything extra. You can read the full disclosure here.***
Other Morning Routine ideas
My exact guide to a slow morning routine is a guide-only! I know my Mornings look different to other people’s so I wanted to give some other ideas so that you have some to pick and choose and to play around with!
Drink a Smoothie for Breakfast
Smoothies are a great way to start packing healthy nutrients into your day! I always find that if you start the day by eating well it is more likely to keep eating well throughout the day! My favourite Smoothie recipes can be found here.
Make your Bed
It may sound so simple but trust me this tiny task if done at the very beginning of the day makes you feel like you have already achieved something and it will just make you feel good!
Green Tea
Starting your Morning with Green Tea has many benefits. Green Tea contains caffeine and l-theanine which enhance alertness and attention. Drinking Green Tea before a work out may increase fat burning and reduce muscle damage. Drinking slowly and intentionally also gently breaks your fast. My favourite is Green Kombucha Tea.
Morning Pages
These have been a very significant part of my Mornings. Morning pages are designed to be done in the morning because when you write off the top of your head first thing in the morning, the words you write will no longer be taking up space in your brain. You can then approach the rest of the day with more clarity.
Morning pages are exactly what they sound like. You just write 2-3 pages of whatever comes into your head. This takes around 30-40 minutes. The difference between journaling and morning pages are: Morning Pages are not art or an outcome. They are part of a process of creative recovery.
Journaling is meant to be read, enjoyed or used. It has a reader in mind either yourself or someone else. You are writing for a purpose, to share how you are feeling or to get anger out. Morning pages are to make space in your mind for the important things in your day. I know it sounds like a waste of time, but it really does help and I always gain so much clarity for my day. You can read more about Morning Pages HERE.
Devotional Time
Starting my day in His Presence is the Best way to start the day. This is intentional but doesn’t need to take long. As soon as I wake up I start talking to God, thanking Him for my day, my life and that He will be with me through it all. It shifts my thoughts and heart to have Heavens perspective rather than earth’s perspective which is filled with complaints and un-thankfulness. I also like to read the Bible after I have completed Morning pages. A good Devotional that I like is this one.
Write down your goals for the day
Make a list of 10-15 things you would like to achieve. These can be things you know you will achieve as it will feel good to tick them off your list! But also add things that might be a little more challenging. For example, don’t eat sugar today, call Grandma, clean the mould off the bathroom window, be active for 20 minutes on lunch break etc. If you like to have goals all in one place I highly recommend this goal setter!
Move your Body
If you don’t like to start your day with an intense work out that’s OK! Just get your body moving! Pilate or barre based work outs are great for the mornings. If you don’t feel like it because you don’t feel like it, that’s not a good excuse. Push through, use some self motivation and just do it! It will make you feel so energized and ready to conquor your day! There are a lot of paid workout programs but seriously Youtube has soooo many great ones for free!
Do not hit Snooze
It may take a little while to get used too but don’t hit snooze! To train myself I would have my alarm on the other side of the room so the only way I could shut off the most irritating noise would be to get out of bed to turn it off. I would then have my dressing gown/robe there and slippers so I could get straight into them. Hitting snooze has no benefits, it just makes getting up harder.
Deep Oil Massage
Moisturing your body with oil in the morning before your shower has many benefits. Starting at your toes and massaging your skin at the same time while working your way up to your head will make a great start to your day!
In old Ayurvedic (one of the oldest whole body holistic healing systems from India) text, it says, “Give yourself a full-body oil massage on a daily basis. It is nourishing; pacifies the doshas (your body type); relieves fatigue; provides stamina, pleasure, and perfect sleep; enhances the complexion and the luster of the skin; promotes longevity, and nourishes all parts of the body”.
“The body of one who uses oil massage regularly does not become affected much, even if subjected to accidental injuries, or strenuous work. By using oil massage daily, a person is endowed with pleasant touch, trimmed body parts and becomes strong, charming and least affected by old age.” I recommend this oil.
Get outside
If you are inside an office all day I highly recommend doing a 15-20 minute walk in the morning! It gets you outside, breathing some fresh air and you’ll come back feeling more motivated and alive!
Listen to a podcast or music while getting ready
Starting your day listening to something inspiring or something fun will help keep your perspective for the day on the right track! I also love to listen to an Audio Bible as it keeps me thinking and meditating on something that is life giving.
Text a friend
Sometimes I choose a different friend everyday and try to be intentional with them. I like messaging them in the morning so that they can wake up seeing someone was thinking of them and then we usually end up texting back and forth through out the day which I love.
Learn something new
Use this time in the morning to learn something new! You don’t need to set aside a lot of time, just 15-20 minutes. Learn a new language with Duolingo! Read something Educational or take an online course and by doing 15-20 minutes consistently every morning. Skillshare.com has some great ideas!!
Eat Breakfast while doing nothing else
Intentional eating is a great start to your day! Eating and not being on your phone, or doing anything else is a great way to be slow and mindful. We often multi task most of the day, therefore being intentional about doing a couple of things a day without multitasking will help your brain take a breather and recharge!
Stay off Social Media in the Mornings
If you look on social media early in the morning it can impact your day negatively. Let your Morning be free of distractions and comparison.
I hope you enjoyed my exact guide to a slow morning routine! I would love to hear what you incorporate into your slow Morning routine!
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:
– ‘The Biggest Mistake you *might* be making with Self-Care‘
– ‘How you can change your life by Journaling Daily‘
Thank you!!!
