Our Guide To A Mindful Morning Routine

Try and start the day by not checking your phone right away!

When you first wake up in the morning your brain switches from delta waves, which occur in a deep sleep state, to theta waves, which occur during a sort of daydreamy state. The brain then moves to produce alpha waves when you are awake but are relaxed and not processing much information.

Seeing or reading something negative first thing in the morning can trigger your stress response and put you on edge for the rest of the day. Similarly, if you see unanswered work emails, you may feel compelled to respond even while you’re still lying in bed. That’s a problem because, as Julie Morgenstern, author of the book Never Check Email In the Morning, puts it, “Those requests and those interruptions and those unexpected surprises and those reminders and problems are endless … there is very little that cannot wait a minimum of 59 minutes.” Try instead to think of some things you are grateful for and excited about upon first waking, and then try and get in a couple of the below steps before you pick up your phone!

Drink a glass of water.

Since you can’t sip while you snooze, your body is naturally in a dehydrated state in the morning, says Dr. Kelley. Thus, drinking H2O upon waking can be helpful, and you’ll probably feel a bit thirsty when your alarm goes off anyway. “Drinking water when you wake up replenishes the lost liquid, including [the fluids] you might have lost during the night,” Dr. Li confirms. This is especially true if you sleep with your mouth open or in a warm room, and even more so if you drank alcohol (a natural diuretic) the night before, he adds.

Dehydration (which, again, naturally occurs when you sleep) can make you tired and dizzy, according to the National Library of Medicine. Replenishing with a glass of water first thing in the morning can help prevent this by prompting the rehydration process, ensuring your tissues and organs get the fluids they need ASAP.

Make yourself an organic coffee or a beautiful herbal tea.

Having a small ritual of something warming can be really useful in the morning, and enjoying a cup of (organic!) coffee, or an herbal tea if you are caffeine free, can be a great way to signal to your mind and body that you are starting your day. Also if you are able to take the five or so minutes it takes to make one of these to practice some mindful thinking it’s a wonderful way to fit two practices into one!

Take a moment to practice mindfulness and set some intentions for the day.

Mindfulness, whether through meditation, deep breathing exercises, or simply taking a moment to appreciate the present, can help reduce stress levels and enhance immune function. There is no denying we live in a very stressful time, and a little bit of self care we truly believe is necessary to making sure we feel capable of dealing with all the things life may throw at us…the mind is an extraordinarily powerful tool, so we think taking a small amount of time to work with it in a beautiful way is incredibly important.

Splash some cold water on your face and follow it with clean skincare.

This is a step we love! Cold water can provide a refreshing sensation on your skin, leaving you feeling more awake and alert. It can also improve blood circulation in your skin, which can help give your complexion a healthy, radiant glow. Finally, cold water can help reduce puffiness and swelling in your face by constricting blood vessels. This can be especially helpful in the morning when your face is often more swollen from sleep. Following on from taking a moment to splash your face, applying clean, organic and plant based skincare sets you up for the day with ingredients that do not contain toxins, but truly nurture the skin to be at its best.

Try and get outside for a little sunshine.

Morning sunlight exposure plays a crucial role in regulating our sleep-wake cycle and maintaining a balanced circadian rhythm. This exposure helps us fall asleep faster at night and wake up feeling refreshed. In addition to improving sleep patterns, morning sunlight provides essential vitamin D, strengthens the immune system, reduces stress, and supports mental health. 

Getting morning sunlight can be very beneficial for our mood and mental health. Natural sunlight helps us stay alert, promotes vitamin D production, and boosts serotonin levels. This increased level of serotonin has been proven to improve sleep quality at night. So try and talk a short walk, or even open your window and allow the light to touch your face for a minute or so if it’s impossible to leave the house!

Get in some movement - whether it’s yoga, a walk, or simple stretching.

Working out makes you feel good, which you might know firsthand. According to a review published in 2018 in the Journal of Happiness Studies, researchers found that people who regularly exercise, even for short amounts of time, feel happier than those who don’t.3

People also have low levels of stress hormones like cortisol after exercising, which helps improve mood.4 Getting that cheery feeling in the morning may be helpful. You’ll start your day feeling optimistic and less susceptible to stress and anxiety, setting you up for a positive, productive day.

Start off with your preferred supplement.

While a balanced diet rich in whole foods should always be the foundation of your nutritional strategy, supplements can play a valuable role in filling any gaps and providing that extra boost your immune system needs to stay strong and resilient.

So, what exactly do supplements bring to the table when it comes to supporting immune health? Well, let’s start by unpacking the key vitamins and minerals essential for a robust immune system. Vitamin C, often touted as the holy grail of immune support, plays a crucial role in bolstering your body’s defenses and warding off infections. Then there’s vitamin D, known for its immune-modulating effects and ability to enhance the function of immune cells. And let’s not forget about zinc, a mineral involved in nearly every aspect of immune function, from the production of antibodies to the regulation of inflammatory responses.

Make a whole foods breakfast with a nice amount of protein.

Eating breakfast provides energy to power into your day and help your body perform at its best. 

“If you start with a healthy, satisfying meal in the morning you’re less apt to nibble on less nutritious things during the day, which we often do out of hunger — you grab the first or easiest thing in front of you.” – Dr. Christy C. Tangney, PhD.

There is a lot of negative news out there, but try and listen to something positive.

We like to cite this study as to why diving into the deadlines first thing in the morning might not be the best for us. Harvard researcher Shawn Achor, psychologist Michelle Gielan, and HuffPo founder Arianna Huffington teamed up to test the effect of brief exposure to the news on a group of 110 study subjects. Half of these volunteers consumed the usual grim fare found in newspapers for three minutes. The other half watched more uplifting stories. “Individuals who watched just three minutes of negative news in the morning had a whopping 27% greater likelihood of reporting their day as unhappy six to eight hours later compared to the positive condition,” the researchers continued. In short, just a few minutes of glancing at negative headlines has a pretty good chance of ruining your mood all day. 

This does not mean of course that we should be unaware of the world’s events, in fact it’s arguably more vital than ever in many ways that we are educated on the strains upon humanity and the environment. That being said, being depressed all day isn’t helping anyone so try and wait to consume the news until a bit later in the day when you might be able to process it, and hopefully engage with thinking of solutions and ways to help or find your own purpose in helping to contribute to the world in meaningful ways.

Even if it’s a make-up free day, a little lip colour can go a long way!

We always think that less is more when it comes to beauty, but the benefits that a pop of colour has on our mood is also something we love to embrace!