The Ultimate Self Care Morning Routine-9 Ways to Start Your Day
Are you one of those people who smash the alarm button too many times, and then race around the house in a frenzy trying to get out the door or get your work day started? If so, this article is for you. I’m going to tell you why a self care morning routine is so crucial and share 9 ways to start your day.
But before we go one I gotta tell you, I used to be one of those people.
Hit snooze in the hopes of getting in another 5 minutes of sleep, that you actually don’t, then scroll on Facebook or Instagram for another 5 minutes to see what you missed while you were sleeping and then before you know it, you got about 20 minutes to get ready for work.
The thought of even having a morning self care routine never once crossed my mind. Who has time for self care? Sheesh.
If you don’t have time, after reading this hopefully you’ll start making time. Let’s talk about the importance of self care first.
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The importance of a self care morning routine
Once you find out the importance of self care morning routine and let it truly sink in you will rush to your calendar and make damn sure you start scheduling it in, asap.
We have brains and bodies, mental health and physical health we need to maintain, thoughts and feelings and so much more. We are more than just blood and bones. We have an awful lot to take care of each and every day. So when we don’t take care of all these parts they slowly start to malfunction.
True story. Self care is important because without it, you’re not running properly and you will malfunction.
It’s up to us to make sure we are running at optimal level. We have to find ways to keep the bones and muscles in good order. We have to make sure our mental and physical well being are looked after. It’s all up to you.
But here’s something that just might shock you. Did you know that your emotional health plays a huge role in your physical health? Oh ya. If you are feeling stressed or full of anxiety, here are just a few physical ailments you may feel
- headache,
- an upset tummy,
- agitated,
- insomnia,
- lack of appetite
- stiff neck/shoulders
- sore back
I could go on but you get the idea. It’s so important to maintain good mental health too!! That’s where a really good self care morning routine comes in. Why not start the day off right?
How do I self-care everyday??
Some people think this will be next to impossible. I don’t have time for this. I need to sleep more! How do I self-care everyday??
This is what I tell people and how I explain it so it makes more sense to them.
When something is broken on your car you make an appointment with the mechanic and you go. When something is broken in your house, you call the repair guy to come fix it asap. When something is broken in your body or not functioning properly you call your doctor or go to the clinic and get it fixed.
You make dentist appointments, hair and nail appointments, maybe you even go to Church every single Sunday. Some things you mark in the calendar and some you don’t, but you go and do them faithfully.
So…
What about your body and mental health? Don’t they deserve to be treated with that much love, care and respect?? Of course they do!! And it’s time you started treating them right.
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A few ways to take care of yourself
I am definitely going to share my morning self care routine, which I think is perfect, but first I want to share other ways to take care of yourself that will surely come in handy and benefit you in some way, shape or form.
- Drink more water
- Exercise
- Cut out or cut back on sugar
- Eat healthier
- Quit smoking/drinking
- Less TV and more good quality sleep
Those are just a few ways but I’m sure there are a million more. Here’s a snippet from a great article I read the other day.
It’s so important to make sure you take good care of your body, mind, and soul every day, not just when you get sick. Learning how to eat right, reduce stress, exercise regularly, and take a time-out when you need it are touchstones of self-care and can help you stay healthy, happy, and resilient.
Source: psychologytoday.com
Without further ado, here is my self care morning routine. Take what you want and leave the rest. What works for me won’t work for everyone BUT I wanted to give you some self care routine ideas that I think you might like.
Self care morning routine-9 great ways to start your day!
I’m listing the 9 things I do every morning that are an integral part of my morning self care routine. They are in the order I do them every day. I’m not saying you need to do all these 9 things but picking up one or two won’t hurt either.
The most important thing, especially if you are an alarm clock smasher, is that you need to tell yourself, you’re worth it and you need to do this! You will have to set your alarm for maybe 30-45 earlier.
Don’t whine! Just go to bed earlier!! 😂
Here we go:
1 Say thank you
And I mean as soon as your eyes open, that first little eye flutter, say thank you because gosh you made it through the night into a new day! What’s there not to be grateful for? You’re in a bed, you’re cozy and comfy, you have a roof over head. Need I go on?
Thank you for a new day!
2 Say a prayer
Now obviously if you don’t believe in God you don’t have to do this and you can skip this step but if you do this is what I say to Him every single morning. I kneel at my bedside and say thank you to Him and stay with me and keep me strong and help me see everything through the eyes of love.
My prayer changes from morning to morning but that’s the jist of it.
3 Get your liquids in
While my coffee is brewing, I have a glass of water with a shot of apple cider vinegar in it . The water rehydrates me after a good night of sleep and the ACV has some amazing health benefits. You can check out this article from healthline.com that discusses them in more detail.
4 Light incense/essential oils
Don’t laugh. These seriously calm me down and soothe my soul. I have this beautiful incense that I found here at a cool store in my tiny town in Guatemala. You might like some of these incense sticks.
I also sometimes burn essential oils. Lemongrass and Lavenderare my favourite for my morning self care routine.
5 Insight Timer
I love love love Insight Timer so much. There are so many different meditations and talks and music. All for free!!! Just download the app. You can also check out YouTube for some great morning meditations.
You need to calm your mind before you start your day. Trust me on this.
6 Journal
Please don’t cringe. Journaling is so important and it won’t take you an hour I promise. After I’m done my 5 minute meditation, I listen to some soft music on Insight Timer and I do gratitude journaling. Every day!
It’s so important to take time to be grateful for what you have each day.
7 Sit quietly and reflect
After you’re done your journal and meditation, just sit quietly for a few minutes. Take in a few moments to really feel your gratitude. Put your hand on your heart and love yourself some.
It’s important to center yourself and just breathe and live in the moment.
8 Unplug
This probably should have been number 1 but I’ll add it in here now because the temptation to turn on your social media before or during your self care morning routine will be high. Please refrain from doing so. Your head will thank you.
I don’t check any social media until I’m all done this entire routine.
9 Exercise
Did you just groan again? Haha!! Look if you can squeeze in 10-15 minutes before you rush off to work you’re a star! I hook up on YouTube with a few great exercise peeps. I love Body Project and Sarah Beth Yoga. Just go check them out.
You can seriously get a good workout in in under 20 minutes. Your body will thank you for it.
The perfect self care morning routine
Ok I do have to say, while there is no perfect morning self care routine, I think that if you at least just start doing some things to make your morning better, you’ll feel so much healthier, calmer, happier and probably even have an amazing day!
I cannot stress enough the importance of self care and adding some in to your daily routine. The changes you will experience in your life will blow your mind. Do you already have a self care morning routine? Share it down below!
xo iva xo
