Creating a Morning Routine that Works for You

Image via @erinconger

Alright let’s talk morning routines. They’re a frequent topic these days – and for good reason. Your morning sets the tone for your entire day, and has the ability to set up you up for success and productivity. There are entire books and podcasts dedicated to studying the morning routines and habits of high-performers.

I recently I attended an event with Health Warrior in San Francisco focused on the topic of morning routines – why they’re important, the components of a good morning routine, and the very REAL challenges of sticking to a morning routine (bc – news flash – most of us don’t have 3 hours to devote to self care every morning, despite what you might be seeing on Instagram).

For me, finding a morning routine that works has been about identifying the things that consistently make me feel better and result in a better day. I try to do these things as often as possible, but not necessarily every day. Life happens, and sometimes you do need to prioritize getting an urgent email out the door over a journaling session, and that’s okay. Your morning routine should be something that makes you feel amazing when you do it, but should never become something that stresses you out if you can’t get to everything on your checklist.

And your morning routine will naturally change – what’s working for you today might not next month, or next year, and thats’s totally normal.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s been working well for me in the mornings, and the things I’m still working on improving.

*not what my mornings look like in rainy SF these days sadly*

1. TAKE CARE OF MY BODY

HYDRATE

I always drink a huge Hydroflask’s worth of warm lemon water before any caffeine. No excuses.

STRECH/FOAM ROLL/YOGA

Before getting dressed for the day I always hop on my mat for SOME kind of movement. That could be foam rolling if I’m feeling tight, doing physical therapy exercises, or flowing through some dog dogs and hip openers (usually its a combo of all 3). It makes my body feel so much more open and just generally move better when I take the time to open my hips / hamstrings/ low back.

TAKE FASTED SUPPLEMENTS

Right now, thats just drinking L-Glutamine powder for gut lining repair (fasted so that the amino acid isn’t competing with others for absorption). Most of my other supplements I take with meals.

WORKOUT*

This is caveated because most workdays, I’m not working out in the morning (sadly). Sometimes I can squeeze it in, but usually I have to be on my way to work by 7am sooo ya no. BUT working out fasted in the morning is truly my favorite, so when I can, I do. That could be a walk in the morning before coffee, or a yoga class.

2. TAKE CARE OF MY SKIN 

I’ve been breaking out more than normal, so this routine has become religious.

DRY BRUSHING

Dry brushing is an Ayurvedic practice where, basically, you run a brush over your (dry) skin in sweeping motions towards your heart. Dry brushing stimulates the lymphatic system, encourages lymphatic drainage, improves circulation, exfoliates skin, and WAKES YOU UP. I also dry brush my stomach in circles to stimulate the natural flow of digestion. Some people even claim dry brushing helps with cellulite, so i dry brush pretty hard on the back of my thighs/butt. If you’re short on time, you can do this for 60 seconds and you’ll still feel the benefits.

FACIAL ICING

You can use an ice roller for a general depuffing, but since I’m working on acne, I use an actual ice cube. Rub it on your face, focusing on areas of inflammation, until it melts / your face is ice cold. This leaves my skin a little red, but has been so helpful in preventing / calming acne, and also depuffs my face / preps my skin for moisturizer.

GUA SHA / LYPHATIC DRAINAGE

Gua Sha is basically the jade roller’s older, wiser sister. Gua sha has its roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and it works WONDERS for the face. I start by putting on ALOT of moisturizer (you could also you a serum) to my face & neck, and start with lymphatic drainage down my neck (always start with your neck so the lymph fluid you’re draining from your face has somewhere to go). From there I’ll gua sua my face (I really need a video to demo this, but essentially gently dragging the stone up and out, being careful never to pull the skin). Gua Sha stimulates circulation and blood flow to the skin, encourages lymphatic drainage, and can even help sculpt and define facial muscles. And it just feels really good.

3. TAKE CARE OF MY MIND

MEDITATE

I have a very on-again / off-again relationship with meditation, but it’s something I’m always trying to incorporate. For me, it’s just about making it habit. Of knowing that I have to be ready to walk out the door 10 minutes early to sit and meditate. Meditation is incredibly helpful for calming the mind, and also learning and observing the patterns of your thoughts. When I meditate, I’m more focused, relaxed, and less reactive throughout the day.

JOURNAL

This is something I love to do, but realistically, its the first thing to get cut when I’m running late. I love morning journaling to just write whatever is on my mind (sort of morning pages style) and also for setting intentions/goals for the day/week. Journaling can be incredibly cathartic – while meditation is great for observing your thoughts, journaling is great for just getting them out.

*IMPROVEMENT AREAS*

NO PHONE

I’m getting better about making this a habit – turning my phone on airplane mode at night and leaving it on for 30-45 minutes of waking up. Having the morning to just be – no texts, no email, no IG – is so grounding and starts the day on such a calmer note than immediately flooding your brain with external stimulus.

And of course, my morning wouldn’t be complete without Bulletproof Coffee 🙂

Do you follow a morning routine? Let me know what yours looks like!