My Healthy Morning Routine
Photos in this post by Victoria Morris
How I start my day is so important to me- having a healthy morning routine in place can totally set the tone for the entire day. Clearer mindset, better mood, and increased productivity are some major benefits you can experience when you have a calmer morning routine established, instead of that frenzied 10 minute rush to get out the door after 5 alarm snoozes that we are all familiar with.
Morning routines are also the perfect opportunity to establish some healthier habits towards a better lifestyle shift. I've written about my 5 easy hacks for a better morning routine, but I wanted to share some specific things I've been doing lately in mine that have made notable differences.
HERE ARE THE 4 THINGS I DO LATELY TO CREATE MY HEALTHY START TO MY MORNING:
1. Natural Cycles- Body Temp Tracking
The first thing I do as soon as I open my eyes is reach for this thermometer on my bedside table to take my basal body temperature. I've been using Natural Cycles for about 2 months now-- while it's marketed as a contraceptive app (family-planning method), I wanted to try it out to get to know my body and cycle better. My cycle can be quite irregular because of my Hashimoto's, so it's SO helpful to have data on hand to better understand why I feel the way I do, during different phases of my cycle. Will be posting more on my experience later as I continue using it!
2. I don't immediately reach for my phone
I try to not touch my phone after I shut my alarm off, for the first few things I do in the day. Of course there are exceptions, but I find that this practice really helps me not start my day with anxiety, and it helps my mind stay in the present for those first few minutes after waking.
3. I head to my kitchen + prep Lemon H20, Do an Oil Pull, and COFFEE, duh
I could do these steps with my eyes closed at this point. I grab my jar of cold-pressed coconut oil, and do a 5-10 minute oil pull with it while I pour myself a glass of filtered water (super important for hormonally-imbalanced women to have extra filtered water-- the best one I recommend is Berkey - Soma and the like are pretty, but they don't work very well). Then, I use a lemon squeezer (one of the best purchases, EVER) to squeeze a fresh lemon into my water and drink half the glass after I'm done oil pulling. I then boil my coffee in my favorite kettle and get my pourover ready.
WHY these things?
Lemon H20: My autoimmune disease makes it tough for my body to detoxify naturally. So while I don't believe in things being responsible to directly detox your body, I do know that the fresh lemon helps my body's digestive enzymes proliferate and work-- and THAT is what helps your liver naturally detox. Plus, water in the morning is necessary to rehydrate after hours of no water while you're sleeping.
Oil Pull: It's an ayurvedic thing that supposedly helps you "detox," which I don't really buy into, BUT I do it for two other reasons-- 1. The coconut oil helps keep my teeth white and 2. The actual physical act of oil pulling in your mouth is oddly meditative and therapeutic. It forces you to concentrate on your breath and get yourself in tune with your body in the morning.
COFFEE: Well. This is self-explanatory. There's nothing beneficial or not about coffee to me personally, health-wise, but the mental benefits of drinking my most favoritest yummiest beverage I loooooove? 9024830928x worth it. Plus the ritual of heating up my favorite kettle, then doing my pourover over freshly roasted + ground beans? So soothing and I look forward to it every morning.
4. Meditation OR Foam Rolling OR Stretching OR Breathing Exercises
Which of these I do on a daily basis is a total gamble. I let my mood + my body dictate what it needs most that day, since I don't usually have time for it all. Whether it's 5 minutes of meditation on my favorite mat, foam rolling/trigger point therapy work, a quick stretching yoga flow, or simple breathing exercises as I drink my coffee, it's just a few minutes to get me ready to dive into work and get my hustle on.