Some of the most magical parts of my day happen in the morning light. Mornings are a time for me to connect with myself and the energy in the day. I cherish mornings, and I’m definitely a morning person. However, I don’t wake up super early every day and by no means stick to a routine. The lack of pressure and expectations I put on my mornings is part of what makes them so enjoyable. So, in order to create a morning routine that works for you, you need to tailor your routine to the needs each new day brings. You’re a new person each day, and honoring that is key. Live every day like it will be the best day ever because it just may be.

What’s a Morning Menu?

Keeping a routine is unnatural to me, and I’ve never really needed the structure that it provides, which is why I’m able to go with the flow when I’m on the road or need to rot until lunch. When I’m by the ocean, sometimes I like to surf early, and I hardly get any habits in before. When I’m staying with friends, it can also be difficult to hit all the marks. Nonetheless, I enjoy the relativity of every morning and place I’m at in the world and mentally.

So what I’m about to share with you are my morning habits, mainly rooted in science, that I like to do as often as I can. Sort of like having a morning menu; I choose the habits that work for me that day. If I forget something, I let it go and move on. If I forget something over and over, then I change how I incorporate it into my routine.

ADHD & mornings

I also designed a “tag team” with some habits and chores to help my ADHD brain get both the enjoyable and tedious things done. How? I use my object permanence awareness to realize some of my habits will go unrecognized unless acknowledged so I associate them with tangible chores that are right in my face needing execution. Let’s take the morning habit of stretching. Sometimes I don’t realize that I want or need to stretch until it’s a few hours into the day and I feel super stiff and wish that I remembered to stretch earlier; on the other hand the chore of needing to make my bed is right in my face begging to be carried out.

I tag-teamed stretching with making my bed so when I go to make my bed I’m reminded of stretching and I am able to fit both into my morning. This tag team works for me because I enjoy getting chores done just as much as I enjoy my morning habits. Use your tangibles as reminders that some of your intangibles exist! However, I’m writing this from El Salvador and I have yet to make my bed because I’m sleeping on a single-sheeted mattress, and I’ll let you guess how many times I’ve snuck any stretching in as a result.

Unplug

The last thing I’ll say before diving in is that removing technology from my morning is the most important practice of all. The most effective way for me to do this is to put my phone out of sight at night. If I expose myself to technology in the morning before doing some of my habits or practices, I risk bringing negativity into the natural pureness of my post-sleep state. Therefore, my phone has no place in my mornings, and 9/10 times, anything that “needs my attention” can wait until I’ve had the morning to myself, and after, I’ll enter the technology-influenced part of the day. When my phone is out of sight it allows me to exist in my body, thoughts, and surroundings without the temptations or energies that technology preys on.

Wear a watch if you like to check the time throughout the night or when you wake up. I wear a shark watch you can use my code EARTHANDEMMA10 for 10% off.

I’ll make a night habits post soon because your habits at night are just as, if not more important than your habits in the morning. It’s all about the little things<3

Welcome to my morning habits.

Drink water first thing

In order to create a morning routine that works for you, there are some things you need to do the night before. My big one is setting a full glass of water by my bed at night or my water bottle if I’m traveling. When I wake up, I chug the whole thing. Drinking water in the morning is key for hydration, clearly, but it also benefits our immune and lymphatic systems. It’s also important to get a good amount of water before drinking coffee.

Let fresh air in

I like to open my room to however much light the day is offering, and my plants need some light to start their days, so I’ll open up my blinds right when I’m up. I’m also a huge fresh-air person, and I like to get air in right away no matter how cold it is outside, so I also open my windows at least a little bit. Fresh air cleanses any space.

Morning walk

Over a year ago, I was on the bike at the gym watching YouTube when I came across one of Rainbowplantlife’s, Nisha Vora’s, videos talking about her morning routine and she mentioned that she goes for a stroll every morning to get some sunlight in and start her day. I liked the idea, and even though it was the dead of winter in Michigan, the next morning I rolled out of bed, threw a coat on over my PJs, and walked a block around my blistering cold neighborhood. I’m sure Nisha takes most of her walks with sneakers and clothes on, but once I started my half-asleep pajama walks and felt the thrill of the elements waking me up, I was hooked.

Back in my wake-up walk early days, I had to be up super early for class and was in a huge sleep deprivation with an unhealthy reliance on coffee to get me out of bed. However, after I started my wake-up walks, coffee no longer had a chokehold on me, and now it acts as an extra jolt of energy rather than a morning IV. Some places are easier to be seen in your PJs than others, but let the commuters think what they want and carry on with the bliss that is the wake-up walk.

Tag Team: Yoga and Make Bed

When I return from my walk I see my unmade bed, and since tag-teammed with stretching, it reminds me I need to stretch and do a little yoga; since the bed is still unmade when I’m done stretching I am still reminded to make it, which is why I do the intangible before the tangible.

Morning stretch

Stretching in the morning is like an active meditation for me that calms my mind but also stimulates circulation and improves digestion which are some fun little benefits. I definitely can feel in my body later in the day when I haven’t had a morning stretch. I enjoy getting a mini yoga flow in, too, so this part of my morning is one of my favorites as well. Feeling like I’m actively loosening out any stiffness from the day before and reconnecting with my body for the day ahead is a cool little way to start the day.

Make your bed

Everyone and their mom is telling you to make your bed first thing in the morning and it actually holds water. Our beds are usually the center of our room so you can choose to either have an unmade reminder of procrastination for a whole day or do a quick and dirty task to receive your first dopamine release of the day, the choice is yours. A clean space also allows the mind to lean into creativity rather than preoccupation, and I opt in to the former.

Tag Team: Coffee and Journal

Coffee is the tangible chore in this relationship since it happens every morning without a doubt. Journaling is the healthy habit. 

Coffee

When I can, I make my coffee from scratch with a French press. It’s another way for me to incorporate slower and more natural-paced practices into my morning as I allow my mind and body to wake up. Using a French press is amazing because it’s zero-waste, cheap, and easy. The later in the day you drink your coffee, the longer it’s effective, which is something to keep in mind.

Whatever your morning drink is, having water and a bit of food in your system before you drink it is better for your digestion. Coffee isn’t as effective on an empty stomach, so I drink some more water and eat a piece of fruit while the French press is brewing. I’ll also either ice-roll my face and people-watch or put some dishes away. It’s nice having some time to do random things.

Morning journaling

If I’m not in a rush and need to cook breakfast right away I’ll drink my coffee while I journal. If I do make breakfast right away I tag team eating breakfast with taking my vitamins by leaving my vitamins next to my breakfast foods. I journaled every day growing up but lost it a bit in my first few years at school. I got back into it last year because my roommate Juliet reminded me of how valuable it is to even be able to journal.

Now I journal every day again, and though I like to journal in the mornings, I also journal throughout the day if I can. The clarity I gain from letting my mind pour is a form of therapy for me. I start each morning journal session by listing three different things that I’m grateful for and I never repeat anything to help me be super duper grateful.

This practice shifts my mindset into an attitude of gratitude and helps me see the good in everything, which is a viewpoint I’m actively working on. Happiness is a choice, and I’m choosing habits that help me live it. Doing something you love in the morning can be a huge ripple in your day, and doing something you love each day will be a huge ripple in your life. This is something that journaling has taught me, and by happenstance, journaling is one of the great loves in my life.

Morning Pages

The best way to start a journal session is with Morning Pages. If this is done earlier in the day it is also able to help start a positive momentum earlier. Morning pages is a type of journaling where you brain dump as fast and messy as you would like for about 3 pages. This allows your subconscious to clear itself out. You will literally feel lighter after practicing your morning pages.

I like to write my morning pages as early as possible. I may go to other parts of my morning after I’m done with my morning pages, then come back to my journal later. This really allows me to prioritize my morning pages.

It’s also important to me that I get my morning journaling in before any technology or outside noise so I can really tune into my energy and universe. There are no rules to journaling, and I never regret the time I spend writing. Also, when I’m in a habit of journaling, I’ll pick up my journal rather than pick up my phone, which is an insane way to uplevel your life; think about the reserve of time you have and what you can get out of your downtime by spending it either journaling or scrolling.

Tag Team: Clean Space and Meditation

Clean your space

Keeping a clean space isn’t always important to me, but when the space is mine I like to have things where they belong. ADHD can make this hard since stuff tends to wind up unorganized and all over the place, but I heard someone give a piece of advice to help prevent clutter from forming: “Don’t put it down, put it away.” If my space is cluttered in the morning, I’ll take a few minutes to put things away so I can enjoy my space and avoid the consequences of procrastinating another task.

I’ll also plug my string lights in, light my candles, and maybe throw on some soft music or frequencies to really lighten up the space. I used to save candles for “special occasions” or whatever so I wouldn’t burn them to the ground, but now I go through them every month, trim the wicks, and buy based on burn time and it’s such a nice addition to my room.

Morning meditation and mindfulness

I really like everything meditation has to offer, but the practice is hard for me to stick with. Sometimes, I will just sit on the floor, actively not meditating and staring into nothingness to help build the habit. However, I’ve tag-teamed meditating with my clean space, so after I finish tidying up, I will sit down to meditate and hopefully have a bit of success with it.

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Then my morning continues; I’ll wash my face and brush my teeth before eating but after coffee, maybe do some affirmations, maybe grab my phone and do some Duolingo, and likely get dressed and go do something outside.

I made a vlog in case you want to see an example of all of this. Check it out here.

Leave a comment and let me know if you already do any of these habits or are excited to try some!

xx

Emma