Does this sound familiar?
Your alarm goes off, you hit snooze. Repeat. Rushing out of bed, you dash into the shower, BB cream, mascara, brows. Fly out the house wearing a mis-match outfit and grab a quick coffee on your way into the office.
Yes, this morning routine allows a few extra moments of precious sleep, but starting the day stressed and chaotic sets the tone for the rest of the day.
Recently I’ve totally switched up my morning routine, and by making a few small changes, I’ve noticed a lasting impact on not only my mood and productivity for the day, but also long term health and wellness benefits. Many of these tips were given to me, and then put into practise during our weekend at Lakes by Yoo, and you can see them in action in my vlog from the weekend.
Here are my 10 tips for starting your day the healthy way.
- Wake up with your alarm, the first time. I find that having a consistent ‘bed time’ helps, and as a morning person, I’m usually in bed by 10pm so I can be up and moving by 7am the next day. If you are a serial snoozer, try moving your alarm clock to the other side of the room so you have to get out of bed to switch it off – brutal, but it works!
- Drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up. While in the Cotswolds, we were recommended by Bettina – of Bettina’s kitchen – to drink a glass of water with half a lemon squeezed into it, as soon as we woke up. A glass of water rehydrates you and kick starts your digestive system, getting things prepared for the day ahead. Doing this every day for a week and I’m already noticing clearer skin – and that’s also thanks to an improved skincare routine which you’ll read about soon! The acid within the lemon also helps to balance pH levels, helping to improve your digestion.
Look After your Mind
3. Turn off your tech for the first hour. I used to sleep with my phone by the bed, and I’d grab it the second I woke up. While I still use it as my alarm, I leave the emails and instagram notifications for an hour after I wake up now. This lets me focus on other things, and start my day from work and social media. It’s the only time that I’m away from a screen for the rest of the day, so I make the most of it.
4. Be grateful for something. Starting the day with positive thoughts has a huge impact on your mindset for the rest of the day. I like to thing of something I’m grateful for as soon as I wake up. It can be really simple; I’m grateful for that great cup of coffee yesterday, I’m grateful for crisp clean bed sheets, or I’m grateful for that phone call that cheered me up.
Look After your Body
5. Invest in your Smile. As well as indulging your mind by staying away from technology and being grateful first thing in the morning, it’s equally as important to look after your body. I’ve recently added the Philips Airfloss Pink into my morning routine; having previously not been a fan of traditional flossing, the AirFloss removes up to 99.9% of the plaque that brushing can miss, just with water and air. Easier than traditional string floss, the Philips tool takes just a minute of my morning routine, and used regularly improves gum health in ways that brushing alone cannot do.
(Also in the image to the left; my new love – my rose gold Philips Sonicare toothbrush! Is it not the most beautiful toothbrush ever!? )
6. Try something new. I’m forever changing up my skincare routine, testing new products in order to review them for this very website, but also discovering what my skin loves. My recent obsession is an Essence – specifically the Omorovicza Omoressence which I splash into my hands and pat onto my skin after cleansing. It’s ingredients of mineral rich healing waters work to balance and hydrate the skin, which prepare it for the next products which you apply. Also from Omorovicza, another new discover is their Oxygen Booster. A lightweight serum, it revitalises the skin by infusing with liquid oxygen. The skin feels soothed while the liquid gel boosts the energy of skin cells, ensuring your skin is perked up for the day ahead!
Make Time.
7. Exercise before your day gets going! Morning exercise gives a boost of energy, and even the shortest, lightest workout gives a sense of achievement to kick start your day. I find that I have far more energy before 9am than I do at the end of the day, so a short, high intensity workout is much more achievable! Some days though I’ll just take Dexter for a short walk, or stretch out with some yoga before my phone gets switched back on.
8. Step Outside, Breathe. A few months ago, I visited an incredibly inspirational lady, and I actually have an entire post about what I learnt from her coming on Friday, but meeting Katie Brindle inspired me to add one minute of calm to my morning, and focus on breathing. I like to step outside to do this, inhaling fresh air and feeling the breeze on my skin (sounds cheesy I know, but it is truly a lovely feeling). I just breathe, for one minute. Deep breathes, to fill my body with air, it’s an invigorating part of my morning routine.
9. Have a balanced breakfast. Breakfast feeds the body with the energy that you need throughout the day, so don’t skip it out! While at Lakes by Yoo, we were treated to a plant based diet created by Bettina, including Flax Seed & Buckwheat pancakes – I can honestly say I’ve never had a more delicious breakfast! But for normal days when I don’t have a wellbeing guru preparing my breakfast for me, a smoothie, or avocado on toast does the trick too!
10. Look forward to something. I like to have something to treat myself to at the end of the day, and by planning this in the morning, it motivates me throughout the day. As I’m writing this, today’s treat is going to be a pamper evening, trying out two new face masks to give myself an at home facial – the BareMinerals Dirty Detox Mask to cleanse impurities from the skin, followed by The Body Shop’s British Rose Plumping Mask. Both are created with natural and organic ingredients that my skin will adore, and my using two masks one after the next, I will truly notice a cleansed and refreshed complexion.
What do you like to do before 9am to give your day a kick start? Will you be trying any of my tips?
xoxo
