My time off work has given me the opportunity to focus on my self-care. I’ve tried a few different practices and now have rituals for my mind, body and soul that are best for me. During my time on furlough, I’ve been thinking more about how I can keep these practices going once I am back at work. In particular, my holistic morning routine.
I want to share these with you so that they can help you too.
Morning Routine
Before
I’ve never been a great morning person. Before lockdown my morning routine was:
1. Phone scrolling
2. Black coffee
3. Rushed breakfast
4. Slapdash hair and makeup
5. Another black coffee before I rushed out the door.
Not a great start to the day!
Now
Matcha Green Tea
At the start of the year I made the switch from coffee to matcha and have felt amazing benefits.
Matcha is a super-concentrated green tea powder that’s packed with antioxidants and nutrients. It still contains caffeine but it also contains the amino acid L-Theanine. This slows the release of the caffeine into the body, which makes it more energising and long-lasting but also gives you a calming, relaxing effect.
I love Pukka’s teas and their ‘Supreme Matcha Green’ is delicious. But the more premium fine powders, like TeaPigs, have better effects and are truer to the taste of the traditional Japanese drink.
Mindful Breakfast
Last year I completed Jasmine Hemsley’s East by West Ayurveda recipe book. It has some amazing recipes in it and I loved the breakfasts most of all. They’re the kind of recipes you can prepare a batch of in preparation for the week. But I also love a warming bowl of porridge with peanut butter for a fibre and protein punch.
Over the past few weeks I have been trying to eat my breakfast a little more mindfully. For me this means not reading something on the side or paying more attention to the radio than my food. Instead I place my awareness on the food I’m eating – savouring the flavours, aromas and textures. I appreciate every mouthful and the benefits it has on my body. Another thing to put on the gratitude list to follow!
Yoga
I love yoga and it has been a big part of my self-care and fitness journey. But it was only this past year that I began to develop my home practice.
At the start of the year I took on Yoga with Adriene’s 30 days of yoga playlist on YouTube. She uploads a new playlist with a different focus each month so there’s always something new to try. I find this motivates me to keep practicing and I now try to make time to practise everyday.
Here are some of the benefits I have felt from having a morning yoga routine:
Sets the tone for the day
Improves posture, flexibility, strength and fitness
Lowers stress and anxiety
Improves focus and motivation
Helps stop procrastinating
Ticks all the boxes for a holistic morning routine.
Journaling
I’ve heard a lot about the benefits of journaling and using the 5-minute journal has been a great way to get into it. It’s so quick to use and it transforms your whole day.
Focusing on the things you’re grateful for can give you a positive start to the day and turn a negative mood around. Also writing down what I want to achieve that day has helped me to stay focused and make the most of each day.
Affirmations and Intention Setting
After journalling I pull out a card from Gabrielle Bernstein’s deck of Super Attractor cards. The deck contains 52 beautifully illustrated cards to help you remember and confidently claim your true power. With this you can co-create the life you want.
There’s different ways of using these cards but in the morning I use a super quick method that works for me:
Mindfully shuffle the cards while repeating the affirmation I wrote in my journal.
Smoothly spread the cards out across my yoga mat.
Take a moment to take some long deep breaths while repeating my affirmation again.
Consciously pick a card that I am drawn to from the spread.
Having this morning routine has helped me feel so much more confident about going back to work. Follow me on Instagram to see how I get on and other practices I do to help nourish my mind, body and soul.
I’d love to know how you’re preparing for going back to work after having time off in the comments below. Do you have a holistic morning routine? What rituals work for you in your morning routine?