If you’re craving more peace and stillness in your life, then you’re probably familiar with the concept of slow living. And because the way we start our mornings has such a big impact on how the day goes, having a slow living morning routine is one of the best things you can do for creating a slow and intentional life.
For most of us, mornings can be a chaotic time. We’re running around, trying to get ready for work or school or to take the kids to daycare and things can feel rushed.
For me, mornings have always been rough because I’m a classic alarm snoozer, usually sleeping until the last possible second I can. So once I finally wake up, I am usually trying to get a bunch done in a short amount of time without the energy to do any of it.
Sound familiar? Yeah, this is the opposite of slow and peaceful.
But whether you’re already a morning person or a chronic alarm snoozer like me, there is a way to have a slow and intentional morning routine that allows you start the day with peace.
Let’s get into the ways you can create a slow living morning routine.
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It’s not about adding more to your morning routine.
I talk about this a lot in my blog post 6 self care ideas for busy people, but there’s a common misconception that in order to live healthier or more fulfilled lives, or just to change the way our lives are now, we have to add on more habits.
But let’s be honest- most of us just simply don’t have the time, or the motivation, to add more to our plates.
No matter how many times I wish I was the type of person that’s able to get up every morning and do a workout and a skincare routine and read 5 chapters of a book and watch the sunrise, I will just never be that person.
So I will not be telling you to become some superwoman who just wakes up and knocks it out of the park everyday. That’s now what we’re about here in this cozy community.
Instead, I am going to show you how to slow down the way your mornings already are.
There might be a few things you want to add in, and if you can, that’s great! But it’s not the only way to have a slow living morning routine.
You can also improve how you’re going about your routine.
1. Skip the screen time.
How quickly after waking up do you check your phone? For most of us (including me) it’s pretty much instant.
But by reaching for our phones immediately after we wake up, we are sending our brains straight into stimulation overload, and there is nothing slow and peaceful about that.
How you adjust your morning screen time will depend on your individual routine and how it currently is.
Maybe you just decide to avoid screens for the first 5 minutes of being awake. Or maybe you skip checking your phone completely until it’s time to leave for work.
One change that I’ve made that has really made it easier to avoid screens in the morning is getting a Hatch alarm clock. It has so many cozy features, like customizable sleep sounds (I truly can’t sleep without my rain soundtrack now) and even bedtime stories. But perhaps the best feature is that it wakes you up with a gentle light that imitates a sunrise, so that your body can wake up more naturally and WITHOUT your phone.
The Hatch I have has been retired, but this one is the new and improved version: Hatch Restore 3
Of course there are many ways to go about avoiding morning screen time, but find a way that works for you and enjoy the benefits!
2. Keep the lights low while you get ready.
Just like screens, harsh light in the morning just feels quite icky for our brains.
An easy way to embrace a more cozy routine and enjoy slower mornings? Kep the lights low in your house while you go through your morning tasks.
Skincare by candlelight? So cozy. Eating breakfast with only the lamps on? So peaceful.
Of course I’m not telling you to get dressed in the dark, but opting for table lamps rather than the big light can take the mood from ‘harsh morning reality’ to ‘cozy new day beginnings’.
Although who I am kidding, I live my life avoiding the big lights. You too? Let’s be pals.
3. Stretch & Visualize
If stretching isn’t a part of your morning routine, it’s a habit worth adding if you can.
Not everyone has the time or energy to do a full-on workout in the mornings. I know I certainly don’t.
But taking time to stretch, even if it’s literally just for 1 minute, makes a HUGE difference in how your body feels throughout the day.
AND I think there’s room here to set your mind up for success too.
How do you do this? Well, you practice some visualization while you’re stretching.
Find a comfy space, keep the lights dimmed for a real cozy mood (see previous tip) and stretch in whatever way you need. As you’re doing it, really visualize how the stretching is affecting your body.
Visualize the tension easing, your muscles getting stretched, and your body feeling healthier. I know it sounds kooky, but visualization has a lot of benefits for mental health and can help us feel way more in-tune with our bodies and minds.
I go more in-depth with specific visualization techniques in my workbook The 60-Day Anti-Depression Workbook if you’re interested in that deep dive.
Doing this in the mornings before you start the day can set both your body & mind up for an easier day.
4. Clear out your brain out before the day starts
When you wake up, is your brain already racing with thoughts about the day, and maybe even leftover thoughts from yesterday?
It’s really hard to embrace a slow and peaceful life when our brains feel filled to the brim.
One of the best things you can do for a happier, healthier, and more peaceful day is to dump all that stuff out of your brain right away.
There are many ways you can do this that don’t require you to add anymore time or tasks to your routine.
You can get out the voice memo app on your phone and just speak into the void about whatever thoughts you have.
You can chat with your partner about what’s on your mind for the day. Or you can pray, if that’s your thing.
All of these are things I’ve done before and find super helpful, especially when I’m feeling overwhelmed.
If you have the time to spare in the morning, you can also sit down and do this as a written brain dump/journal type deal.
Whatever method you choose, your brain will feel so much better after!
5. Make your current morning routine more mindful
Like I said at the beginning, creating a happier and healthier life isn’t always about doing more things. Sometimes it’s just about doing the same things better.
There are certain things about your morning routine that are going to stay what they are because they just have to.
You might HAVE to get ready for work. Or pick out your kid’s outfit. Make breakfast for your family. Or take your dog for a walk around the neighborhood.
The trick to a slow living morning routine, and really just slow living in general, is to learn how to slow down existing moments. An amazing way to do this is by practicing mindfulness as often as we can.
This might look like paying more attention to how you feel as you’re getting ready. Or enjoying the smells and the process of cooking. Or taking note of the beautiful scenery around you while you’re walking your dog.
Whatever your morning routine looks like, find some ways to be more mindful throughout it. If you want some ideas, I wrote a blog post about mindfulness techniques, which you can read here: 8 Mindfulness Techniques for a Healthier Mindset
Creating a slow living morning routine is not about adding more, it’s about improving and optimizing what you’re already doing in a way that helps you be more present.
A slow living morning routine can improve mental health, decrease anxiety and stress, and promote overall wellbeing.
What slow living habits have you added to your daily routine? Let me know in the comments!
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