I fell in love with slow mornings while at university but since beginning to work from home I fell slightly out of love with them but recently I've really started to be intentional with my mornings again. Mornings are your time to shine and really get your day started with a bang. I. think there's a bit of a misconception that a slow morning is all about lying in but that is most definitely not the case. Here are some habits that I've added to my morning to help me achieve that slow morning feeling that I crave. Obviously, for you, you don't have to stick to these specifically, just find what works for you and just do what you enjoy and embrace that morning time feeling.
WAKE THE HECK UP
I know, I know, pressing that snooze button is so tempting - taking control of your day and saying 'no alarm, I will not wake up now' especially if like me, you like to set your alarm way before you need it solely for this very reason. I don't set my alarm obscenely early or anything. I use a smart alarm that tracks when I'm best suited to wake up and I have it set for between 7am and 7.30am. I start work at 9am so realistically I don't need to get up until 8.45am, especially since I'm just working from home, I can easily just roll out of bed grab some toast and settle down for the day, but rushing your mornings will lead to you feeling rushed all day. I used to be so good at this but when the pandemic hit my sleep schedule was the first thing to go out the window but I've started reclaiming this again. It can take some time to adjust but once you're in the routine your body will thank you!
Avoid your socials
The first thing that I always want to do in the morning is to check my social media accounts but when it's the last thing you do before you go to sleep and the first thing you do when you wake up that's when you start to become enslaved by it. Funnily enough, if you leave your phone alone for even ten minutes - all the same messages and updates will still be there! Instead of going straight to your phone, find something else that you can channel your energy into for a few moments before delving straight into the neverending stream of social media posts.
Shower in the morning
I recently read a book where the protagonist said she didn't like showers and I had never felt more seen - I'm the type of person who truly will forgo a shower for a day because I just can't be bothered with the hassle! I often just shower and wash my hair at night time because I really don't want to have to do it in the morning but carving time out of your morning to properly shower is a great way to slow down your mornings. The shower is also a great place to think and mentally go through your to-do list. I've actually found that the mornings that I wash my hair I actually have more time to get ready than the days I don't which even to me sounds like a lie but I think really taking your time to wake up and put your best foot forward for the day really helps to slow the time down.
Create a morning routine playlist
You know how in movies and tv shows, whenever someone wakes up and there's some music playing in the background - grab a hold of that. It may look unattainable but nothing makes you feel more like the main character than having a soundtrack for your life. It's up to you what kind of music you opt for, you might want something gentle to ease you into the day or you might want something upbeat that you can have a lil bop to in order to really boost your energy levels from the get-go. A slow morning doesn't have to mean a quiet morning!
Eat a proper breakfast
Having time to really just sit down and relax in the mornings is the ultimate goal of a slow morning and by carving out some time to actually have a proper breakfast has been great. I've been using this time to go through the stories on the YouVersion Bible app because I just think this is a really great way to start my day. It gets you in a good mindset and eliminates distractions by focusing on something while eating. I prefer this to watching tv because I often find myself just flicking through channels trying to find something to watch whenever this is right here! If devotionals aren't your thing you can find something else encouraging like a podcast or a TED talk.
I hope this post has given you some sort of idea of how to curate the slow morning feeling into your life. Are you a morning person or are you all too familiar with that snooze button.
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