Let’s talk about one of my faaavorite topics— morning routines! Over the past year or so, I have been mixing + matching all sorts of morning routine ideas to see what I like and what makes the biggest difference in my day. It’s fun to try new techniques + rituals! I am by no means a rigid routine person— I like a bit of freedom + flexibility in the morning based on how I’m feeling.
But I do have some non-negotiables when it comes to starting my day off right. So I thought it would be fun to compile a list of my favorite holistic morning routine tips + tricks that I’ve found to be realistic and set the tone in a positive way for the rest of my day.
1. Grounding
When was the last time you let your bare feet touch the earth? If you live by a beach, you probably do this more often than if you live in Wisconsin like me… But even for us Midwesterners, have you let your feet touch the grass or dirt lately?
If not, let me tell you about this super simple wellness tip with all sorts of health benefits.
Basically, grounding is allowing your body to come into direct contact with the earth — grass, dirt, sand, whatever. WITHOUT shoes on. The idea is that electrons on the Earth’s surface come into contact with the body, and have antioxidant effects.
Health benefits of grounding include:
— Decreased inflammation
— Cortisol regulation
— Improved sleep
— Decreased pain
— Improved mood
— Stress reduction
— Nervous system shift from the sympathetic (fight or flight – the state we’re in when we’re anxious, stressed, and going a mile a minute) to parasympathetic (rest and digest – a calm, relaxed, grounded — pun intended 😉 — state)
Are you convinced yet?? When you think about it, our ancestors used to be in direct contact with the Earth all the time. Even as kids, we were constantly running around barefoot and had our hands in the dirt. I think there’s something to be said about practices common among our ancestors and things that kids do instinctually.
Here’s how I like to implement grounding into my holistic morning routine. I step outside first thing in the morning with my cup of coffee, standing or sitting in the yard with my bare feet touching the grass. As the sun is coming up over the trees in the park behind my house, I listen to the birds, take deep breaths, and appreciate nature.
It’s such a relaxing, calming way to start my day. I am just obsessed with being outside in the morning + feeling connected to the earth when it seems like the rest of the world is still sleeping.
Obviously, I don’t do this when there’s a foot of snow on the ground… But apparently soft sole moccasins, like these, are grounding-approved. And there are grounding mats too.
2. Drink a large glass — or if you’re me, Hydro Flask — of water
I’ve heard the analogy before that we are like a wilted flower in the morning and need to be watered. It makes sense right— you just went 8ish hours without drinking any water. So when morning comes around, it’s time to hydrate!
What I do is fill up my 22-ounce Hydro Flask tumbler with fresh water and sip on it with my morning cup of coffee. My goal is to finish it by the time I’m done with my one cup of coffee. I know it makes more sense to wake up and hydrate first thing with water only. But I told ya I’d be realistic about my morning routine, and friends, I just do not wake up and drink an entire glass of water. Sounds nice in theory, but I love my little ritual of coffee AND water.
And since I’m getting specific, my theory is that people drink WAY more water when they don’t have to screw off a cap. Maybe I’m just weird, but I’m telling you IT WORKS. I am obsessed with my fuchsia Hydro Flask. I have the 22-ounce tumbler— I don’t think they make it in the beautiful pinkish-purple color that I have anymore, but they have other adorable colors to choose from!
The reason I’m raving about this so much is because I genuinely do not think drinking 22 ounces of water would be a part of my holistic morning routine if I didn’t have a cute, insulated tumbler. Crazy? Maybe. But it works for me.
3. Diffuse essential oils
Diffusing oils in the morning sets such a mood for the day. I personally am a fan of Edens Garden— they’re affordable, high quality, and I love their sets. They no longer sell the particular set that I have, but this one is pretty close to the combo that I have!
Some of my favorite blends from Edens Garden that I diffuse in the morning include:
And I think I need to get my hands on this blend of mint-meets-citrus called Good Morning! Or this one called Quiet Time.
There’s something about igniting all the senses in the morning, and sometimes I think our sense of smell gets forgotten. So essential oils are a fun holistic morning routine addition.
4. Journaling
Writing in a journal used to be one of those ideas that sounded good, but never stuck for me. At the start of 2020, I decided to commit to daily journaling, and let me just say— my days are not the same if I don’t journal in the morning. Absolutely life-changing.
Like I said earlier, I’m not a rigid routine person. I like flexibility, going with the flow, and allowing myself to do what feels good in the moment. Because of that, I usually journal in one of three ways each day.
ONE — Brain dump whatever is on my mind. Writing without judging myself. Getting all my feelings out. No parameters.
TWO — I go through my little morning journaling method, which you can find an entire post on here!
THREE — A combination of ONE + TWO
5. Review my monthly intentions
At the start of each month I write down 3-5 intentions I’d like to set for the month ahead. These intentions keep me focused and centered. They’re kind of like little reminders to keep me grounded in what matters most to me.
I need to see these intentions EVERY DAY in order to implement them + stay on track. Sometimes I like to come back and revisit them mid-way through the day too.
Some examples of my monthly intentions include:
- Observe instead of react
- Create space for inspiration
- Good, not perfect
- Spread light + positivity
I also like to write down what I’d like to do less of and more of, plus a quote or two that keeps me centered.
6. Stretch
I keep this suuuper simple. I’m not doing a planned out yoga sequence over here. I’ll do some cat cows, wag my tail, child’s pose, happy baby, forward folds, standing side stretches, lunges, nothing too crazy. Sometimes I’ll do this on the floor in my living room or office. Some days I’ll roll out my absolute favorite yoga mat.
Just a little movement to wake up the body + work out the kinks. I have scoliosis and had a spinal fusion at age 20, so I’m very conscientious of posture, regular stretching, and frequent gentle movement. I’m big on spine health, and I don’t think we focus enough on doing things to keep our spines feeling good!
7. Tongue Scrape
This may be the weirdest, but most satisfying part of my holistic morning routine. It takes two minutes, and once you try it you’ll be hooked.
Tongue scraping gets rid of the bacteria on your tongue… you won’t believe what comes off your tongue. I know, ew.
It helps your breath smell better and gets stuff out of your mouth that your toothbrush probably isn’t getting rid of.
I bought a two-pack, and let’s just say David is not only fascinated by the results, but he is now a committed tongue scraper. Sometimes we stand in the bathroom and scrape our tongues together, cute right? #marriedlife
It’s important to get a stainless steel tongue scraper. I like this one— it’s medical grade stainless steel, comes with two cases to store them/travel with them, it’s inexpensive, and it works.
Going in my family’s stockings this year.
That’s a wrap on my favorite holistic + realistic morning routine ideas!
It has been life-changing to be more intentional about my mornings. I’m more productive and grounded throughout the day when I carve out some me-time and take care of myself in the morning.
Let me know if you try any of the ideas I mentioned or drop a note in the comments on the best part of YOUR morning routine!
If you liked this blog post, you may also enjoy my post on 10 strategies to manage anxiety or the daily ritual that has completely transformed my life (hint, it wasn’t mentioned in this post!)
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