A slow morning sounds beautiful, doesn’t it? It brings up ideas of waking up slowly, listening to birdsong, and enjoying a delicious breakfast with a view. In fact, your slow morning routine could look just like that — or completely different.
Today I wanted to talk to you about slow mornings and how to create your own slow morning routine. I’ll also share what I like to do on a slow morning to give you some ideas for your own routine.
What is a slow morning?
A slow morning is what it sounds like — a morning where you take things easy and let go of some of the rushing and busyness that usually takes up those first few hours of the day. Slow mornings are a chance to breathe, move intentionally, and make time for things that put you in a good mood for the rest of the day.
Enjoying a slow morning means you can make time for:
- Waking up slowly with the sun
- Listening to your favorite podcast
- Cooking a delicious, healthy breakfast
- Writing a manifestation list
- Enjoying a hot cup of coffee
- Sitting down and reading a good book
- Deep breathing
- Going for a walk to get some fresh air
- Using journaling prompts to write in your journal
- Catching up with your favorite people on social media
- Creating positive habits and morning rituals
- Taking an early morning dance break
- Practicing yoga or gentle exercise
- Completing your morning cleaning routine
You can add a slow morning into your life every now and again when you feel burnout approaching, or create a slow morning routine so you have a list of habits you can include once a week or month. You could even extend this into a more general slow living practice for daily life, embrace minimalism, or try a monthly reset routine, if you find you enjoy it.
6 tips to help you plan your slow morning routine
You can get up one morning and decide to have a slow morning. That usually works out fine! To get more out of your slow morning though, I recommend planning ahead and making your own routine so you can find what works for you. Here are my best tips on how to revamp your morning routine for a calmer start.
1. Choose the right days
While most of us love the idea of a slow morning every morning, it’s often not possible. Think about which day would work best for you to enjoy a slow morning, then plan around this.
Choose a day where you think it’ll be easier to slow down, instead of one which you know is likely to be busy. That way, you can ease into the day without worrying about what’s happening later. Take your energy levels and mood into account too.
2. Decide what time to wake up
Some of us are morning people, others are night owls. Decide what time you’d love to wake up on your slow morning, so you can start putting the basics of your slow morning routine into place.
Once you have the perfect time in mind, stick to it. Set multiple alarms and don’t be tempted to hit the snooze button. You might find a sunrise alarm clock a great companion, as it lets you wake slowly and gently.
3. Choose a focus
Everyone’s idea of the perfect slow morning is different. Consider what you want the focus of yours to be, so you can plan your ideal morning around it. It might be more general like wellness, or more specific — like wanting some extra time to focus on a new skincare routine.
Think about what you want most in life at the moment and find a way to include your goals within your slow morning routine. Whether it’s your mental health, a desire to enjoy a more productive day, or an attempt to try out the slow living lifestyle, having a focus can help your routine have more impact.
4. Decide what your non-negotiables are
For your slow morning routine to work, it has to feel right. Decide what your non-negotiables are — the things that you absolutely must include for it be that feel-good moment you crave. This will be different for everyone, so don’t worry if yours feel unusual or small — they’re not!
Your morning habits to-do list might include making matcha, a catch up of the morning’s news, time to drink water slowly, a scroll through social media, or something else entirely. Build a list that makes you feel good, then consider these your slow morning routine must-haves.
5. Make space for self care
You could consider your entire slow morning as a moment of self care, and you should! Within it, make sure there are lots of elements of self care to help you live in the moment and feel good.
Spending time on self care looks different to all of us, as we all have different needs, habits, and wants. Some healthy habits around self care and wellbeing could include eating a nourishing breakfast, writing a gratitude list, or saying positive affirmations out loud. I have a huge list of self care ideas if you’re looking for inspiration!
6. Prepare ahead
To give your slow morning routine the best chance of success, get prepared the night before. Work out what you need, get it ready, and start the morning with a sense of calm rather than chaos.
If you prep everything in the night time on the day before, you know exactly where everything is. You can begin your slow morning straight away. Lay out your outfit, find your skincare products, get your breakfast supplies ready, and begin your morning as you want it to continue.
What my slow morning routine looks like
One thing I always find super helpful is seeing what other people’s routines look like. It’s a great way to pick up morning routine ideas that are actually tried and tested. Here’s one of my slow morning routines to give you some ideas on what yours could look like:
- Wake up earlier than normal, around 6.30am-7am
- Get out of bed straight away, instead of scrolling
- Turn off notifications for a while
- Change into something cozy for the day
- Drink a glass of water
- Write a to-do list for the day or week
- Scroll through my favorite Facebook groups
- Enjoy a light breakfast and embrace slowness
- Get started with my workday or rest day
Your slow morning routine doesn’t have to be long or complicated. The highlight could be making time for reading a personal growth book, or an extra long snuggle with your pet before you head out the door for work. Make it your own, and make it something that you’re excited about.
If you’re not sure what to include, look through my list of things that make me happy to get some inspiration.
Time to create your own slow morning routine
Your slow morning routine can help you get off to a good morning start. Alongside other daily routines, it can become part of a slow living approach or a calmer way of living. Even if you can only enjoy a slow morning every now and again, it’s worth creating a routine so you have one handy for when you have the time.
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