3 Simple & Easy Ways To Refresh Your Morning Routine
The seasonal shift into spring is symbolic of rebirth and renewal, and for many of us, it's a good time to check in, plant new intentions, and nurture their growth.
If you're not quite sure where to start, how about tomorrow morning? We all know how much a grounding routine can set the tone for your day, so read on for three intentional ways we can freshen up our morning routines:
Swap the phone-scrolling with something more mindful.
Instead of prioritizing the need to check news, notifications, or catch up on our social feed first thing in the morning, take a few grounding moments for personal growth: Think a quick meditation or breathwork exercise.
Make this dedicated time a ritual that you look forward to by using an invigorating, energizing essential oil roller to help center your mind for the moment. Keep NOW's Certified Organic Essential Roll-Ons—like Tea Tree for its cleansing vibe or Peppermint for its invigorating aromatherapy—within reach, and roll them over your wrists or temples to feel their effects.
Try this: A journaling exercise can help shake off the cobwebs and bring you a little closer to what you're seeking and how you want to feel.
Prompt: What do I want to let go of? What do I want to create?
- Make a list that answers why you're still holding on or what you're getting from holding on.
- Take a look at your answers and notice how many of them are old thought patterns and mental habits and how many of them are truly circumstantial.
- Pick one old pattern or habit to commit to releasing.
- Write down your goals, aspirations, encouraging words, and seeds of intention that move you toward what you want to create.
- Each morning, make a list of everything you'd like to say no to and a list of everything you'd like to say yes to.
Change up your cup of joe.
If you normally rely on a steaming mug of coffee to charge up your mornings (that's totally us, too), here's an opportunity to transition this sacred a.m. ritual to something nourishing for spring.
A few ideas to get you started: Enjoy your cup of coffee outside for a morning dose of vitamin D and to breathe in some fresh air, or make a switch to matcha (NOW makes an Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder that's perfect for adding to smoothies, too) or a caffeine-free coffee alternative like a maca latte that you can make from maca powder.
Try this: Make a homemade iced coffee creamer (yum!). A splash of naturally sweetened creamer always helps cut the bitterness of a chilled cup of joe. Here's a formula you can use with your favorite whole, natural ingredients:
- Pick your base: Almonds, cashews, hazelnuts all work! A cup of nuts will make about a cup of creamer.
- Soak the nuts in water overnight, then drain and rinse.
- In a blender, combine the rinsed nuts along with 1½ cups of filtered water and a bit of natural sweetener like organic NOW Monk Fruit Liquid, which is a vibrant, zero-calorie, low-glycemic sweetener that doesn't leave an aftertaste. You can also add your favorite flavors like cinnamon, lavender, or vanilla.
- Blend for several minutes until the mixture is smooth. Taste test intermittently and adjust as desired. Creamers are thick, but you may want to pour it through a nut milk bag to remove the pulp!
- Store your coffee creamer in the fridge for up to three days.
Simply wake up earlier.
There are literally (science proves1) two types of people—those who have no problem waking up bright and early and those who'd really rather hit the snooze. With spring's arrival, the sun rises earlier and earlier, so if you're in the latter camp, try giving yourself a kick-start for the day and wake up with the sun.
Getting sunlight first thing in the a.m. is thought to spur the production of mood-boosting serotonin and can help regulate your sleep-wake cycle, making you more alert, energized, and ready to take on the day. Along with the extra time you'll get in the morning, some studies suggest getting up early could be the key to peak productivity. There's also a spirituality behind it, as rising with the sun is an energy-balancing ayurvedic practice for promoting movement and mental stamina.
Try this: Set an earlier alarm, but don't cut short the number of hours you need for adequate sleep (this may mean proactively getting into bed earlier tonight!). When the alarm goes off, take a few deep breaths and do a few stretches in bed to warm up your body and help you wake up.