Bodies

Quick Morning Rituals

Words by Louise Miller

Photography by Cristina Gareau

Morning time—love it or hate it, the first part of the day is when we set the tone for how everything else will map out. You’ve heard it before: some of the most successful people in the world were and are early risers. But not to worry, that doesn’t mean you can’t lead the same proactive lifestyle if you’re not a natural morning person. Try setting your alarm 30 minutes earlier than usual and practicing these four rituals to start making mornings a little more elevated.

Drink water

Before you eat or drink anything else, drink a full cup of lemon water. The lemon helps to detoxify your liver, boost your immunity, and aid your digestion. Hydrating first thing in the morning helps calm nerves and and makes your body feel energized and awake.

Use aromatherapy

Our brains inadvertently crave consistency, and one of the easiest ways to create rituals is through scent. If you’re not a morning person, it can be a difficult task to trick your brain into jumping out of bed each morning. Luckily, there are certain scents you can use to help trigger parts of the brain to wake up and face the day. Bergamot gently helps to increase alertness, while Rosemary helps to stimulate your mental and physical energy.

Set your intentions and meditate

Whether over breakfast or while you’re still in bed, take the morning to map out your intentions for the day. By doing so, you can enter any situation with a still and confident mind. Not only does it help you dedicate your focus to what’s important, it also helps you direct your conscious.

A few tips on creating intentions: keep them positive and keep them short-term. What can you accomplish today that will help you tomorrow? After setting your intentions, take five to 30 minutes (whatever your morning allows you) to solidify them through meditation. Meditation at any point of the day is beneficial, but many find that doing so in the morning is particularly valuable. Meditating comes with a host of benefits, including increased attention span, improved brain function, and decreased stress.

Stretch

Quick stretches help kickstart circulation and increase the amount of blood and nutrients supplied to the muscles. It’s an incredible way to stimulate your body into go-mode.

Good morning and good day!