If there’s anything I’ve felt so grateful for during the last couple of months, it’s that I use my mornings more meaningfully than ever before. I used to either rush to get ready and head to work or try to cram in a workout or blog post before starting my workday. Now that I have more time to get done the essentials during the week, I’ve been able to focus on things that will enhance my well being or pretty much anything I’ve put off in the past because “I don’t have time”. I’ve slowly added some of these things into my summer morning routine and can’t even begin to tell you how relaxed and focused I am now when it’s time to start my work day. 

Reading for 15 mins

I know it doesn’t sound like a lot of time but I used to never incorporate reading into my routine. This is mainly on the excuse that I don’t have enough time. I’ve been focusing on spending short bits of time here and there on a book to get back into reading. Even if it’s just 10-15 minutes, incorporating these habits can make lasting differences.

Meditate 

Meditating is one of those things that’s becoming more and more popular over the past couple of years. Thanks to apps like Headspace and Calm, we can easily incorporate meditation into our daily routines. Both apps are perfect for beginners, like me. While it doesn’t happen every morning for me, I usually can find 10-15 minutes to listen to one of their guided meditations. I’ve been using the Calm app for their focus meditations and going back to sleep when I wake up in the middle of the night. 

Long Walks

Back when I used to go into the office, I would work out in the morning almost every single day. This would involve me going to the gym, working out as hard as I can for 45 minutes and rushing to work. Now I can take my time in the morning for a long walk to clear by head and reset before I sit down for work. It’s been one of my favorite parts of the entire summer!

Eat/Drink Something Healthy

I’ve always been somewhat of a health nut but having more time in the morning to focus on me has been a great excuse to incorporate more of a healthy routine. This has been either drinking a large glass of water first thing, making a healthy smoothie with greens, or spending time focusing on eating breakfast instead of mindlessly multi-tasking.