Morning? Already? Shit son, I just fell asleep!

No joke, this is has been my life everyday for the past week. I haven’t been sleeping properly. I am usually so good at sleeping. I instantly knock out on planes, I always fall asleep in movies, and whenever I get into bed - BAM! Immediately, I’m dreaming…

But this past week my body has been talking to me - and she is exhausted. With all my added free time for reflection (as I lie in bed, tossing and turning, night after night), I’ve come to the conclusion that I am stressed, guys. I have taken on so much, too much (what else is new), and I’m suffering the consequences. I know I am always preaching productivity, and everyone else seems to be doing it during quarantine also..but I’ve experienced a shift in priorities. I need to take care of my mental health if I’m going to get through this. And if you’re in a similar spot where you’re beginning to think that maybe productivity should not be top of mind for you, please know that this is okay. Staying sane is productive. For once, your to-do list can wait (and same same here).

morning routines are mood-setters.

With mental health top of mind, let’s take care of ourselves and implement a solid morning routine! If we start our mornings right, we will have a happy day.

I will say, I appreciate structure (lol Taurus season am I right), so I’ve always had a morning routine. But I’ve amped mine up a bit to include a bit of leisure and actual relaxation. Here she is, new and improved!

sage’s morning routine

drink a glass of water.

This is the first thing I do, for reals. I read somewhere that when you’re sleeping you become so dehydrated that your brain actually shrinks in size! I read that and I was all, well damn, can’t really afford to lose any of that magic. So voila - the first thing I do when I get out of bed is chug a glass of water.

water the plants.

Share the wealth. They thirsty, too (not everyday, obviously. You know your plants and what they need).

stretch + audiobook time.

I do a full stretch in the morning while I listen to one chapter of an audiobook. This week is 1984 for me and FYI, things are getting pretty wild.

PSA - I do plan on changing this part up a bit. I’m currently looking into tai chi stances and am super fired up about it.

tidy up.

I mean a super light tidy up. I tidy up my kitchen counters, I make my bed, randomly move some things around - nothing crazy. My evening routine has a more strict tidy up component to it, so the morning is pretty low maintenance.

As a side note - I’ve read something interesting about making your bed in the morning, and I’m sure you have, too. I read that making your bed gives you a sense of accomplishment and sets a very positive tone for your day. I agree with this - it is an easy, small win that you can complete right in the beginning of your day. I used to not be one to care much about making my bed, but I make sure it’s always made now. It really does make me feel like I’m adulting, which feels..pretty adulty. So that’s cool.

unwind with breakfast.

Just chill out, fam. I make a coffee, prepare my breaky, throw on a sitcom, and check my emails. Lol, okay, okay. So I see what you’re saying, and this may count as work…but honestly, I’ve always had a hard time just chilling out, so if I didn’t incorporate some kind of work productivity into my morning routine, I would go insane. So this is my way of remaining mentally healthy and setting my mood for the day, okay? Please, no judgement! This part of your morning routine should be whatever keeps YOU mentally healthy. Do you journal? Do you need to listen to your favourite song? Do you do Sudoku? Do you watch the news? Whatever it is that you do, this is the time to do it.

wait, that’s it?

It’s simple, I know - only five things (outside from your grooming routine of brushing your teeth and all of that). I want to keep things simple in the morning - I think it’s important to have an achievable morning routine. I would love to say that I do a work out or go for a run or read a couple chapters of my book - but truthfully, I don’t have the time in the AM. And if one morning I do, that’s fantastic…but that would be a bonus. I don’t want to commit myself to a super long routine, just to wake up twenty minutes late one day and feel like shit for not completing it in its entirety.

your morning routine.

Is just that - YOURS.

Am I telling you that this should be your morning routine? Absolutely not. I just wanted to share with you what I do, and show you how short my list is, really. A morning routine is what you make it. I enjoy tidying up, I enjoy a clean space, I enjoy the feeling of stretching - everything in my morning routine reflects things that I enjoy, or things that make me feel good. Because that’s what your morning routine should be about - doing things with intention, the intention of putting yourself in a good mood and a peaceful state of mind to begin your day in the best way possible. Wake up on the right side of the bed everyday, people! We all have enough things that happen to us throughout the day to stress us out - so let’s make our mornings peaceful and enjoyable ones.

From the right side of the bed,

~Sage

PS, yes, I know you’re dying to know, and you’ve guessed right, I do sleep weird. Tree pose, bih.

photo: @sweetpagesco