My Morning Routine (And How To Create Your Own)
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A question I’m often asked by my friends and clients is: What is your morning routine? I actually love answering this question, because it makes me reflect on how far my routines (both morning and evening) have come. The more I’ve learned about wellness over the years, and the more I’ve prioritized my physical and mental well-being, the more effective and efficient my routines have gotten. AND they’re super sustainable now—I used to have super long routines and I never ended up sticking with them because they demanded too much. Below is an overview of my morning routine, as well as my top three tips for developing your own!
Step 1: Probiotic, stretching, and workout.
My nighttime routine (which I’ll be sharing in a few weeks on the blog) is very purposeful and deliberate. I spend a good amount of time getting myself ready for bed and transforming my bedroom into the perfect environment for sleeping. I log off of my electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bed, I draw the blackout curtains in my bedroom, I do my evening skincare…you get the picture. So, in the morning, my first few actions are critical for setting up my day. Here's how I get started:
First and foremost the first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is hydrate with a cup of warm lemon water and take a probiotic. Hydrating first thing in the morning is critical after sleeping, as we just went hours and hours without water.
Next, I'm definitely a morning workout person, so after I hydrate, I start warming up for my workout. I do a 10 minute stretching routine to wake up my body, and then I go for a 30 minute run.
When I come back from my run, I draw a bath with epsom salt and lavender essential oil. I listen to a meditation app while I soak.
Step 2: Shower and skincare
After soaking for a bit, I take a cool shower and moisturize my body with Biologique Recherche Emulsion Corps VIP O2. Then, I start my facial skincare routine:
I start with a double cleanse: Dr. Elsa Jungman Begin Again Gentle Cleanser, followed by the IS Cleansing Complex
After that, I use the Rose Petal Facial Toner by Thayer’s. I apply it to a cotton ball and swipe it over my whole face.
Next, I apply MBR Cyloline Eye Cream 100, layer on the IS Clinical Super Serum Advance Vitamin C serum, and moisturize with SkinBetter TRIO Rebalancing Moisture Treatment.
Finally, I apply my sunscreen!
Boom, skincare done! By that point, I start to get hungry for breakfast.
Step 3: Breakfast smoothie + mental prep
For breakfast, I almost always have a protein smoothie. In my smoothie, I put almond milk, spinach, almond butter, strawberries, and the Beauty Cocktail Collagen Power from Dr. Nigma Talib (this was a #PJWApproved product!). I made my bed while I sip on my smoothie.
While I’m eating breakfast, my mind starts visualizing the day ahead. I think through what I have to do that day AND what I want to do that day, and then I’ll write it all down. On days when it feels like I have a million tasks to do, I narrow my list down to three things that are non-negotiable—three things that if I got them done and nothing else, it would be okay and I would feel good. This helps take some pressure off of me, which always makes the day easier.
Then, I start my day! So that’s really the end of my morning routine. The thing that matters to me most about my morning routine is that I take care of myself first, so I can take care of others later. I hydrate, workout, take time for self-care, and have a healthy breakfast. After all of that, I’m ready to take care of the PJW community and my clients.
If you want to create your own morning routine, here’s my advice:
3 Tips For Developing Your Own Morning Routine
1. Figure out what you care about.
The best, most sustainable routines are built around what we actually care about—not what we think we “should” be doing based on what we see elsewhere. Your best friend’s morning routine probably isn’t going to work for you for a lot of reasons, especially if you don’t have the same priorities. You want your values to be clearly represented in my morning routine. Figure out what matters to you and how you want to begin the day, and then add in actions that get you to that place.
2. Start with just the essentials.
I see so many “morning routines” on Instagram and Tiktok that are well-intentioned, but totally not realistic. (At least, they aren’t for me, and I imagine many of you.) Chances are, if you work a 9 to 5 job, you don’t have that much spare time in the morning—and you certainly don’t have time for things that aren’t crucial to your day. So, my advice is to not overwhelm yourself by adding 100 tasks to your plate and calling it a morning routine. Start with the basics: Make your bed, brush your teeth, take a shower or change your clothes, and do what you need to do to feel put together. Eat a nutritious breakfast, visualize your day, and head out the door. Most people don’t do these small things every morning, even though I consider them bare necessities. If you’re starting from zero routine, choose one action you can do in the morning to make yourself feel better, and try to do that every day for a few weeks. Once you’ve got that under your belt, you can add more, knowing that you already have one good habit in place.
3. Prioritize consistency over perfection.
As with eating and exercising, our results come from what we do MOST of the time—not all of the time. That’s where the well-known 80/20 rule comes from. What we do the majority of the time is what matters most; if you forget your routine or cut it short from time to time, that doesn’t mean you’ll lose all the work you’ve put in. Especially in the beginning, as you work to integrate your routine into your daily life, you’ll probably mess up a few times. While it’s important to hold yourself accountable, it’s just as important to be patient with yourself. And remember: Something is always better than nothing! I’d rather see you do your skincare five days a week than not at all. I’d rather you sit down and eat a healthy breakfast a few mornings than not at all.
I hope you found this blog post helpful, and that you feel excited and empowered to create your own personalized morning routine! For more tips like this, you can check out my newly launched Pure Joy Squad, and follow us on Instagram @purejoywellness.
Xo,
Renata