Envision this:

Hitting the snooze button three times, getting up late, skipping breakfast and getting it on your way. Already feeling anxious and the day hasn't started yet. 

Instead imagine this: It's 5.00 a.m. you turn off your alarm and give yourself more time to get out of bed. Simply lying on your bed, thinking and gazing at the fan. After 10 minutes you finally jolt yourself off your bed and without a rush get yourself out of the door. Then, starting a day with gratitude, doing stretches and meditation rather than rushing and thoughtlessly doing things.

The second one sounds much better right? Instead of rushing into a busy routine in the morning and hustling to be productive right away, gentle mornings are reminders to give time to yourself to simply exist.

Let’s deep dive into this and learn more about slow mornings.

WHAT IS A SLOW MORNING?

In the rise and grind culture, a slow morning is an element of lifestyle intended to stay calm, be more creative, and focused and soothe your nervous system. Slow living looks different for everyone, but it's about creating space in your life for the things that are important to you. Slow mornings can look like stretching, positive affirmation to self, journaling, making breakfast or tidying your space. Slow mornings have an air of mindfulness because it's actually not about future time it's about present time in your day and doing things that feel good to you. It involves a lot of practices that our mind and body inherently crave, but we don't always make time for.

BENEFITS OF SLOW MORNING?

The morning is our time to ourselves to set the precedent for how we want to spend the rest of the day. Having a slow nice morning enhances your mood and boosts energy. Firstly, a slow morning can help you manage your emotions. It also soothes your nervous system. It’s not like moving at a snail’s pace – in fact, even the early birds apply the norms of slow mornings and reap the benefits. But, when you have dedicated your time to feeling calm, grounded and connected to yourself versus when you wake up anxious or intense your whole day feels different.

Finally, a slow morning can help spark creativity. Allowing your mind to wander freely, especially through mindfulness practices associated with slow mornings. The slow mornings promote us as one of the most important people to take care of.

HOW TO HAVE A SLOW MORNING?

 Let’s be real: If you have a demanding schedule or work with family, or friends – it can seem impossible to have a luxurious, slow start to the day. But, by creating a pocket of slowness in the morning we give ourselves some buffer to protect against stress and overwhelm. Here are a few slow morning routine ideas to help you enjoy a calmer day.

A good morning start with the night before just try adding some tasks to your evenings such as making your bed or packing your office bag that will make your mornings a little bit smoother.

• Tidy up your room before starting a new day.
• Disable social apps for some time in the morning.
• Don’t reach for a screen first thing. Instead, spend time lying in bed.
• Do some breathing exercises before doing a workout or try a 5-minute meditation.
• Do a journaling exercise or practice gratitude for a positive mind.
• Do a morning skincare pamper your skin that will relax your mind and boost happiness.
• Savour the smell of your coffee brewing and the sound of dripping coffee into your mug.
• Listen to music while taking a shower.
• Get outside in your garden take sunlight and water your plants while listening to the chirping sound of birds.
• Make your own healthy breakfast.

Find out what works for you best and know that it’s ok if your day doesn’t look exactly the same every day. Whatever puts you into a great, energised, happy mood make that part of your morning routine. So, tomorrow morning give yourself a gift of time and presence.

WHAT TO AVOID DURING SLOW MORNING?

Waking up in the morning and immediately rushing to do the stressful task is like drinking up a hot mug of coffee and then immediately chomping on ice. It's unpleasant, it shocks your body cells and leaves nasty scars over time. That's what happens when you try to work immediately after waking up. Your exact routine is up to you, but some things you should change for slower and calmer mornings. The first thing is negative self-talk, if you are dealing with self-esteem or being kind to yourself then you should practice gratitude journaling.

 Another thing to avoid or limit is giving a few minutes less screen time a day can promote mental health. Mindlessly scrolling social media feeds seems like a peaceful activity, but you do not have much control over what you see on social media on a given day, so it could get overwhelming. You don't have to avoid current events, ignore social media or neglect your work or e-mail, but to care for your mental well-being. 

Lastly, slow mornings are different variations of daily similar routines. We owe it to ourselves to enjoy our lives, find peace in everything and romanticize the little things. Our body and mind need it just as much as we need water!

So, stop rushing every day in the morning and as you go on with your life try to switch up your morning routine, wake up earlier and give yourself time. And remember: A little intentionality goes a long way.

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