Beauty & Wellness
Easy Methods To Create Room For Yourself In the Morning
This is a public service announcement that mornings are also for mothers. As someone who enjoys mornings, I recognize that I will always desire a few moments to myself at the start of the day, regardless of my current stage of life. However, morning self-care can’t always be an elaborate, coffee-and-yoga-on-the-porch-in-the-sunshine experience. Finding small ways to take care of yourself and make space for your own needs in the morning is exceptionally important for establishing the tone of your day. While much of the narrative around mothers in the morning revolves around getting everyone else ready, moms also deserve to prepare themselves mentally each morning. These are the finest methods to make room for yourself in the mornings, even when someone may be attempting to leave the house without wearing shoes.
Ways to Set Aside Time for Yourself in the Morning
1. Engage with a few pages of a book
Upon waking up, instead of turning to your phone, switch on the light and pick up a book right away. Checking texts, emails, and social media right at the beginning of your day can instantly cause stress, so allow yourself to gradually wake up by turning a few pages—even if it’s just a couple! Let yourself have a moment before plunging into responsibilities, whether virtual or otherwise, as it is crucial when starting the day. If your little one is with you in bed, give them a short book and encourage them to do the same. There’s no pressure to finish the book. This is about engaging in the act of reading, rather than completing the reading itself.
2. Actually complete your skincare routine
I’ll confess: When I’m in a rush in the morning, my skincare routine gets reduced to a quick rinse and some moisturizer, and I know I’m not the only one in this situation. It’s easy to neglect this form of self-care when you have to coax someone into eating breakfast or brushing their teeth in time to leave the house, but ultimately, you’ll feel much better if you take out the time for this practice.
Leave the bathroom door ajar, allow your child to hug your knees if necessary, but still go through your entire skincare routine from cleansing to applying sunscreen every morning. Allowing yourself this thorough process can create a small pocket of self-care during an otherwise chaotic or potentially draining morning.
3. Prepare yourself a delicious cup of coffee and relish it while seated
Let’s be real: Coffee is too enjoyable to consume on the go every single day of the week. For me, I cherish my daily ritual with my cup. Taking the time to sit down and savor it every morning gives me an opportunity to rest before commencing my day. No one should have to forgo a little bit of coffee time in the morning, so invest the time to prepare yourself an extra delightful cup (personally, I’ve been enjoying enhancing mine with flavored oat milk from Trader Joe’s) and enjoy it while seated. Even if you’re at the breakfast table with family or simultaneously sending off emails, the act of sitting down to indulge in the cup will prepare you for a smoother transition into the day.
4. Engage in a five-minute stretching session
On hectic mornings, engaging in a complete workout is simply unfeasible for anyone. If you’ve always been someone who enjoys morning workouts but never seems to find the time, get your body moving in a different way by taking a few minutes to stretch. Whether you follow a short yoga sequence or simply sit on the floor in the butterfly or child’s pose for a while, taking the time to breathe and stretch can make a significant difference in the morning. Even better, involve the whole family: Get everyone out of bed and have them touch their toes for a few minutes every morning. It doesn’t have to be tranquil to be effective.
5. Inscribe a positive message on the mirror
Positive messages written on the mirror in dry erase markers are not exclusively for high schoolers before a big test. If you need a mood lift in the morning, take some time to hunt for a positive quote or affirmation that resonates with you, and inscribe it on your bathroom or bedroom mirror. Initiating the day on a positive note will set the tone for your morning—plus, it’s a form of self-care that only takes a few seconds. Another significant advantage of doing this is that it sets an example for little ones, demonstrating the significance of self-love and self-care through your actions. It’s a win-win, and it might even motivate you to complete the entire skincare routine, too.
