My Ideal Morning

Achievable? Yes. Realistic? Maybe. Aspirational? absolutely. A girl can dream. It doesn't all always happen, but water first, movement& fascia face massage are my non negotiables. We're focusing on "ideal" - an aim at perfection on this one.

I like to get in a lot before the work day starts. Exercise is good, that's noncontroversial enough, just personally, if I get my morning rituals, including morning movement, in before the day really starts, I am setting myself up mentally & physically for success. Then it's also done, before the day melts away.

First thing when I wake up, I take off my mouth tape (more on this below!) & scrape my tongue to get rid of that bacteria build up from the previous night. Then I drink a full glass of water (we wake up dehydrated).

Next I get sunlight, ideally outside & barefoot. But any sunlight helps my body regulate and sets the stage for me to set my intentions for the day with 5-10 minutes of mindfulness/meditation just sitting with myself & thinking of 10 things (I like to write them down) I'm grateful for today.

Now, I do like to wake up early, before the rest of the world gets going (don't always achieve this, working on being gracious with myself). As the seasons change, autumn/winter - the sun is no longer up at 5am in the morning, so I'll do a modified morning mindfulness cosy, in low light. Perhaps light a (nontoxic, beeswax) candle, or if you want a little more guidance, put on an episode of Deepak Chopra's Daily Breath, whatever ritual you want to make part of your morning routine.

Then I'll get my workout in (movement of some kind be it strength training, running or stretching). Then I sip on a clean electrolyte infused water while I get ready (special shoutout to ending with a cold shower). I prioritise skincare, focusing on fascia massage & high quality products. I especially love using my hands to manipulate my face and a couple tools (guasha, ice roller). I swear by @anastasiabeautyfascia facial massage techniques & @theskinnyconfidential beauty products. I try to oil pull (I use coconut oil) for 10-15min while I'm getting ready. If you don't know what that is, check out the benefits according to NIH or check out this podcast interview.

Weekly Planner with room for gratitude practice @realalexclark

TSC Ice roller I'm obsessed with

Le Spoon Body sculptor for fast fascia massage

Fave fascia roller

Around 7am I start my coffee, get my supplements (probiotic, oregano oil drop & olive oil/lemon juice shot if I'm feeling up for it). Before any coffee, I heat up a cup of bone broth to sip on as well. Bone broth is a superfood!

The sun is almost definitely up around now, so if I haven't already got exposure, I'll go out and ground, preferably with shoes off and my hot cuppa, just sitting in silence and basking in a new day.

My fave coffee

My fave probiotic

My fave bone broth

Part of my ideal day includes the bedtime routine, which prioritises getting into bed earlier (9pm) and to sleep earlier (10pm) so that I can get up at 5 and do it all over again. And a must have part of ending my day includes mouth tape, which as crazy as it might sound, has been a game changer! I was one of those sleepers whose mouth gapes open and wakes up with a puddle of drool (iykyk). I first heard about mouth tape from Amir Odom (he's a great source on many a subject, go check him out). I decided to give it a try, and have never gone back. Since then, podcaster Alex Clark has given it good coverage & Lauryn Bosstick has created the best/cutest mouth tape and details the benefits here in this blog post & Huberman Lab did a deep dive on it in this episode. I've personally noticed I sleep better, and feel more rested when I wake up. If you don't want to shell out for the cute tape a non-residue medical tape from the drug store works too, I've tried. You won't know until you try!

And there you have it, my ideal morning, with tips and tricks from the pros. Overall, my morning routine is making me feel better. I get sick less, I look hotter, I have more in my cup to give to the family, the friends, and so on & so forth. And I don't always do it because life happens. The babe wakes up earlier than anticipated, or I sleep in because I'm listening to my body.

Out of all of the above, my non negotiables are hydration first thing upon waking, exercise everyday & face massage. You'll feel better and have more energy doing these three things and if you have the time and the drive to strive, then all of the above is perfection!

What's your morning look like?