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6 Ways to Practice Self-Care Every Morning

By on December 12, 2018
6 Ways to Practice Self-Care Every Morning

By Matilda Davies

A healthy self-care practice is key to maintaining mental and physical health, but it can be tough to take good care of ourselves during the workday morning rush.

If you’re lucky enough to be a morning person, you may find that you do a lot of these things already, but we could all use more ways to take better care of ourselves.

Here are six ways you can practice self-care in the morning.

  1. Get a good night’s sleep

It’s easy to push ourselves to exhaustion for the sake of achievement, but good mental and physical health should also be considered an achievement, and sleep is a big part of that. When tasks are done for the day, go to bed so you can start the day rested and refreshed. 

  1. Organize the night before

Get organized the night before so you can wake up to a clean and tidy house—this will help you maintain a better mental state in the morning. Just take a simple 10–15 minutes before bed to put away clothes, load the dishwasher, fold blankets, take out the garbage, wipe the counters, etc. Doing this in the evening can help you focus on more pleasant things in the morning.

Also, quit phones, TVs, tablets, and computers at least an hour before bed. The blue light emitted from your screens has an energizing effect, so put them away before bed so you can fall asleep more easily.

  1. Wake up slowly

Rather than immediately reaching for your phone, take your time waking up in the morning. You might even consider trying a sunrise clock. These devices slowly increase the intensity and brightness of a room to advance your circadian rhythm and help you wake up more easily.

  1. Take 10 minutes to meditate

Meditation has been shown to reduce stress and control anxiety. Just 10 minutes of meditation in the morning can foster a mindfulness practice that can last all day. Those who practice meditation over the long term have been found to have greater skills for compassion and even increased neuroplasticity.

  1. Do something you enjoy

For most of us, time is a luxury on weekday mornings, but if you can take just 10 minutes to do something that brings you joy, you can set a more positive outlook for your day. This 10 minutes could be used meditating, listening to music, drinking a warm cup of coffee, or going for a walk. Don’t be afraid to take time for yourself first thing in the morning.

  1. Limit phone use

Keep phone use—especially for work—to working hours. Dinging notifications and emails will always beg for our attention, but for as long as you can, choose to be present where you are, whether that’s having breakfast with your partner, mentally preparing for the day, or just commuting.

 

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Matilda Davies Headshot 2Matilda lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she writes about great homes, health, and wellness. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, hiking, and walking her dogs. You can see more of her work here.

Follow her on Twitter: @MatildaLDavies

Instagram: @matildaleighdavies

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