I changed my morning routine to just be self-care practices

I changed my morning routine to just be self-care practicesI changed my morning routine to just be self-care practicesIts officially that time of year where I hate mornings. I hate waking up when its dark, and the thought of my feet hitting the cold floor is actually giving me chills right now. No. Thank you.Not sure about you, but rather than waking up refreshed and ready to abflug my day, I usually hit snooze three times, which leads to a headache, which leads to me rushing around just trying to get myself pretty before speed-walking to work. I start off my day feeling about three steps behind and with my adrenaline up to here.So much of my morning routine had become just that - routine - and with the added ugh of darkness, something needed to change. Rather than making my morning more productive or doing all those things CEOs swear by (if thats your jam, awesome), I decided to put all of my favorite make-me-smile self-care practices into my morning. Its now just an hour and a ha lf of me-time thats literally only about making me feel good. Nothing that serves me professionally (emails are banned until I get to the office), nothing that will make me look better to anyone (looking at you, Instagram stories), but just the good stuff I really love doing. Heres what lots of my mornings look like nowActually Get Up When My Alarm Goes OffYou knew this was coming - when you felt as rushed as I did, waking up a few minutes earlier was a necessity. My alarm goes off at 630am (I actually leave at 815) and I used to hit snooze a few times, but that would just leave me lying in my (super warm) bed dreading getting up when I heard the alarm a mere nine minutes later. So now I just sit up, take five deep breaths, and put my slippers on to get up. I promise, its easier once you do it for a weekMeditation and YogaMy counselor mom has been trying to get me to meditate for actual years and Ive finally gotten on the train, and I must admit, mom was right (isnt she always?). M y mind races all the time, Im super sensitive to sounds and illness, and I often find my thoughts to be out of control - and while meditation isnt a cure-all, it does give me an awareness of myself that allows me to take control again. If you havent tried it, give it a shot I use the Calm app for 15 minutes while sitting on my joga mat, or you can try one of thesevideos.When it comes to fitness, Imnot the fruchtwein active person, and workouts make me more stressed than endorphin-high, so I swapped out my (very occasional) morning workout for some (pretty frequent) easy joga. Ive been doing yoga for years, and especially paired with meditation, it gives me a mental and physical refresh that sets my day off right. I carry lots of tension in my body, so its really nice to stretch out first thing in the morning and get new blood and oxygen circulating. I may have mentioned once or twice that IloveAdriene Mishlers Youtube channelYoga with Adrienefor an at-home yoga practice any yoga ne wbie or pro can get into.Drink a Ton of WaterA person should drink half their body weight in ounces every day in water - for me, thats 10 cups of water I fill up my water bottle right when I get out of bed and make sure its empty by the time I get to work a few hours later.Tea and ReadingIm a huge book nerd. The very first thing I did when I moved to my new apartment was to get a library card. Every other week, I check out a few books, so Im always reading something new. In the mornings, I choose a book thats just for the fun of it (right now its Rachel DratchsGirl Walks Into a Bar) and plop into my comfy armchair, and read a few chapters with my tea.Tend to My Love LanguageOkay, youve definitely heard oflove languagesby now, but as a quick refresh, most people feel most cared for and appreciated in one of five ways words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, acts of service, or physical touch. While these are important in relationships so you can make sure youre loving your partner the way they receive love, its alsosoimportant to know your own and keep a good check of how often youre receiving love that wayWords of affirmation are the way I feel most loved, so to fill up my cup in the mornings, Ill call my mom, take a peek at the folder I have of positive things coworkers have said about my work, or text with my friends. A good conversation with someone I know loves me does wonders to lift my spirit and remind me of the hilfestellung Im lucky to have.Bonus - as great as receiving love feels, giving love has just as deep an impact on us. Give someone some extra love in the morning. Roommate a quality-time person? Plan to eat breakfast with her just to talk for 20 minutes. Live with your physical touch-loving partner? They might love some early morning cuddles. You are caring for yourself when you care for others, especially if those others are people you love.Facial MassageThis is my favorite part of my morning, I swear. If youve never given yourself a facia l massage, you are seriously missing out. You can use a roller if youd like, but I like to use my plain ole fingers. Heres avideothat walks you through it, but Im basically just gently brushing my skin with my fingers while I watchGilmore Girls,and I dont think life gets better than that this side of heaven.Actually Get Ready for the DayI only take 15 minutes or less in the mornings to make myself presentable to society. Im a night shower person (tangent dry brushing before you shower is an amazing self-care move that can be made better with editorial assistant Josies playlist that she describes as, My sexy playlist, except I only use it to dry brush), so after brushing my teeth and face, I do my five-minute makeup, brush out my hair, and toss on the outfit I laid out the night before. Are there days when I need to spend more time straightening my hair or putting on a full face of makeup? For sure, but I try to keep it minimal, which also minimizes my time to stress over how others are perceiving me.I do some combination of these things every morning, and its made such a difference in how I feel and behave throughout the day Is it magical every time? Nope, there are still some headaches and rushed days. But its pretty cool watching how the simple act of choosing to care for myself before attending to anything else has affected me. Most mornings, I feel rested, cared for, filled up, and ready to give the best of myself to the day ahead.This article was originally published on TheEverygirl.