Picture this:

It’s 7:00am on a Monday morning. 

Your alarm goes off and you, dreadfully, tap the snooze button and start mindlessly scrolling on Instagram. 

You can’t help but think of the inevitable: you need to shower, make your bed, brew your coffee, make breakfast, throw together an outfit, do your hair, gather your work things, and be out the door to hop on the subway on time to make it to work by 8:00am or 9:00am. You are already exhausted just thinking about it. 

Then, you glance at the time and realize 15 minutes have already flown by. You jolt yourself out of bed and rush your brains out to simply get yourself out the door. “Why can’t you just get up earlier?!” you groan to yourself yet again.

Anyone else ever found themselves in a cycle like this?

I used to live my life like this (and still fall into it here and there). I’d immediately start my day off in a rush and operate in a state of panic.

It was not healthy. 

Whether that is how you used to live or how you currently live, living like that is no way to treat yourself. You deserve better and truly deserve quality time to yourself, especially in the mornings. 

There is legitimate scientific evidence that proves that having a morning routine can reduce stress and boost your energy. But I’d like to add that, having a nice, slower morning routine enhances your happiness and life overall! It is mindblowing how much better I feel when I give myself time in the mornings to—simply—exist.

Waking up earlier is not an easy thing to do at first, trust me. But once you get into the habit of doing so and your body starts feeling the benefits of doing it, it will change your life; again, trust me! You will start looking forward to the mornings, rather than dreading them (you may not believe me right now, but just give it a shot!)

There will be some trial and error as you figure out what works best for you and what makes you feel the best. 

Personally, I love to give myself time to wake up in the wee small hours of the morning. Let’s say I set an alarm for 5:30am, I give myself at least 10 minutes to “wake up” and that could mean me just laying there, thinking, being awake with my eyes shut still (yes, that exists!), whatever it may mean that day. 

I do this to really be in and feel my mind and body waking up. 

Then, I’ll make my coffee and enjoy (and also romanticize) the process, rather than rushing and thoughtlessly doing it. 

I love the sound of the coffee dripping out of the pot into my mug or the way the spoon feels when I dip it into sugar. I love the sound of the creaks of the hardwood when I’m walking around my apartment in the morning. And I love the way the light peers through the curtains just as the sun is rising. It’s amazing—the little things you notice when you’re not rushing your life away. 

Every morning is a different variation of a similar routine within itself, but some days I’ll still get up early and just exist. Whether that’s me drinking coffee and journaling or staring out the window or taking an ultra long “everything” shower (girls, you know the one) with a spa playlist or a motivational podcast on. 

The morning is our time to ourselves to set the precedent for how we want to spend the rest of the day (or if we simply want some peace without the pressure to be productive). 

I was reading an article from the Wall Street Journal about the power of a slower morning and it said that people who have slower mornings tend to, “spend time—sometimes hours—doing very little in the morning. Rising early, they relish beginning their day in quiet solitude, free of interruptions and deadlines. They say it provides a foundation for productivity, calm and focus that lasts the rest of the day.” This is exactly right. 

Having a slower morning is reclaiming your time and life. We often get swept up in giving our time to our employers, friends, or family more than we ever give ourselves; which ultimately leads to burnout, increased stress, and unhappiness. 

We owe it to ourselves to enjoy our lives, find peace in the everyday, and romanticize the little things. Our bodies and minds need it just as much as we need water! 

I hope as you go on with your life you try to switch up your morning routine, wake up earlier, and try to enjoy and give yourself time in the mornings. It’s not always about productivity—it’s about reclaiming your time and energy. And you get to decide what that means to you.