a self care morning – Hanna Dotzenroth

sharing my daily morning routine for slowing down and staying present

July 31, 2020

Hello! We are at the end of July and making it week by week through this strange year. Moving towards the end of the summer here, I wanted to share some of the things I’ve been doing every morning to take care of myself before I move on with the rest of my day. During these past few months, I have been lucky enough to create my own everyday routine, so the challenge for me will be integrating this into my busier lifestyle during the fall. However, I’ve really come to see how beneficial having a slower morning can be. I hope wherever you are at, you are able to find peace within your mornings to start your day off grounded and in touch with your energy.

1.drink water and use peppermint roll on

As my body usually wakes up around 8am, I start my morning by doing some really light stretches while in bed still. Before I get up completely, I drink as much water as I can and apply some refreshing peppermint essential oil roll on to help wake me up. As I apply my essential oil roll ons, I like to go through and feel grateful for three things. I started this practice as a way to check in and make sure I really feel my gratitude in my body instead of just brushing it off as a passing thought. Starting the morning off grateful starts the ball rolling for a full day of feeling grateful.

2.tea + breakfast

Making my way to the kitchen, my first order of business is to nourish my hungry body. I make a cup of my favourite tea or coffee (but usually tea). Breakfast is my favourite meal so I usually have lots of fun making yummy breakfast bowls. Here are the two that I eat the most with different toppings every day depending on what I have on hand

a couple good heaping spoons of greek yogurt mixed with chia seeds and set to rest (so the chia seeds can puff up). then topped with any fruit of your choice, hemp hearts and honey.

After eating breakfast, I will take about 20 mins to an hour to sit outside and read while I drink my tea or coffee. I really cherish this time because I know it’s not always possible to have that extent of time in the mornings. It gives me a chance to absorb some energizing sun to push me on with the rest of my day.

4. meditate

I like to meditate for about 5 to 10 minutes after I finish reading just as a way to reflect back on what I read and give myself a chance to really absorb the information before I move on with the rest of my day. Especially since I’ve been reading more books about spirituality and mindfulness, the magic of that only comes by putting it into practice. Meditating reminds me to stay grounded as I move throughout the rest of my day.

5.wash up + get ready

After meditating, I move straight to getting physically ready for the day. Even if I am staying home, going through the routine of skin care, make up and getting dressed sets me in the mood to be productive and ensures I don’t just sit in pjs and watch youtube all day (that happens though, it’s okay). I just rinse my face with warm water and go through my skin care routine including toner, facial oil and moisturizer (with spf). I’ll wear just a little bit of mascara and concealer to feel cute and get dressed into some light summer clothes. Also listening to some jams while getting ready is one of my favourite parts of the morning.

6. tarot card of the day

During quarantine, I decided to dive into the world of tarot cards. As a way to learn about the deck and to understand it better, I have been drawing a card every day. This is the last thing I do in my morning routine as a way to transition into my tasks for the day and to see what the day holds for me. I usually just a ask a simple question like “what can I expect today” or “is there something I should focus on today.” I don’t worry about the answer too much and will just set the card at the side of my desk as a way to reflect back on it throughout my day. Sometimes the card comes to make sense by the end of the day or sometimes I never really understand it, but what I get out of it is learning about the different cards of the deck one by one.

When we can’t always control what will go on with the rest of the day, being able to have a morning routine that keeps you grounded and mindful will set you up for whatever hits you during the rest of the day. For me, it has become so important and I just love sitting in the morning sun and taking a moment to find peace within myself. I hope you are taking good care of yourself this summer and you are doing well. I would love to hear your favourite part of your morning in the comments!

Take care till next time,

Hanna