my morning rituals for inspiration // winter morning routine

at 5:50 a.m. My first alarm rings, I wake up and immediately hate it. So I press snooze and hope that those ten minutes will make it better.

at 6 a.m. I finally get myself out of bed and beginn with my routine to make the best out of this day.

the very motherfucking best.

I have a problem with staying awake to be honest. My biggest fear is that one day Iwill just turn the alarm off and continue sleeping until noon. So I have to lure myself out of bed as good as possible.

Life improving hack:
Leaving the comforting warmth of a bed is only a tempting option if there is something nice waiting for you.

1.Stay awake

Get your mind working with some fresh air, a glass of water and, of course, bright light.

disclaimer: well, your phone might be a tempting source of light, but you shouldn’t consume cheap and easy information so early. wait half an hour before you answer all those texts and check your notification.
I like splashing cool water in my face, it’s a relief for my dry and puffy eyes. And another really refreshing morning habit is the ice cube treatment: it can improve a lot of acne-like skin problems, especially the ones that are caused by bacteria or fungus. Okay, that doesn’t sound very sexy, but your skin will look sexy! Sliding over your problem areas with an ice cube kills first of all this nasty stuff and also makes your skin glow because of the improved circulation. And, well it wakes you up.

2. Enjoy the morning

Personally, i actually like early mornings because i’m all alone during that time and that makes everything a lot more relaxed and allows for some self care time.

I always turn on music, that depends on my mood, sometimes I’m all in for chilling and relaxing music, sometimes EDM and Rap are the answers. What I do every morning is yoga or light work out. Nothing serious, just some stretches and my favourite yoga moves. That helps your posture during the day and gives you more elegance in movement. but to be honest i just do it because it feels really good.

Coffee? Always, never or sometime ?

Let’s get one thing straight: I absolutely love coffee. It makes me happier, motivated and more outgoing. But the problem is your body adapts to this effects sooner or later and builds out receptors in your brain so you need more caffeine to get an effect. And i don’t want to be someone who needs coffee as a crucial part of getting awake. So coffee is not part of my morning ritual, only on special days (when i have a test at school) and i also like coffee in the evening before going to a party (because it makes me happier and more talkative than alcohol (jk lol)

What do all humans have in common? We love food!

Okay, not everyone feels like eating in the morning, but especially when you have a lot of time to get ready you might want to integrate some breakfast in your routine.

I used to do some fancy stuff like smoothies or yogurt with fruits (until i realised that so much sugar isn’t the most beneficial way to fuel yourself)

I still like fruity stuff but I found the fastest and healthiest option: just an egg. really simple, it takes only some minutes to boil it (or scramble, omelette it) and eggs contain every essential amino acid that humans need. Also a good food for on the go. And don’t even get me started about the makro nutrients… just protein and fat, the perfect fuel for lasting concentration and also really beneficial for not developing insulin insensitively.

If you know me well or if you follow me on Instagram (hailinhpt/linhbaked), you probably figure it out that avocado toast and peanut butter toast are my forever favourite ideas for breakfast.

And sometimes when I don’t have school in the morning,I like to wake up early and go out having breakfast with my friends.

3. Get inspired

• Mediate

Meditation means altering your state of consciousness. you are changing from your default mode network into a special mode: being aware of the present.

Meditation is a lot about breathing, and so is yoga. What i like to do while meditating is counting how many seconds i need to breath really slowly and deeply. (I breath in for 5 seconds and out for 7 seconds)

You are supposed to focus on the presents moment and don’t engage in thoughts about the past or future.

I also like to do some slow and easy arm and back stretches. It feels really relieving to “un-knot” your muscles and as your supposed to focus on your body the feeling is even better.

here’s one of my favourite guided meditations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=px2supLmaXt=601s

• look at the sunrise

This is a very precious present that I love to appreciate every morning it’s possible. Sometimes the weather is too gloomy or I’m already in school when it happens (and hate it) but I even sacrifice up to an hour of sleep in summer to spend some time watching that beauty. There has been a study that shows that there’s less risk of depression in people that watch the sunrise every morning.
I can totally understand that.

“Take some time to relax and do something just for your soul, not your mind and ego.

As you can imagine i love watching the sunset as well.

• journal / diary I am doing 5 minutes of writing everyday, 2 in the morning and 3 in the evening. Maybe you’ve heard of the 5-minute-journal. At first you write down three things (or better not things but people or situations or whatever) that you are grateful for. And don’t just write them down, speak them out loud, mean it and feel it.

The second part is doing affirmations. An affirmation is a positive belief or a mantra that you are strengthening in your subconscious. You can also invent your own motivational quotes. And again it’s not so much about the writing down but about the repetition of a whole some thought in combination with an inspired feeling.

4. Get ready for the day

I hope you already put on some clothes by now, i thought these kind of steps aren’t necessary to mention. (even though i wouldn’t judge you if you wore a fluffy bathrobe all morning long. that’s what i do every weekend.)

Some might like to shower in the morning, I personally don’t. I don’t use heat on my hair so I let it air dry and it’s winter and it would be pretty stupid to go outside with wet hair.

I get ready by doing my skin care routine and usually also doing my make up.

Now it’s time to make sure your school stuff is complete (but i really recommend packing your bag the night before) and maybe include a lunch for yourself. or you buy it at school, i mean that’s obviously up to you.

My last step is spraying on my favourite scent, the tea tree water toner from lush, and then i leave the door, ready for a good day.

And that’s my morning routine. Thank you for reading!