Benefits Of A Slow Morning

The first few moments of your day can significantly impact how the rest of it goes! Whether you’re a morning person or not, you might benefit from the wellness trend referred to as a “slow morning”. 

A slow morning doesn’t necessarily mean going about your morning at a slower pace because it won’t look the same for everyone, but early risers and snooze-hitters alike can benefit from the practice. 

Let us explain.

A slow morning is an opportunity to prioritise self-care. It’s a structured morning routine that rejects hustle culture. There are no strict rules for specific activities but it seems to be centred around mindfulness.

Rather than focusing on what’s to come, focus on the present. Take the first few moments of your day to self-reflect and practice mindfulness activities like journaling, getting some sun, skin care or even doing a little clean up of your room.

Slow mornings allow you to take a step back and think about how you want your day to go. It’s intended to set you up for a good day, it encourages managing stress, and focuses on soothing your nervous system. 

If you have a rushed morning, you may be pushing the boundaries of your “window of tolerance”, what psychologists describe as the ideal state where you feel calm and are best able to regulate your emotions.

If the first few moments of your day are stressful, the rest of your day is likely to follow suit!

Mornings can be demanding, some of us have kids to care for, or a long commute to work, leaving us with little times to focus on ourselves, but you only need five minutes!

If you’re short on time, take 5 minutes to just focus on how you feel without distraction. This means putting your phone on Do Not Disturb, and not checking notifications or messages from work. 

You could just open your blinds or do one better and sit in the sun for a couple of minutes! Listen to music while taking a shower, tidy your room, stretch or meditate. Even doing one of these activities for as short as five minutes can boost your mood and calm your nerves, it will benefit your mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Setting aside some time to simply be in the present should set you up for success. Don’t focus on the day you have ahead of you, just focus on the moment. 

Your routine doesn’t have to be the same every morning, all that matters is that you take some time to check in with yourself or do something you enjoy without distraction.