Cultivate a morning routine without your screens by including these 5 simple tips to bring in a more mindful morning.

I’m not sure about you, but I like to give my plants the best start. They grow better and they tend to produce better fruits / veggies. I also like to apply the same thinking to my personal morning routine. It’s so easy to scroll your way into the morning - and sure it might be fine to do sometimes. But mornings which aren’t lead by my phone are so much nicer! I tend to have a more productive day.

So here are 5 tips to create a lovely morning for yourself. Think of it as self care.

1. Analog Clock

Think about getting yourself an alarm clock. That way you don’t have to rely on your phone to wake you up in the morning. I’ve got an alarm clock that wakes me up slowly with a soft and gentle light. I currently wake up to bird sounds, but you can change it to whatever you like. It really allows me to wake up gently.

2. Create a Tech-Free Zone

So you’ve got yourself an alarm clock.

Make your sleeping area a screen-free zone. Charge your phone in a different corner of your room, or better yet charge it in another room entirely. If you’re unable to do that, put your phone on airplane mode!

3. Journal

Morning pages. You might have heard about these. Julia Cameron, the writer behind The Artist Way talks about the morning pages. You just write whatever is on your mind, and if you don’t have anything on your mind you can literally write that continuously. I don’t have anything on my mind.

If you don’t fancy doing the morning pages, perhaps you could write down 5 things you’re grateful for. Perhaps you’re happy for the water you drank or your very comfy pillow. It’s all about finding joy in the small things.

4. Move your body

Find a way to move your body. Moving your body will bring down you cortisol levels (aka the stress hormone) and let loose those endorphins (the joy squad) for a happier and more chilled-out morning.

Gentle movement in the morning will allow you to ease into the day without the stress of anxiety of your phone. Yoga or stretching, can feel really good on the body. Take it easy and do 5 simple stretches or poses.

5. Get Outside

Like a plant you need light and vitamin D is everything. Did you know that a lack of vitamin D can lead to lower moods?

Lower moods leads to not wanting to do much, or looking for your phone for quick hits of joy.

Either put on headphones and head out or enjoy the sounds of the day waking up!