Creating A Morning Routine

I can't believe that it's February already! January really got away from me. I have to be honest it wasn't the best month for me. Usually in January I feel a sense of renewal and it pushes me forward to get things done. However this year I just couldn't seem to get out of my own way. I tend to be an all or nothing perfectionist so if something isn't exactly perfect it doesn't get done. Which then leads to procrastination and missed deadlines. The strive for perfection and procrastination tend to go hand in hand, at least in my life. But I don't want to let this whole year get away from me so I took the start of a new month to refocus on my goals and break things down in to smaller steps so I don't overwhelm myself. The first goal of mine is to create a morning routine. Morning routines set up the day to be more productive and it's a great time to indulge in a bit of self care which is my overall goal for 2019! 

As a true night owl my whole life this is easier said than done. So when thinking about my dream morning routine I wanted to create something that would make my days more productive but also be something that I could stick to. 

Step one was deciding upon a wake up time that wasn't too early that I would always hit snooze but not too late that it was almost lunchtime before I was finally starting my work day. I decided upon 7am. This would give me a good two hours for my morning routine so I wouldn't feel rushed but I could still start my work by 9am.

As with anything new it's a work in progress and I may adjust it as time progresses but for now it's a start!

7am - Wake up, feed kitties, hot water with lemon

• No hitting snooze! The key to me getting out of bed is to just do it. If I hit snooze I'll eventually just turn off my alarm and sleep and sleep.....
• Since the traditional alarm sound gives me anxiety I like to set my alarm to play songs instead. My current wake up song is "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" by the Andrew Sisters. It's one of my favorites :)
• I love to start my day with water. After 7-8 hours of sleep your body is dehydrated and is craving hydration

7:05am - AM yoga

• I use Rodney Yee's AM Yoga. It's five 20 minute routines. It really wakes me up and warms me up for the day.

7:30am - Make breakfast

• My goal is to a make healthy, balanced breakfast everyday. With my night own habits I tend to wake up too late to eat breakfast which leads to bad food choices the rest of the day.

7:50am - Dry brush (everyday) / Exfoliate (every other day) / Dead Sea Mud Mask

• I use our Dead Sea Mud Mask every other day alternating between Detoxifying and Anti-Aging. While my mask dries I get on to dry brushing.
• I love to dry brush in the mornings. It's so energizing, increases blood flow and gently exfoliates which is great for those of us with dry skin.
• Every other morning I like to exfoliate. Since my skin is so dry it's not really good at getting rid of dead skin cells on it's own. So it needs a little help :)
• I like to use body scrubs on dry skin gently massaging from head to toe. It give the oils a chance to soak into my skin and do their work plus it's a great aromatherapy experience.

Right now I'm using Luxurious Body Scrub in Ylang Ylang, Dead Sea Mud Mask - Detoxifying and Dead Sea Mud Mask - Anti-Aging.

8am - Shower

• My showers are pretty quick in the morning as I only wash my hair 1-2 times per week and I do it in the evenings so I can wet set my hair in pin curls (more on this in my evening routine!)

8:15am - Morning Skincare Routine

• Once I've rinsed off my Dead Sea Mud Mask (if I'm using it that day) I get on to the rest of my morning skincare routine. I start with gently cleansing and toning my skin with my skin tonic and follow up with my vanishing cream.
• I let my vanishing cream set for a few minutes before I apply my makeup. It keeps my skin shine and redness free all day and works as a great primer!

I use Geranium Skin Tonic and Lavender Vanishing Cream in the morning

8:30am - Dress / Hair / Makeup

• If I'm working from home all day and know I won't see anyone I'll admit I wear loungewear at home. But if I'm going to be out running errands or have appointments I make it a point to dress vintage inspired. My favorite eras are the 1930's & 1940's for daywear and I prefer dresses to pants most days. Complete with seamed stockings of course!

9am - Start work!

Lastly I start my work day! I'll be posting #workwithmewednesday posts in the future for a little behind the scenes glimpse here at The Lovely Rose Apothecary :)

And that's it. My current morning routine. I notice when I follow it I'm much more productive and less stressed. If I blow it off my days tend to be lost before they even begin. I'd love to hear your morning routines and how you are incorporating self care into your mornings!