Hello hello, and welcome to Episode 59 of Life On the Brink!
Also, Bonne Fête Nationale to any French listeners or Francophiles out there.
It's the middle of summer, that halfway point where I'm resisting the urge to think about school just yet and it's really too early for the Pumpkin Spice Nation to appear. We're in that summer sweet spot, and today’s episode is right in line with that.
Today we're talking about mornings, and specifically a summer morning routine.
And I know you may be thinking, “Um, no, summer is the time to dispense with the routine, right? It's time to relax to lose the rigidity of schedules and stuff?” And I agree with you, however I’ve noticed that sometimes I can forget to actually enjoy these summer days, and they just pass me by.
I have found that the way that I go about my mornings really sets me up to be able to embrace the day, to get things done when I need to get them done, or to simply enjoy it!
The summertime is filled with light and life and color, and I find that getting up and moving in the morning just feels good, feels natural. With that, in this episode I’m sharing a new sort of approach to a morning routine, one that isn’t rigid by any means, but one that I have come to truly enjoy, and hopefully will inspire you to enjoy these summer days even more.
So here we go!
What’s in my teacup? It took me a while to find, but I finally got my hands on the Harney and Son’s Platinum Jubilee blend. It’s so good, like an elevated Earl Grey with lavender.
MY SUMMER MORNING ROUTINE
1. Rise
-I tend to get up between 7:00-8:00.
-These days the sun is up early, and I like to enjoy the morning before it gets too hot.
-There are a few things I do immediately every single day: brush teeth, make the bed, drink a glass of water, and open up all the curtains in the apartment.
Now, moving from here you can change up the order of the rest of the items on this list. My order changes most every day, and can be adjusted depending on your mood or whatever you have going on that day.
A moment of mindfulness. Just starting the morning with gratitude and welcoming the day. It can look like:
-prayer/ reading my Bible
-yoga
-journaling
-watering the garden
-enjoying a cup of tea
Move. Getting into my body always makes me feel my best.
-a walk
-a workout, either at home or at the gym
-yoga (can double with mindfulness!)
-simple morning stretches
Get ready. Pertains to your person.
-shower
-skincare and hair routines, a little makeup if you like.
-changing clothes. A habit I developed during quarantine. I usually reserve pajama days for lazy weekends or sick days.
Clean and prep. Pertains to your space. A clean space helps make a clean mind in my experience.
-tidying up (I like to do this before I go to bed too)
-wash any dishes in the sink
-any little chores that need doing
-make a to-do list or look at my schedule for the day
Feed my body and soul
-tea or coffee
-a bit of reading or a small puzzle (sudoku, Wordle, etc)
-not for scrolling!
As I mentioned before, you can feel free to mix up the order here!
Generally, I like to do any strenuous exercise before breakfast, and I usually don’t get hungry for at least an hour or so after I wake. Also, if it’s a work day, I like to look at my to-do list last, otherwise I’m thinking about it when I ought to be enjoying my morning.
Now, here’s an example of how differently these steps can be taken…
30 Minute Routine:
-5 minutes prayer/breathing
-5-10 minute yoga practice
-10 minutes to get ready
-2-3 minute prep (make the bed, check to-do list)
-7-8 minutes breakfast, maybe reading a few pages
Long Morning Routine (2.5 hours):
-15 minutes tidying and getting ready
-30 minutes-1 hour walk (can double as mindfulness)
-30 minute shower and getting ready
-30 minutes reading with breakfast and tea
Lastly, I should mention that I don’t think about this routine as much on the weekends. It helps make that time a little more special.
Now, sometimes I don’t have time (or motivation) to do all of these things, and that’s ok! Sometimes I sleep a little longer and grab a banana on the way out. Sometimes the days are so lazy or I get right into work mode, or I spend too much time on my phone (working on that one).
This episode is not meant to create a strict itinerary for your leisure time, but rather to encourage you to ask yourself what feeds you, and how these first hours of the day can serve you best, be enjoyed the most.
These are just some of the ways that I enjoy these sunny summer mornings.
I hope you can have fun with it and enjoy these days to the fullest, friend!
This Week’s Little Joy: My uncle is visiting from out of town and had a birthday last week. I offered to make him a birthday cake, and was delighted with the challenge of making a nice, fresh version of a black forest cake. I used this chocolate cake recipe, dividing the batter ingredients by half so it only made one layer, then topped it with a cherry compote?(jam? filling?) and fresh whipped cream.
The cherry filling was just frozen cherries that I thawed and stewed in a saucepan until they reduced to a thick mixture, then added in some liquid sweetener and a handful of fresh chopped cherries.
The cream was whipped by hand by Josh with just a little sweetener and vanilla bean paste added.
I topped the cake with chocolate curls (I used a mini mandolin) and fresh cherries. So so good!
*plus!* I added a bonus Little Joy that’s less involved. It’s this video called “the spices reacting to garlic powder.” I think it’s completely hilarious.
What I’m Listening To: It’s the album “Just Piano” by artist FKJ. It was recommended to me by a friend, and it’s exactly the sort of thing I just love, especially in the morning. As the name suggests, it’s solo piano, with just enough complexity while remaining lyrical and soft and lovely. It’s lovely to play while making breakfast or tidying up in the morning, and each song transitions perfectly into the next. It makes life feel like a movie, in my opinion, and I highly recommend a listen.
Thank you so much for listening! If you don’t already, feel free to subscribe to the free monthly newsletter (just fill out the form at the bottom of this page) to get alerts to all blog posts and episodes, plus lots of bonus Little Joys and extra content. I love to hear where and how you listen to this show, so if you’d like, leave me a comment below or reach out to me on Instagram.
I’ll be back next week, friend, so until then you enjoy your summer!