A few months ago, when a colleague asked me about my morning routine, supposing I would have one as “someone who is intentional about life,” I admitted (some abashedly) that there was no self care routine in place at that moment. I had fallen into a pattern of waking up to the cries of my toddler, hustling simply to get her ready for daycare (how are they simultaneously so dang squirmy and clingy??), and occasionally even getting breakfast together for myself.

Upon reflection, this was a missed opportunity. Setting an alarm, at first, was almost too much to bear. I had to promise myself a morning routine that would feel so good, I would want to get up a half hour earlier than the babe usually wakes to get it in.

For me, this looks like a very quick scribble in the journal while my coffee water boils. It means starting my 30 minute meditation timer as it steeps, getting up 5 minutes in to pour myself a cup (don’t judge, girl needs her coffee), and then sitting quietly for however much more time the baby grants me. Sometimes I get a full 30 minutes of quiet. Sometimes I get one minute. But its what I do now, and somehow it makes getting out of bed easier. It is a soft landing into my day rather than a jolting awakening.

My invitation is to consider what morning routine you’re willing to get up for. Make it something luxurious, like a hot candle-lit shower, five minutes of delicious stretching, or a guided meditation. Carve out a time, however brief, to not simply focused on preparing yourself for what is ahead, but resting in what is now.

Let us know what you land on and how it goes!