As much as I’d like to be, I’m not a morning person. I try, I really do. But it’s ALWAYS been a struggle for me. I remember being in 2nd grade asking my teacher if she thought they would ever change school hours to night time.

And trust – lil’ sis was serious!

The other day on social media, I shared a snippet of my personal goals for the month of July and how I’m refreshing after such a heavy month.

May and June were heavy, for a number of reasons, but it was also the most bewildering for me because they were the most emotionally revitalizing months I’ve experienced since entering quarantine.

Well, that was before sh*t hit the fan, of course. 

#BlackLivesMatter

Also, I never thought I would say this, but quarantine has been as much of a blessing as it’s been some bull swanky. We’ll dig into that a little bit later on, but just know – I’m in my feelings about having to explore that duality.

Anywho, when each month ends, I give a little once over to see where I am and where I need to go. For June, I recognized that there were some “soul-lationships” (a term I came up with to describe relationships, patterns, and behaviors that are beneficial to my growth and well-being) that are in need of repair.

One of them is with my morning routine. 

In short, it’s trash.

About My Morning Routine and 3 Ways I’m Refreshing My Morning + Spirit 

So, in an effort to experience the divine fullness (or f*ckery) that July holds and to continue being productive while in quarantine (Yep, STILL here.), here are three small changes I’ve made to my morning routine that are helping me in a major way. 

I Give Myself A Few Moments Of Quiet At The Beginning Of Each Day

 

The alarm goes off. Wake Up. Grabs phone. Checks email and social media. 

How many of us are guilty of this? I know I am. This was frustrating because I already have a hard time shutting my brain down at night to sleep, so to wake up and jump straight into the ‘rat race’ of the day was exhausting, mentally and physically.

But ever since I’ve had the luxury of slowing life down during quarantine, I don’t do that anymore. When I wake up in the morning, I purposely give myself a minute of just… quiet. My new morning routine. 

I take this time to warm my brain up (or slow it down, depending on what I dreamt the night before), catch my breath and begin to wrap my head around the fact that I am blessed to see another day. I also don’t use that quiet time to think of the “day”.

Like, I’m not mulling over task lists and all that. I sometimes hum a song in my spirit or begin to say a quiet prayer of gratitude.

But either way, I take that moment to sit with myself and my thoughts and begin to prepare my heart and spirit for what’s to come. 

I Swapped My Coffee For Herbal Tea

If you follow me on Facebook, then you know I spoke about this a couple of weeks ago. When the pandemic hit in March, I was shaken to my core. In a matter of days, everything I knew had {literally} changed overnight, and like so many others, my sense of security was endangered.

In a quest to find my flow in things, I happened upon a Black, female-owned tea company based in DC named CALABASH Tea & Tonic that makes a Root Chakra tea and let me tell you – she’s a bop.

Now because her earthiness is STRONG, I pair her with a Honey Vanilla Chamomile tea to minimize her bite.

But when I tell you that sis gets me ALL THE WAY TOGETHER…?!

Yup.

Vitamin D Is A MUST!

I ain’t going to lie – I am JUST learning how to appreciate the outside. Oh sure, I love sunny days as much as the next person, but I didn’t really APPRECIATE being out there. But as of late, things have changed, almost like an awakening.

Whether it’s soaking up the sun, grazing in the wind, feeling the earth on the bottom of my feet or admiring the droplets of rain that fall upon my skin, I relish in the elements at least once a day!

Most mornings, that’s where my fur baby Bella and I spend our quality time.

If you haven’t, I strongly recommend scheduling 30 minutes of your day outside. Enjoy a cup of coffee (or tea), read a book, or just sit out there and bask. Either way, your heart, and spirit will thank you! 

What is something you do in the morning to set the tone for a productive day?

This originally appeared on What’s the Tee