6 Morning Rituals to Adopt This Year

Geri Hirsch, founder of Because I'm Addicted, is a proud California girl—born and raised in Los Angeles. After finishing business school and feeling unfulfilled at her first serious job, she started blogging in 2005 as a creative outlet and has been doing it ever since. Nowadays, she loves sharing fashion inspiration, recipes, and lifestyle tips that feel good and are full of balance (think red wine with a side of dry brushing). You can find Geri and her wellness-obsessed husband in L.A., traveling, listening to old records, and planting in their organic garden. We're thrilled to have her on as a contributor for The/Thirty, where she'll be sharing her health, diet, and wellness pointers each month.

"New year, new you!" I don't love that phrase. It feels negative, as though we want to rid ourselves of the "old us" for some reason. Instead, I like the idea of loving our current selves and allowing room for new habits, goals, benchmarks, and change—on any day, at any time of the year. But with that said, a new year does present the perfect time to self-reflect and set some new goals. Some goals may be big, some may be small, some personal, some professional, but nonetheless, they all matter!

The goals you set at the beginning of the year can help define what your year will be like and where your energy will flow. Similarly, the way you spend your morning can impact your entire day. So, in an effort to lead a fulfilling 2018, why don't we all agree to set the same goal of adopting healthy morning rituals in an effort to start every day off on the right foot? Trust me—they will help work toward all the lofty New Year's resolutions we set for ourselves.

Keep reading for some positive morning rituals.

Wake up early so you can wake up slowly

One of the best life changes I ever made was waking up earlier so that I can wake up slowly. I started this habit after I graduated from college. Having the time to take a walk, lie around, meditate, take a long shower, or make a good breakfast allows me to start my day off right. It also allows for other good morning rituals—keep on reading for those!

Keep your phone on airplane mode in the morning

If you sleep with your phone next to your bed, I highly recommend placing it on airplane mode for two reasons. Number one, you limit your exposure to radio frequency, and number two, if you leave it on airplane mode until you are done with your morning routine, you eliminate the instant stress from all the emails, texts, alerts, etc., that have piled up. When you're ready to take on the day and handle life, turn airplane mode off.

Do you

Now that you've woken up early and aren't stressed about everything you've seen on your phone, take this time to do you. Drink hot water with lemon, try dry-skin brushing, meditate, stretch, go for a workout or walk, journal, practice gratitude, etc. There are so many "wellness practices" to be had in the morning if you allow the time for it, but the magic comes from doing what's right for you. Maybe it's one thing, maybe it's five—but listen to your gut on what is actually making your morning better.

Set your intentions

My mom always reminds me that no one can control my thoughts but me, and while it took me a long time to truly own this (25 years to be exact), it's so true. To remind myself of this each and every day, I like to set my intentions in the morning, which simply put is like picking out my thoughts just like I pick out my clothes. I map out my thoughts, goals, and actions for the day while taking an extra-hot shower. (Fun fact: Pharrell and Paul McCartney do the same.) I find that this practice is a driving force of higher consciousness.

Nourish

I'm pretty certain eating a healthy breakfast is on every morning ritual list, but let's dive a little bit deeper into nourishing ourselves in the morning, shall we? In addition to your healthy breakfast, consider including other nourishing elements. This may include taking the time to nourish your skin with a body butter or eating warm foods so that your digestive system doesn't have to work too hard after resting all night.

Or perhaps it's adding health-benefiting supplements to your diet. I'm talking mood boosters that benefit your system like a daily probiotic, collagen, bee pollen, maca, ghee, or any other superfood that works for you. And if those feel like too much, perhaps it's just committing to having one full glass of room-temperature water when you wake up to get your system moving and hydrated.

Commit to a happier commute

For years I had to commute to work an hour each way (in L.A. no less). It was brutal, but I found that my attitude toward the drive made a huge difference. Instead of anxiously flipping through radio stations (hoping to find a song to ease the pain of the 405 freeway traffic), I decided to use my time a little more wisely and committed to creating a happy commute.

I tried to schedule fewer work calls (though many still happened) and instead spent the time calling my family and friends. I also started listening to meaningful and entertaining podcasts or funny morning shows like Howard Stern, slowly enjoyed my coffee, and even tried one of those car diffusers (which weren't for me—though a lot of people swear by them). If you're in a big city and take public transportation, you can apply these same habits but add in reading. I promise you'll arrive at the office feeling less wound up.

And remember, if all else fails and you wake up late and stressed, don't feel bad. Drink some coffee, throw on a red lip, and handle it! The sun will rise the following day, which gives you another chance at new habits, goals, benchmarks, and change.

Happy New Year to the current you!

Next, learn how to unwind after an evening workout.