The “rise and grind” aspect of society’s hustle culture often leads to overworking and burnout; however, the start of the morning can impact how well a person functions for the remainder of the day.

Making decisions, memorizing, resolving conflicts and focusing on projects are daily functions that require a strong mindset. With a proper morning routine, many tasks and situations that arise become easier to handle. Additionally, it’s harder to show up at full capacity without properly tending to the mind and body.

One form of self-care that has grown in popularity is implementing slow mornings. A slow morning is when a person crafts space in their schedule that allows for a slower pace at the start of the day. While everyone’s mornings are different, there are common suggestions people can add to their routines. Whether laying in bed for a few extra minutes or going for a morning walk, having a slow morning can do wonders mentally.

The Mental Health Impact

One of the many benefits of a slow morning is how it helps soothe a person’s nervous system. Anxiety has a way of infiltrating the mindsets and lives of people before their feet touch the ground. With the world’s busyness, it’s easy to catch up with what’s happening, instead of focusing on the shifts within.

Anxiety and feeling overwhelmed often result from adhering to the forceful demands of life. A slower morning creates room for a change in perspective of time. Hustle culture thrives on the bustle and rush of people and situations. Setting aside moments at the beginning of the day to not feed into the fast-paced hustle makes room for a clear mind to handle future obstacles. 

How To Achieve A Slow Morning

When it comes to having a slow morning, the preparation happens the night before. Preparing for a slow morning makes it more likely to occur. Going to bed at a reasonable time, shutting down electronics for the night and laying out your clothes for the next day help make the morning start smoother.

Another thing that can help is lessening screen-time. It’s unsurprising that grabbing your phone is the first thing you reach for in the morning. Whether it’s to check missed messages or scroll on TikTok, the amount of information and content being consumed first thing is a lot. Instead of reaching for the phone, try a book or journal. Journaling your initial thoughts about the day helps release the anxieties that may have been brewing the night before. Putting the thoughts to paper frees the body and mind of early morning jitters.

Adding a moment of self-care to a slow morning helps to make the remainder of the day more doable. Whether it is five or thirty minutes, taking the time to do something you enjoy makes a difference. Stretching, standing outside, meditating or sitting down to enjoy breakfast are acts of self-care that help feed the mind, body and soul.