I’ll be honest, I am not a morning person! But I do think that waking up can be made just a little easier by turning it into a peaceful morning ritual, helping you to start your day the right way. Picture this: sitting in bed with a cup of herbal tea, fresh honey on toast, and the birds chirping in the garden behind your curtains. Wellness experts call this a ‘slow morning’ ritual, and can help to soothe your nervous system and give you a minuet of calm before a busy day. Today I am going to make some helpful suggestions that you can add to your morning routine, so enjoy earth nerd!
Herbal Teas
Now this is something you can prepare the night before, whether by gathering some fresh mint or young nettle leaves from your herb garden or simply laying out your favourite brand of herbal tea. For some morning freshness consider mint tea, or peppermint to give yourself a morning boost without the added caffeine. Mint teas have also been shown to help tame an upset stomach and helps your digestive system. So why not leave a cup ready for yourself the night before, then when you wake up all you need to do is boil some water, steep, and sip. Easy right?!
Pro tip: nettle tea isn’t as scary as it might sound. It is rich in vitamins K, A, calcium, and magnesium. It is full of antioxidants. To brew some nettle tea at home you can steep washed young leaves in water.
Skincare Rituals
Moving on through your morning the next step after a fresh cup of herbal tea is to take care of your skin. My bathroom is practically a witches storeroom full of lots of herbal magic lotions and potions. I use chilled rose water to give my skin a refreshing wash in the morning and lavender oil with my morning moisturisers to help reduce inflammation. One thing I have read about during my research is steamed chamomile flowers. Apparently by adding chamomile flowers to small steaming pot you can create a general facial steam to reduce inflammation and calm irritated skin. A trick I am sure I will be trying this summer to reduce the inevitable redness of sunburns. Floral skin care techniques such as this are gentle on the skin and unlike most scrubs they avoid harsh chemicals.
Home Fragrance
This tip is also one you can have ready the night before to help you when morning rolls around. To make your morning easier and more relaxed make the most out of natural fragrances, such as rosemary and lavender. You can use essential oils and add them to humidifiers to give a fresh and relaxing aroma therapy. If you have a green thumb you can also make the most of small houseplants beside your bed such as mint to add freshness to the air. Personally I like to occasionally snip the head of the elderflower by my home, and add them to a vase on my bedside table. To me, elderflower reminds me of summer and sunshine and I love waking up to such a sweet smelling fragrance.
Edible Delights
Now on to the most important meal of the day, breakfast! Along with my herbal tea I use my breakfast as a way to give myself a morning boost. Even if it is just a spoonful of raw honey in my porridge, I am always looking for ways to make a morning meal that is both naturally based and delicious. Honey is a natural antioxidant and its antibacterial properties has been used throughout history to help improve our health. Sometimes you just cant knock such a tried and tested food! If you are feeling extra fancy you can even sprinkle edible flower petals to your morning granola and yogurt, or your jam on toast! The important thing to remember with this tip is to have fun and invest a little thought into your breakfast. Really take the opportunity to be mindful with what you are going to eat and remember that you are worth the effort.
Embracing Sustainability
Throughout my morning ritual, I remain mindful of waste and sustainability. I use only reusable tools: a stainless tea infuser with my loose herbs, and glass jars to brew and store herbal oils. The idea of zero waste really resonates here. Try composting used tea leaves, save your jars for your nearest refill stations, and try switching to a bamboo toothbrush.
Pro-tip: reducing your waste is better for both you and the environment. By using glass jars or bamboo toothbrushes you are reducing the amount of microplastics you are consuming or putting on your skin. Microplastics have been linked to serious health problems and even cancer, so the important of reducing plastic usage in your home can’t be stressed enough!
I’ve woven together traditional herbal wisdom and modern research to share these ideas. Each part of this routine draws on both nature’s bountiful ingredients and simple sustainable practices to create a morning that’s as gentle on the planet as it is on the soul. Though this all may seem like a bit of a faff it really doesn’t take long for these small changes to become an everyday part of your routine. It’s a way to take the stress out of your morning and start the day the right way. Try performing these little rituals on weekends at first and find what will work for you before incorporating it into your weekday morning rush. Remember that you wellness is worth the effort and embrace the slow natural relaxation.
Love from,
An Earth Nerd
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