Thank you for validating my choices 😂 you're a good friend! And yes to getting outside. Many mornings I step outside after making coffee and before getting going on morning pages, especially now that it's light out so early.
Ok, I'll confess that ten things sounded like a lot of things (coming from a recovering Morning Optimizer), but this actually looks quite a bit like my own morning routine. Especially the coffee-before-food, which I've experimented so many times with *not* doing...but honestly, the joy of sitting in a quiet house with that first cup is, I believe, actually good for me. Plus my 102-year-old great aunt was still climbing up and down off kitchen stools to make her morning coffee right up until the last year, so...
I love the image of your 102 year-old great aunt climbing up on a stool to make her morning coffee. I hope to be that agile when I'm 102! And I agree the absolute joy of a quiet house, sipping the first cup of coffee of the day is infinitely better than feeling guilty over not eating first.
Ooh loved reading this - Definitely will look into some of the authors you mentioned during your prayer time - if you have any more, please please I'd love to hear them!
When we wake up at the same time, my husband and I start the day with cuddles, and then have breakfast together. But on the days we don't wake up together, I like to start my day with stretches because it feels like I'm able to move through the day when I do, and then I also have prayer time and the morning pages. I always drink warm lemon water first thing in the morning haha! The idea of anything else makes me feel nauseous, but when I do that during the morning kind of changes from day to day. I've been craving some creative time, so I'm definitely thinking of adding that into my mornings, but can often feel that there is a lot of resistance in me to stay consistent with new morning habits.
What a sweet way to start your day! Before kids, my husband and I often started our day similarly. I think I'll do another post with some of my morning reading! I love the idea to share more of that. Thanks Audrey!
Treat yourself, or I will treat you, to a really nice pen. One that feels good and solid in your hand and the letters flow from it. It can be a nice ballpoint, or fountain pen, anything that feels balamced in your hand.
Or let me know what you you want and you'll get an early birthday present. or two.
I love hearing about other writing moms' routines. Mine is more haphazard but I aspire to something tied more to ritual! Two questions: when do you do the bulk of your writing, and what time do you go to bed? I've tried in the past to wake up early, but find too often that I stay up late trying to work past kids' bedtimes and then, when the alarm rings, I'm too tired!
My routine has definitely evolved, shifted, and adapted over the years. My kids are 5 and 3, so are mostly sleeping through the night and I feel much more resourced than I did for the first few years of motherhood. I feel like the key is to take it just seriously enough. Not too serious so that you become rigid, but not too lax because then you'll start to believe you're writing time and space doesn't matter. I've made both of those mistakes.
To answer your questions, I do the bulk of my more creative writing (the novel and some Substack) in the early mornings. Right now the girls are in school three days/week so I make time during those three days to do the rest of my Substack writing, research, and writing the newsletter for my skincare brand. I try to go to bed by 10. That doesn't always happen but I do my best. This has gotten easier with more boundaries for my kids around bedtime. I used to sit in their room, waiting for them to fall asleep, then have to go do my evening chores, etc. Now they have a new bedtime routine that doesn't involve me waiting for them to fall asleep, so I get to my own things and then go to bed. I've just accepted that I don't do my best work at night, so I've given up trying unless it's absolutely necessary.
I loved reading this! I’m always so curious about morning routines, but especially ones that are realistic AND nourishing. Thanks for sharing a glimpse into your daily life!
I used to have really lofty ideas about what my morning routine "should" be. There are a lot of things I choose to do later in the day (like movement) because morning feels to precious to force myself to do anything but be cozy. But that's just me. I think it's most important to be ok with what you actually want to do and let the rest go :) Thanks so much for your comment! I love having you here.
Totally agree! I have a super simple routine now (warm lemon or lime water with salt or just plain water, make coffee, sit in the sun or be cozy inside, breakfast) and if I have time for extras, great - if not, no problem. Thanks Katie, happy to be here too! ☺️
Love reading this. My morning routine is my most precious and savored time. I start with meditation & tea at the altar, and eventually move into a mix of journaling or drafting (on my freewrite digital typewriter, so that it is tech-free) depending on what's wanting to come through that day. Like you, I always feel like as long as I do this (+move my body in some way) then I can handle anything else that happens that day. I've taken care of myself first, and that's a gift to me and everyone in my life.
I always appreciate hearing about this topic from mothers, because this is something that is a non-negotiable in my life, even once I have children. I totally recognize that it will look different and require more fluidity and adaptation based on the needs of my kids in whatever moment or season we're in, but I know I'll always maintain it however I can because it's so important for me. So anyway, thank you for sharing about yours!!
Thanks for your comment, Tara! My morning routine has definitely evolved since becoming a mother and I've had to be flexible. At times, morning pages happened during the baby's first nap, other times my morning routine was just an embodiment practice, at the very beginning of motherhood, it was almost non-existent. But I've always made time to tend to my inner well. It's a necessity for me (for everyone, really). I love hearing about what your morning is like! Thanks so much for sharing :)
Aside from the shot and showering, we have exactly the same morning lol
I feel like there are some things that just universally set us up for a good day!
Totally agree
I think that olive oil first thing counts as food! You’re doing it!
My favorite part of our morning is getting outside. Feels so good.
Thank you for validating my choices 😂 you're a good friend! And yes to getting outside. Many mornings I step outside after making coffee and before getting going on morning pages, especially now that it's light out so early.
Ok, I'll confess that ten things sounded like a lot of things (coming from a recovering Morning Optimizer), but this actually looks quite a bit like my own morning routine. Especially the coffee-before-food, which I've experimented so many times with *not* doing...but honestly, the joy of sitting in a quiet house with that first cup is, I believe, actually good for me. Plus my 102-year-old great aunt was still climbing up and down off kitchen stools to make her morning coffee right up until the last year, so...
I love the image of your 102 year-old great aunt climbing up on a stool to make her morning coffee. I hope to be that agile when I'm 102! And I agree the absolute joy of a quiet house, sipping the first cup of coffee of the day is infinitely better than feeling guilty over not eating first.
Ooh loved reading this - Definitely will look into some of the authors you mentioned during your prayer time - if you have any more, please please I'd love to hear them!
When we wake up at the same time, my husband and I start the day with cuddles, and then have breakfast together. But on the days we don't wake up together, I like to start my day with stretches because it feels like I'm able to move through the day when I do, and then I also have prayer time and the morning pages. I always drink warm lemon water first thing in the morning haha! The idea of anything else makes me feel nauseous, but when I do that during the morning kind of changes from day to day. I've been craving some creative time, so I'm definitely thinking of adding that into my mornings, but can often feel that there is a lot of resistance in me to stay consistent with new morning habits.
What a sweet way to start your day! Before kids, my husband and I often started our day similarly. I think I'll do another post with some of my morning reading! I love the idea to share more of that. Thanks Audrey!
Treat yourself, or I will treat you, to a really nice pen. One that feels good and solid in your hand and the letters flow from it. It can be a nice ballpoint, or fountain pen, anything that feels balamced in your hand.
Or let me know what you you want and you'll get an early birthday present. or two.
Oooh thanks Dad! I'll take you up on that 😍 I do love fountain pens.
I love hearing about other writing moms' routines. Mine is more haphazard but I aspire to something tied more to ritual! Two questions: when do you do the bulk of your writing, and what time do you go to bed? I've tried in the past to wake up early, but find too often that I stay up late trying to work past kids' bedtimes and then, when the alarm rings, I'm too tired!
My routine has definitely evolved, shifted, and adapted over the years. My kids are 5 and 3, so are mostly sleeping through the night and I feel much more resourced than I did for the first few years of motherhood. I feel like the key is to take it just seriously enough. Not too serious so that you become rigid, but not too lax because then you'll start to believe you're writing time and space doesn't matter. I've made both of those mistakes.
To answer your questions, I do the bulk of my more creative writing (the novel and some Substack) in the early mornings. Right now the girls are in school three days/week so I make time during those three days to do the rest of my Substack writing, research, and writing the newsletter for my skincare brand. I try to go to bed by 10. That doesn't always happen but I do my best. This has gotten easier with more boundaries for my kids around bedtime. I used to sit in their room, waiting for them to fall asleep, then have to go do my evening chores, etc. Now they have a new bedtime routine that doesn't involve me waiting for them to fall asleep, so I get to my own things and then go to bed. I've just accepted that I don't do my best work at night, so I've given up trying unless it's absolutely necessary.
I loved reading this! I’m always so curious about morning routines, but especially ones that are realistic AND nourishing. Thanks for sharing a glimpse into your daily life!
I used to have really lofty ideas about what my morning routine "should" be. There are a lot of things I choose to do later in the day (like movement) because morning feels to precious to force myself to do anything but be cozy. But that's just me. I think it's most important to be ok with what you actually want to do and let the rest go :) Thanks so much for your comment! I love having you here.
Totally agree! I have a super simple routine now (warm lemon or lime water with salt or just plain water, make coffee, sit in the sun or be cozy inside, breakfast) and if I have time for extras, great - if not, no problem. Thanks Katie, happy to be here too! ☺️
Love reading this. My morning routine is my most precious and savored time. I start with meditation & tea at the altar, and eventually move into a mix of journaling or drafting (on my freewrite digital typewriter, so that it is tech-free) depending on what's wanting to come through that day. Like you, I always feel like as long as I do this (+move my body in some way) then I can handle anything else that happens that day. I've taken care of myself first, and that's a gift to me and everyone in my life.
I always appreciate hearing about this topic from mothers, because this is something that is a non-negotiable in my life, even once I have children. I totally recognize that it will look different and require more fluidity and adaptation based on the needs of my kids in whatever moment or season we're in, but I know I'll always maintain it however I can because it's so important for me. So anyway, thank you for sharing about yours!!
Thanks for your comment, Tara! My morning routine has definitely evolved since becoming a mother and I've had to be flexible. At times, morning pages happened during the baby's first nap, other times my morning routine was just an embodiment practice, at the very beginning of motherhood, it was almost non-existent. But I've always made time to tend to my inner well. It's a necessity for me (for everyone, really). I love hearing about what your morning is like! Thanks so much for sharing :)