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My Transformative Morning Routine

This morning routine changed my life for the better.

By 

Before I met my husband, I used to wake up in the morning and immediately check my email. Then I’d probably skip breakfast and be glued to my computer all day, eating lunch at my desk most of the time. In the evenings I’d either run out to dinner or an event (or two!), or work all night. My stress levels were high, but I was too busy to really notice.

My Transformative Morning Routine

My husband had several well-thought-out routines that helped keep him healthy, and made it easy for him to deal with the stress of daily life. So, with his help, I started on a path to find inner serenity (which, incidentally, is also a great way to find your soulmate, happiness, and career success.) It turned out to be much easier than I’d anticipated. All I had to do was make a few new actions habit. Here are the five things I now do every morning that have transformed my life, and can transform yours too:

 

Bathroom Sanctuary

Each morning, the very first thing I do when I wake up is head to the bathroom to brush my teeth. That’s when spa time starts.

I leave my Origins products out next to the sink so they’re easily accessible in case I’m really tired (and also because I love the look of the bottles on my counter). I love the line because it’s so natural, the products feel and smell great, and I respect that they leave out all the chemicals known to be toxic, plus they list all their ingredients on their website.

My Transformative Morning Routine

If my hair is feeling dry, I’ll put some Ojon Rare Blend Oil Rejuvenating Therapy on it and throw it up in a ponytail. I start with Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Power Serum and apply it all over my face. Then, to instantly make myself look more awake, I slather on Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream to Brighten and Depuff under my eyes.

My Transformative Morning Routine

Then I quickly dry brush my skin, which takes about a minute and helps to exfoliate and get my circulation going. After that, I apply Origins Comfort Mood Whipped Vanilla Body Soufflé (in the summer I use their whipped vanilla body soufflé, and in the winter I use their ultra-rich vanilla body butter) to my whole body, to keep my skin looking young and healthy. The smell helps me to wake up, and relaxes me at the same time, keeping my mind off of all the tasks I have to do that day.

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A writer, artist, and designer since she was young enough to put pencil to paper, Hilary taught herself code and created Urbanette when she was a teenager. Currently, she lives in Monte Carlo, but spent the past decade living in NYC, still considers herself a New Yorker, and visits regularly. She's always traveling, looking for hot new topics, destinations, and life hacks to bring to Urbanette readers.

Reader Discussion: 74 Comments

  1. Tammy Fuller

    Hmmnnn.. I like the idea of applying a face mask before going on meditation. It’s not exactly multitasking, but it helps you fall into that meditation state easier because of the relaxing feeling that face masks give you. You also get nicer looking skin, heheh. Love that idea. Although, I don’t plan on putting face masks everyday, so maybe I could also go old school with sliced cucumber as an eye mask. I need depuffing every morning. Nothing can beat cold cucumber slices.?

  2. CHRISTINA VILLARREAL

    How many minutes should we really exercise in a day? I was told 30 minutes at least. But I can’t even last 10 minutes on my treadmill.?

  3. Dawn Gonzales

    I’m one of those people who dislike exercise because I feel like I can’t fit it in my busy daily life… I guess that’s just an excuse that I make for myself but I never got around to doing it.

  4. Bernice Perry

    I agree with your husband that you have to keep doing these routines religiously. It’s not good to have very high stress levels the morning you wake up. It happened to me before and it wasn’t fun. I’d sleep at night feeling really tired and wake up in the morning feeling twice as tired. I was not motivated to do anything at all, I felt like I just wanted to go on a vacation and forget about work. It was very draining and stressful. I felt like I was on the verge of getting depression. These morning habits can really shift your mood almost instantly.

  5. Rosalia Russell

    We all live such a busy life and we tend to forget to take care of ourselves. We’re the priority here. Our health is.

  6. McNulty

    Dry brushing makes my skin really dry. So when I’m using exfoliating tools, I have to use a body wash to help with the softening of the bristles. It also hurts dry brushing and I don’t like it at all.

    • Ani Hoker

      Maybe you’re using the wrong brush? The one I have is really soft. Maybe the brush you’re using isn’t meant for dry brushing.

  7. It’s great to keep a small notebook in your desk that will remind you of the things that you need to do for the day. ?

  8. Anne Knotts

    I also try to keep my skincare near me at night. Even if I’m really tired, I know that the 5-15minutes that I spend cleaning my skin and doing my skincare are worth it. I used to think that it’s okay to keep my makeup on and that I’ll be removing it the next day anyway, but that was so wrong! I will never do that ever. I also think that the minutes I spend doing my “spa routine” is very relaxing and has helped me sleep better at night. I also try to use products that have lavender and chamomile at night or anything that has a cooling and relaxing effect.

    • Great idea in using chamomile and lavender infused products. I find those ingredients very relaxing because of the scent.

  9. I do my wishlists / list of things I’m thankful for at night. It makes me feel triumphant at the end of the day and I’m able to sleep better because I’m left with good thoughts before going to bed.

  10. Deanna Woods

    My boss used to meditate for 15 minutes at work. She says that it helps her feel focused afterward. We thought it was funny at first.

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