I used to have a complicated relationship with summer mornings. The extra hours of daylight felt less like a gift and more like a pressure cooker. The sun would stream in at 5:30 AM, a glaring reminder that the day had started and I was already behind. My routine, if you could call it that, was a frantic ballet of hitting the snooze button, grabbing my phone to scroll through a tidal wave of notifications, and then rushing to get ready, my mind already cluttered with a dozen worries. I was starting my days feeling reactive and frazzled, not refreshed and ready.
Something had to change. I craved the sense of peace that summer is supposed to embody. I wanted to greet the longer days with a quiet smile, not a jolt of anxiety. So, I decided to conduct a small experiment on myself: to build a gentle, mindful summer morning routine that was less about “doing more” and more about “being more.”
It wasn’t about waking up at 4 AM for a punishing workout. It was about creating a small pocket of peace. Here’s the simple, five-step routine that completely transformed how I start my summer days.
1. The Five-Minute Phone Fast
This was the hardest, and most important, change. My phone used to be the first thing I reached for. Now, it stays on the other side of the room. For the first five minutes of being awake, my only job is to just be awake. I lie in bed, notice the light in the room, feel the sheets, and listen to the birds outside. This tiny change prevents the immediate influx of digital noise and allows my brain to wake up gently, on its own terms.
2. Greet the Light
I don’t do a full sun salutation or a complex yoga flow. I simply walk to the window, open it if I can, and take three deep breaths. I look at the color of the sky and just acknowledge the start of a new day. It’s a two-minute practice, but it connects me to the world outside my own head. It’s my way of saying “good morning” to the day, rather than letting the day’s demands say “hurry up” to me.
3. Mindful Hydration
Before the coffee pot even gets a look-in, I drink a full glass of room-temperature water, sometimes with a squeeze of lemon. But here’s the mindful part: I don’t chug it while checking my email. I sit down at my kitchen table and just drink the water. I pay attention to the feeling of it, the simple act of nourishing my body after a night of rest. This small ritual of single-tasking has a surprisingly grounding effect.
4. A Little Gentle Movement
My goal isn’t to burn calories; it’s to wake up my body. For me, this looks like five minutes of simple, intuitive stretching. I’ll do a few cat-cow stretches to wake up my spine, a gentle forward fold to release my hamstrings, and some neck rolls to ease tension. It’s less of a workout and more of a conversation with my body, checking in to see how it feels and giving it what it needs to feel a bit more open and at ease.
5. Set a Single, Simple Intention
Before I finally pick up my phone or look at my to-do list, I take one minute to set an intention for the day. It’s not a goal, like “finish that report.” It’s a guiding word or phrase. Some days it’s “patience.” Other days it might be “curiosity” or “be present.” I write it on a sticky note and put it where I can see it. This single word acts as my anchor, a gentle reminder of how I want to feel as I move through my day.
The difference has been profound. This entire routine takes maybe 15-20 minutes, but it sets a tone of calm and intention that ripples through the rest of my day. I feel less reactive to stress and more connected to myself. The long summer days no longer feel like a race against the clock, but a spacious invitation to live with a little more purpose. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your own mornings, I invite you to try just one of these steps. You might be surprised by how a little bit of gentleness can completely change your day.
Photo by Dennis Schmidt on Unsplash