Slow and mindful morning rituals really set a positive tone for the day. They leave me feeling calmer, grounded, clearer headed, and inspired to conquer the day.

Here’s a quick snapshot of what my current mindful Monday morning ritual looks like: waking up to no alarm, sipping warm lemon water, 10 min meditation, matcha latte, movement, green smoothie, long shower, trail walk with the pups, then sitting down to work.

My morning routine didn’t always look like this. For years it looked more like this: wake up at 530am, chugging coffee until I pooped (if you’re a runner, you get it), cramming in a run, quick shower to rinse off, struggling to pull up my work pants or while body was still overeating from my run, throw on some makeup to look semi-presentable, toss wet hair in a bun or braid, let the dogs out before I left hoping they’d hurry up and do their biz…then rush off to work praying there were no accidents along the 50 minute commute.

While this may seem like a pretty drastic shift, it’s taken 4 years to get to where I am. It all started by implementing ONE shift at a time and realizing how much of a powerful impact it had in my energy, mood, and sense of clarity, that it slowly kept building off from there. And let me just say it is a much less stressful way to start and set the tone for the day.

So I started by drinking water, then lemon water first thing in the morning before coffee. I started meditating here and there (mostly guided on ) for 2-5 minutes which slowly built up to 10 minutes a day after two years. I realized after an elimination diet that coffee no longer served me and my hormonal imbalance, and switched to matcha. I started listening to my body and opting for which type of movement served me depending on my mood, energy, and phase of my cycle.

Oftentimes when we set to achieve goals, we set really high and unrealistic expectations for ourselves which sets ourselves up for failure. So with that in mind, if you’re looking to up-level your morning routine, what’s ONE simple thing you can add to the mix?

Here are 5 simple + sustainable morning routine ideas that take 2 minutes or less:

• Place a glass of water on your bedside table to drink drink first thing upon waking.

• Keep a journal by your bed and spend 2 minutes writing down 3 things you’re feeling grateful for.

• Practice 2 minutes of light stretching or conscious breathing.

• Starting your day with a nutrient dense breakfast to keep your blood sugar levels stable.

• Avoid checking your phone or social media first thing.

Now what? Commit to adding this one simple thing to your morning ritual, and notice if it positively shifts how you approach your day.