How to Achieve the ‘Slow Morning’ Aesthetic

After years of girl bosses and grind culture reigning supreme, society has made a 360-degree turn. Now, the slow morning aesthetic is trending. There are loads of aesthetic videos chronicling easing into the day. There’s a 60 percent increase in searches for “slow morning” on Pinterest. Founder of Cacti Wellness Kira Jones Matousek credits social media as one of the main reasons for the trend. “I love documenting my morning routine through reels and TikToks. These are also my highest-performing pieces of content,” she says. “I also think a lot of this is credited to our changing routine. Now that people are back in the office, we’re cherishing the morning hours and time to ourselves more,” she adds. “It’s so nice to see movements being promoted that are actually good for us.”

One of the benefits of the slow morning is beginning your day feeling productive while not having to rush, notes host of Self Care Szn podcast, Caitlin DeChiara. It also gives you time to yourself before you dedicate your day to work and responsibilites. This trend comes post-pandemic as we shift away from the hustle and bustle towards something more sustainable, notes self-care and well-being expert Candice Denise. “We’re discovering that we spend much of our days giving to everyone and everything else, not giving much to ourselves. When we do try to give to ourselves, it’s typically at the end of a full day when we don’t have anything left to give,” she says. People are now “seeing that starting the day with ease gives them the opportunity to pour into themselves first before giving themselves to the day,” says Denise. She refers to slow mornings as
the new self-preservation. We talked to some experts with enviable routines to get some inspiration on how to ease into our days.

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Wake up well before work

The key to a slow morning is giving yourself the time to take it slow and ease into the day. In order to have that time, you’ll need to wake up earlier. Jones Matousek wakes up two and a half to three hours before she needs to begin her work day. “This is super important to me, so I adjust my bedtime accordingly,” she notes. DeChiara agrees that waking up early helps her not feel rushed to make her way through her routine.

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Phone detox

It’s not uncommon to grab your phone immediately after waking, but it’s not the best way to start the day. Jones Matousek sticks to no phone for 30 minutes after waking up. Candice says she refrains from checking emails and social media until after she’s powered up and ready for the day.

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Take a mindful moment before getting up

Whether it’s a moment of meditation, breathwork or prayer, replace the moments you’d spend scrolling in bed with something more mindful. Each of the experts does what works for them or a combination—find what works for you.

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Romanticize your morning with music

Romanticizing all the little moments in your life has become a trend—and a good one at that. Make your morning feel more like a movie with your own personal soundtrack. Candice likes to play Parisian jazz while making her bed, but you can set the tone with whatever sounds you want.

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Write it out

Jones Matousek writes in a gratitude journal, but you can customize your journaling to reflect what you need. Make a to-do list, reflect on yesterday, create goals for today, or free-write your feelings and thoughts.

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Have a drink

Not that kind of drink—unless it’s Sunday and it’s a mimosa. Jones Matousek says she drinks a big glass of water to get her system flowing. Water is the first liquid that should hit your lips, but after you’ve hydrated, you can move on to caffeine. Jones Matousek says coffee is “such a ritual for me and helps me get my energy going so that I can move my body.” DeChiara opts for an iced chai while Candice alternates between a green smoothie and ginger honey lemon herbal tea.

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Soak up some knowledge

It feels good to activate the brain a bit before work. Whether it’s tossing on a podcast or taking a moment to read, you’ll feel better engaging your brain with something you enjoy before jumping right into emails and spreadsheets. Candice does this by listening to an inspirational audiobook or a podcast while showering and getting dressed.

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Get moving

When you think of a slow morning, you might not think of movement, but it helps get the day going. “This can be as simple as a walk or as complex as a sweaty Pilates session,” says Jones Matousek, but “I must move my body before work.” Candice likes to stretch for 10 to 15 minutes while practicing deep breathing, then later go for a walk on the treadmill or outside for 30 minutes to an hour.

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Have a skin-care ritual

Getting into the groove of your day with a bit of self-care helps you feel ready and confident for what lies ahead. DeChiara says she loves having her “little morning skin-care ritual.”

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Set yourself up for success the night before

Jones Matousek believes the success of the slow morning is reliant on the night before. To set herself up for a smooth slow morning, she puts her phone away an hour before bed for more restful sleep, sets out clothes, packs her bag at night and cleans up for 10 minutes so she wakes up to a tidy space.

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