Free Soul’s Women in Wellness share their morning rituals
At Free Soul, we celebrate that wellness can look different to everyone, with a personal and individual meaning to each of us. For us it’s supporting, challenging and educating ourselves to level up little by little, day by day. It’s not one thing, or a group of things, and that often starts with a healthy morning routine. We sat down with 5 women from the Free Soul community, from a GP to a mum-to-be, and we found out how they start their day. Here’s all the inspo you need…
Jodie Relf, PCOS Dietitian and Pilates Instructor
'My morning routine is a little slow these days as I’m currently 38 weeks pregnant but that’s ok. The most important thing for me is that I’m listening to my body and doing what I feel it needs most right now.
- I wake up at 6/6.15 thanks to my two-year-old toddler alarm clock. She crawls into bed for 20 minute cuddles, reading and to talk about what we’ll be doing that day.
- Once we’ve all woken up, we head downstairs and have breakfast together as a family. I love that we can start the day having a meal together, it means that no matter how crazy the day is, we’ve all had time to chat, connect and have a nourishing healthy meal.
- It’s then a case of getting my toddler dressed and out the door. Once she’s been dropped at nursery I either head to the gym for a swim/workout or head home to jump straight into work. I’m far more focused in the mornings, this is when I’m most productive, so this is when I prioritise work. If my energy levels are low, I’ll do a workout to get those endorphins flowing and wake myself up a little.
- Then it’s home, coffee and a day of clients, writing and recipe creation.'
Becca Watson, Wellness and Lifestyle Blogger
'It is so easy to get caught up in the rush of everyday life. Spending time each morning on myself is crucial not only for my well-being but also to help maximise productivity for the day. These are my morning rituals that help me start my day with the best mindset.
- No phone for the first 30 minutes of my day. Waking up to a negative news headline, emails or just aimlessly scrolling through social media is not what your brain needs to wake up. It can trigger stress from the moment you wake up. Instead, I find keeping my phone out of my room and using a digital alarm helps to keep me off my phone for the start of the day.
- I avoid having coffee too early on in the morning. I usually prefer having it after breakfast because it gives my circadian rhythms time to reset naturally which helps avoid the afternoon slump I experience when I start my day with coffee.
- Lastly, I make time each morning before getting to my desk to get outside and take my dog for a quick walk. Not only does this make me a good dog mum, but it also benefits my health. Light exposure in the morning helps me feel a lot more alert and it’s also nice to get some movement in.'
Emma Bardwell, Specialist Menopause Nutritionist
'I try to go to sleep early and always have a bath before bed, so in the morning I just wash my face and get dressed straight away. I saw a dermatologist a couple of years ago who helped me pare back my routine so now I only use a few, very results-driven products like glycolic acid and prescription strength retinol.
I drink two cups of green tea every morning. It revives and energises without making me feel jittery. There’s quite a process involved in making matcha; measuring, whisking and frothing is all quite mindful.
I try to move my body in some way every day and that usually starts with a 20-30 minute workout at home. I switch between resistance training and pilates, usually using the @fiit app which I discovered during lockdown and have stuck with ever since. Gone are the days of doing hours of cardio for me. Low impact, weight bearing exercise gets me (and my clients) really impressive results.
If I’m not doing the school run, I’ll sit down and check my emails around 8.30am and reply to messages from the women in The M Collective, my membership platform. I then spend the rest of the morning creating content for social media, planning menopause workshops and masterclasses or giving interviews. My mission is to cut through all the confusion and misinformation that surrounds nutrition and women’s health. It’s a big task!
Breakfast is usually around 11am. I have pretty much the same thing every day but make little tweaks to keep it diverse and interesting. The base is Greek yoghurt, kefir, flax and chia and I usually add different berries, spices, nuts and seeds. I find a protein based breakfast is the best start to the day as it helps manage cravings and keeps me going until my next meal.
My job can actually be quite sedentary and I’m at my laptop a lot, so I try to pepper my day with lots of walks. Podcasts and audible books are a godsend as they mean I can learn something new while getting my 12k steps in. Win-win!'
'Mornings can be so tough and don’t we know it. Over the last two years, I’ve slowly transitioned out of shift working into a more consistent daily routine and my morning rituals have adapted with this (for the better).
I set my alarm for roughly the same time every morning - it usually varies between 5:45-6:30am. I’m naturally an early bird, but I like to get up at around the same time each morning regardless of weekdays or weekends. I then head straight from bed downstairs to the coffee maker, if you know you know… Whilst the coffee is brewing, I prep my meals for the day - mostly breakfast in the form of a protein smoothie and oats for lunch.
After this, I have about 30 minutes to sip my coffee and make a jobs list for the day, check some emails and have the occasional social media scroll. I then workout in the morning if I have time or head upstairs to shower and get ready for work and set off on my day. Your morning rituals are so personal and I hope sharing mine can help you take snippets to help curate yours.’
Jess Carrick, Community Executive at Free Soul
'I try to make my morning routine as simple and efficient as possible so I prep everything the night before from my outfit, to my breakfast and of course my Free Soul Greens shot.
- I wake up around 5:45 and I open my blind straight away. This is meant to help with regulating your hormones and neurotransmitters which impact heavily on your mood and body’s natural rhythmic patterns.
- I go straight to the fridge and have my green shot followed by my prebiotic tablet.
- I brush my teeth, slide into my gym kit, grab all my bits and bobs and jump on my bike to the gym.
- Once I get to the gym I turn on a podcast and move my body! This gets me fired up for the day ahead.
Sometimes this early start is too much and I skip the gym but I just make sure I listen to my body!'
We’ve all been patiently waiting for the lighter mornings, and now they’re upon us. Waking up to those crisp, bright spring mornings can help to start the day off in a better mentality, much more so than the dark mornings. We know how important it can be to start your day off the way you mean to go on so, we hope you’ve been inspired by a few of our favourite women in wellness.
**At Free Soul, your wellbeing is our priority, and although we pride ourselves on our expertise in women's health and wellbeing, it is important to acknowledge the individuality of each person. Features published by Free Soul are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease, or replace the advice of your GP. We always recommend consulting with a healthcare provider if you encounter any health concerns, and we’ll always be here to support you so you’re never alone on your journey.
