If you’re struggling to leave your bed in the morning – especially during a cold winter – then maybe incorporating some self-care habits into your morning routine is what you need for a happier start to the day. The stylish activewear brand P.E Nation love promoting health and wellness, so we asked them to round up the best self-care rituals to kick off each day. Let’s explore her favourite self-care tips and ideas you can add to your morning routine.

1. Stretch It Out

Incorporating an everyday stretch routine into your morning is an excellent way to help your body wake up and prepare for the daily grind. Stretching first thing in the morning can relieve any tension or pain from sleeping the night before and increase blood flow to your muscles, helping you feel more energised throughout the day. In addition, by developing a routine with various stretches, you can make sure to target each muscle needed to support you throughout the day.

2. Meditate and breathe

Meditation is ‘good for the mind and the soul’. Starting your day with a quick meditation session can help manage stress and reduce negative emotions, enabling you to gain a new perspective of the coming day. As a beginner, you may wonder, should I meditate every day? Or, more importantly, how do I turn my brain off? How can I make mediation one of my healthy habits to do every day?

Our top meditation tips for beginners:

• Breathe naturally
• Get comfortable
• Take this moment to check in with yourself

Meditation is a skill; like most skills, these things take time to learn and master. Push past the resistance and excuses your mind may bring – like boredom, restlessness and doubt. Instead, practice perseverance regularly, and in time, you will begin to reap the benefits of meditation.

3. Wear an outfit that makes you feel good

Fashion doesn’t just enhance your appearance. It can improve your mood too! Think about how you felt when you wore your favourite sweater, those new pair of shoes, or even your favourite colour? Express yourself through your outfit and let those positive emotions shine through.

Plus, who doesn’t love that put-together feeling you get with a matching activewear set?  Wearing a cute and comfortable outfit, such as P.E’s comfortable and stylish activewear, can elevate your mood and inspire the coming day. Level up your day by picking an outfit that will make you feel more positive, organised, and ready to tackle the day.

4. Journal your thoughts for self-care

Let’s talk about one of the best mental health self-care tips to clear your mind and reduce stress–starting your day by journaling. Sometimes your brain is a mess; you just need to let it all out. ‘Brain dumping’ is dumping the contents of your mind onto a blank page. The goal is to release those stressors, nagging thoughts, crazy to-do lists, and other things that may keep you up at night.

Even jotting down a few things can help clear your mind, allowing you to focus on the most critical tasks and reorganise how you want to tackle them. Spending just five minutes journaling to clear your mind, centre your thoughts, and focus on the things you are grateful for is one of the simplest rituals to make your day more positive and organised.

5.   Try a Gua Sha routine

We’ll forgive you if you’ve never heard of Gua Sha before, but chances are you’ve caught a glimpse of it on social media. Gua Sha is a centuries-old Chinese medicinal practice that utilises stone tools in a light scraping movement to promote blood circulation and energy flow.

A gua sha routine has multiple benefits, such as depuffing your face, clearing your skin and increasing blood flow. The technique aims to create a more sculpted look and glowing complexion through very light motions – no literal scraping – with a slight amount of pressure.

However, the benefits of Gua Sha extend beyond just the physical. Introducing this facial self-care into your routine is believed to promote good energy flow and relaxation – plus, who doesn’t love a good massage to start their day?

Start Your Morning Self-Care Routine Now

Hopefully, you’ve discovered some new tips to help you get out of bed in the mornings beyond just craving coffee. Introducing even one of these self-care rituals to your routine will benefit your physical and mental health, promoting a positive start to the day. Check out P.E Nation for more luxury activewear sets bound to make you feel ready to tackle the day every morning.

For more self-care tips on The Carousel, click here.