10 Tips For a Better Quarantine Morning Routine
Photo: Cindy Crawford by Annie Leibovitz / @violetgrey
1. CREATE A WFH SCHEDULE
Even if you’re logging extra z’s and sleeping later than normal, consider creating a loose schedule for your days at home in quarantine. We find that waking up naturally and then taking a shower and getting dressed every day (even if you just swap your night pajamas for your day pajamas) is the best way to start our day off on the right foot. If you’re working from home while self-isolating, it’s important to create a daily schedule and set some boundaries around your work hours. A dedicated work space and a hard stop at the end of the day will help you create some structure. Check out these helpful working from home tips from Beautiful Detour for more ideas and advice. Of course, the beauty of this time is that you don’t have to be anywhere at any given time, so be flexible with your schedule and allow yourself breaks during the day to read, relax, go for a walk, catch up with a friend, or just daydream.
2. MAKE A BETTER CUP OF COFFEE
Gone are the days of popping by your local coffee shop on your way into the office. But you can make your own at-home latte just as well as your favorite barista with the help of a few simple tools. We love this electric Nespresso Milk Frother to create the perfect foamy cup of joe. Just add your favorite milk or cream (we’re partial to oat milk and half + half), click the button, and the frother swirls and warms your liquid into clouds of foam. Pour your foam into a special cup—there’s just something about drinking coffee from a pretty cup that makes it taste better—like these classic rose china tea cups from Royal Albert.
3. RISE & READ
One of the best ways to start your day is to rise and read: read the newspaper, read a magazine, or read a chapter from a book. Starting your days during quarantine in a slow, intentional way like reading will set a relaxed tone for the rest of your day. And there’s nothing as peaceful as curling up on your couch with your pretty cup of coffee to do some reading and watch the rest of the world wake up. If you’ve ever felt like you had so much to read but no time to enjoy it, consider quarantine your good fortune. It’s the perfect time to crack open that novel, tackle that stack of magazines, or start reading the newspaper.
4. LEVEL UP YOUR SKIN CARE ROUTINE
More time in the morning means to more time to pamper your skin. When we don’t have to rush off somewhere like the office or an appointment, we love to wake up and do a face mask. While we love a face mask at night before bed, we like the idea of a morning mask so you can see the benefits and reap the rewards throughout your day (instead of while you’re fast asleep). A few face masks we’re currently loving: Susanne Kaufmann Rich Moisturizing Mask, Summer Fridays R&R Mask, and Herbivore Botanicals Pink Clay Exfoliating Face Mask. It’s also the perfect time to make good use of your jade facial roller or rose quartz gua sha. Use them in tandem with a face oil or serum like Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum, and get your roll for 10-15 minutes in the morning to help de-puff and detoxify your skin.
5. PRACTICE A DAILY MEDITATION OR MINDFULNESS RITUAL
We can all use a moment of calm right about now, and one of the best ways to find that is with mediation. Start your day with a simple guided meditation from the @headspace app. Or try a daily energy routine of tapping Meridian points in the body like Donna Eden's Daily Energy Routine.
6. TAKE YOUR VITAMINS & SUPPLEMENTS
Help combat stress and boost your immune system and sense of wellness right now with vitamins or supplements. We love the personalized daily vitamin packs from Care/of, the Moon Juice SuperYou daily supplements, GOOPGLOW Morning Skin Super Powder for a morning mix-in with our water or juice, and Vital Proteins Coconut Collagen Creamer blended with our coffee (Tip: the Nespresso Milk Frother mentioned above works wonders for this!).
7. DO A VIRTUAL WORKOUT
Start your day by breaking a sweat! Check out these 11 exercises you can do at home or these Yoga With Adriene classes on YouTube. Some of our other favorite resources for at-home fitness tips and virtual workouts include:
@kelseywells via the @sweat fitness app
8. GO FOR A WALK
Instead of starting your day with a commute, start your day with a stroll through your neighborhood or even a walk around the block. The fresh air and sights, sounds, and smells of spring will do wonders to lift your mood and start your day on a positive note. You can even listen to your favorite podcast or call a friend while you walk.
9. BAKE SOMETHING DELICIOUS
If you’re anything like us, you’re probably baking up a storm at the moment. We’re loving the comfort of fresh baked goods paired with a cup of coffee or tea in the morning. Try this easy berry crumble recipe for an indulgent breakfast treat, this Easy Like Sunday Morning Coffee Cake for the weekend, or this classic banana bread recipe from FoodieCrush.
10. PLAN A VIRTUAL COFFEE DATE
While you can’t meet your girlfriends for matcha lattes and the latest gossip at your favorite local spot, you can still plan a morning coffee date with your BFFs on Zoom. Brew a cup and schedule a time to chat for an hour once a week. We love having a weekly Zoom date with friends—it gives us something to look forward to and is a nice way to stay connected and check in on everyone and their families.