Morning ,

It’s the thick of summer and all I want right now in the entertainment department is lighter fare. So far, I’m gobbling up episodes of Love Island (how have I never seen this!) and thoroughly enjoying every bit of this fresh and fun campus romance novel. My brain can only handle so much at the moment, what with planning for travel, birthdays, and weddings coming up, so this is the perfect time for a brain break.

In other news: we have a treat for you today! A few weeks ago, we asked you to send in your morning routines. We pulled together the best nuggets from them and share them back in this issue, down below. Thanks to everyone who wrote in. Cheers to better mornings!

Until next week,
Alisha Ramos (@alisharamos)

This Week's Recommendations

Image: Rachel Saunders Ceramics

The Very Best Tips From Our Readers' Morning Routines

My morning routine varies (depending on whether or not I get up when my partner leaves in the morning) but it always includes an iced coffee, a walk around the block with the dog, and either some TikTok, TV, or reading to ease into the day.

A few weeks ago, Alisha shared her own morning routine (which newly includes an early morning wakeup and a loooong walk), and wanted to know what yours are, too. 

Beyond the usual coffee and doing some skincare, our readers shared some truly luxurious, clever, and thoughtful bits of their morning routines with us. We learned some helpful tips (and that we’re not alone in loving a morning walk), like using tech to your advantage, putting on some smooth tunes, and easing into the day.

We enjoyed reading every one of your submissions —read on for just a few of the morning routines that delighted and inspired us to start the day with a bit more intention. 

💡 Make Use of Tech for Relaxing Wake-Up Calls

“While I am getting ready in the morning, all the way until my first meeting of the day, I listen to ‘forest sounds’ on my Google Home. The sounds of birds and crickets chirping really relaxes me more than I expected.” —Jule G.
 

“I have my alarm synced to our smart lights in our bedroom via the Google Home app. When I turn off my alarm, the lights come on! I also pre-set our coffee pot to brew at 6:15am the night before, so it's hot and ready to consume once the first wave of morning tasks are done.” —Brittany B. 
 

“I love starting my day with a sunrise alarm clock. It begins brightening about 20 minutes before you need to wake and gradually gets brighter and brighter before the alarm sounds (we have the Hatch one). I have ours set to the sound of chirping birds.” —Kate B. 
 

“I crave a slow morning. I used to have to reheat my coffee 2-4 times every morning before I finished it. I have some weird mental block about drinking out of a coffee tumbler in my own home, so when I found the Ember mug, it changed everything. One of the biggest, dumbest excuses that regularly kept me from meditating was that I didn't want to make my coffee after I was all relaxed, and I didn't want it to be cold by the time I finished meditating. So this dang gadget has fully improved my mornings.” —Kate D. 

😌 Squeeze In Some Easy Movement 

“Adriene Mishler does not know this, but I consider her to be one of my most consistent and healthy relationships. Weird to say? Maybe. Slightly creepy? Not intentionally. The truth is, incorporating Yoga with Adriene videos into my daily routine and taking even a short moment to reconnect with my body and breath has been essential to maintaining my mental, emotional, and physical health. One of my favorites for a morning practice is her Wake Up Yoga video. It’s only 11 minutes and stretches out all of the knots from a night in bed.” —April S. 
 

“The Peloton Morning Flow Yoga classes have amazing slow movements to get the body warmed up and lovely playlists (Aditi is my fave).” —Kate N. 
 

“I'm up at 5:30am and I'm walking my dog, Randall, around the neighborhood for 40 minutes. I specifically take a route that lets us see the sun rise and while it's silly, I tell my dog my morning gratitude to ground me into the day. I never keep up with a journal, but speaking it out loud has been an empowering piece to my morning.” —Jen P.

“I love paddle boarding, and find a morning paddle to be the best and most relaxing way to start the day. I don’t make it an everyday routine, but when the weather's nice it’s an amazing way to connect to nature and get a little movement in before working from home. Here is a TikTok of one of my morning paddles when I got to see a little jellyfish and the sunrise!” —Regan L. 

☕️ Indulge in a Few Luxuries (Including Waking Up Late!)

“At 7:45 I settle down with a glass of water and my Chemex for 45 minutes that is all my own. My glorious, untouched, house-to-myself time. Whether I read, write, meditate, message my friends, or catch up on Netflix, it’s a perfect time of my own every day before starting a day of work and whatever else is ahead for me. Here’s a photo in one of those morning slices of time on a sunny day (reading a book recommended by GNI!)” —Charlotte E. 

“My alarm is set to the local jazz station, KCCK, and I usually lay in bed and listen to a song or two before I get up.” —Sarah Y. 

“I get up at 5am, make a comforting cup of coffee, and read my book(s) for an hour. It's my reward to get out of bed, because I hate the idea of not having that hour of zen. Then my workouts are better because I had that hour to wake up.” —Emilee C.

“I am a person for whom waking up is ALWAYS hard, no matter how much sleep I get, and I've been trying to curate a gentle morning routine that can feel like something I would want to get out of bed for. Right now, my routine mostly looks like giving myself permission to wake up a little later than most folks, and spending time waking up and eating breakfast before diving into any work.” —Lisa M. 

🧺 Tackle Some Chores, But Go Easy 

“My sister just told me about an idea I'm going to adopt. She has a list of 8-10 things she likes to do in the morning and has a 'pick 2' policy. Each morning she gives herself a couple of hours and does whatever sounds best from the list that day. It feels like a good way to be intentional but also adapt to what you actually need in the moment!” —Rosie L.
 

“I make the bed and tidy up the house, take the dog out, wrap up any lingering chores (ex: laundry in the dryer, kitchen counter wipe down, take out garbage, dishes, etc.), and remarkably, all of that only takes about 15 minutes! I can't believe it.” —Susan W.
 

“I like to do something mildly productive in the morning. Sometimes it's just putting away dishes or cleaning up a space.” —Lainey D.

This Week's Reads

1. Fashion Has Abandoned Human Taste (The Atlantic) — A smart observation on the origins and impacts of the fashion trend cycle's hyperspeed pace.
2. Decoding the Defiance of Henry VIII’s Wife (NYT gift link) — Art! Jewelry! Court drama! A medieval Wordle! This story really has it all.
3. A fun interview with Bolu Babalola, the self-acclaimed Romcomoisseur™ and author of Honey & Spice. (The Cut)
4. Text Your Friends. It Matters More Than You Think (NYT gift link) — "New research suggests that casually reaching out to people in our social circles means more than we realize." 🥹
5. The future of the country feels bleak. How can I cope? (Washington Post) — Important advice for what you may be feeling these days.
6. How Dinner Parties Became the Fuzzy Blanket of Adulthood (Bon Appétit)
7. Bookstores Are Booming and Becoming More Diverse (NYT) — Good news!
8. The Internet Is a Constant Recommendations Machine — But It Needs You To Make It Work (The Verge) — A great read for anyone who's feeling the overwhelm of having so much new content being available, all the time.
9. “Should I feel guilty about having so much downtime at work?” (The Cut)