1. Routine is the key. The key here is ‘routine’: just do it, as Nike says, and when you get the routine just right, there’s no thinking. When we don’t have to think, we increase feelings of secure wellbeing and eliminate fundamental anxious thoughts and decision-making (“ is it better to sleep longer, or should I get up today?”). Save your energy for the upcoming, unknown daily challenges – a no- thinking routine gives you that.
2. Frame your day with self-care. A morning routine is dependent on the time you carve out for it, from your responsibilities and sleep needs. Even 15- 20 minutes of morning self- care will change your day ahead, colouring it positively for you. When stresses and challenges roll in, you will reflect back on gifting yourself something purposeful that you have already enjoyed.
3. Make yourself want to get up. Major hint: you need to want to get out of bed, so give yourself the dopamine hit (chasing your self- care) versus the spike in stress hormones caused by oversleeping. If you know your lovely personalized routine is what you’re getting up for, you open your eyes and feel positive. Yes, sometimes sleep is the best self care– absolutely the best– but don’t confound all extra sleep minutes with ‘rest’ and ‘recharge’. If staying in bed burns into your morning prep time, your cortisol and adrenaline hormones spike, removing the benefits of hitting snooze.
4. Stretch First. You see it in movies: people wake up and stretch, and there’s a reason. Give yourself 2 minutes to stretch as you lie in bed, before you get up, by doing Happy Baby Pose ^[1] – it has so many benefits (see link). Follow with an overhead arm stretch, seated on the edge of your bed, tips of fingers moving from side body to stretch high overhead, where the backs of your hands meet. Feel great? That’s because your body has been given the gift of awakening. If all this feels like something amazing and you want more, consider adding a stretch practice to your day –you can find one here, for morning or a later time.
5. Two Glasses of Water. Before other food or drink, the body and brain require lubrication, detoxification and a boost to metabolism. When we drink water, we move body waste, mucus, and the fluids that helped restore us to homeostasis ( bodies back in balance)  as we slept overnight. We need to get wastes out– and add the new, clean lubricant: water. Drinking 8 oz. filtered water upon rising, and a second glass during your morning routine optimizes cellular function in the brain, the digestive tract, the organs – it accelerates detoxification and energizes the body, rehydrating us at the cellular level. Choose filtered water that has been mineralized when possible. A good filter removes chlorine, fluoride, mercury, lead and other heavy metals found in Canada’s tap water^[2] , and remineralization adds calcium, magnesium and trace minerals to naturally raise your pH, and keep us in a state of slight alkalinity. Water filtration is a topic in itself- but my Nutrition studies revealed some conclusions, and a top filtration system at a few price points can be found here.  
6. Select Something to Sip. Now it’s time to give yourself a few gifts, and Tips  6, 7, 8, 9 are enjoyed together. Begin by making your choice of Dodjivi Premium Mushroom Coffee to benefit you today. Do you need to focus on your energy and vitality? Does your immunity need a boost? What about your mental acuity or focus? Maybe the top benefit you need this morning is stress support from your functional coffee: there is a Dodjivi mushroom coffee to work on your morning’s top focus. Add your favourite milk– maybe froth it! Add pure maple syrup for sweetness and antimicrobial, antibacterial support.
7. Sit, Enjoy, Actualize Your Wellness. Give yourself a few quiet minutes to awaken, set the body clock and frame your attitude. Sip the delicious energy boost of low caffeine, adaptogenic mushrooms and no jitters (it’s time to ease into the day). Such a top notch taste, perfect for coffee snobs (like me). A great window of time to actualize your wellness by listening to a podcast: Aviva Romm focuses on women, Huberman Lab for all aspects of health, Peter Attia for the science of longevity, The Optimal Body — there are so many to delve into!

1. Ten Minutes of Daylight (minimum) even on grey days sets your diurnal hormones correctly for the day and the evening to come. Our hormones change constantly, and when we sit in daylight with no sunglasses, the thin, light- sensitive cells at the back of our eyes (the retina) take in light to increase daytime cortisol and, in evening, that light from morning will trigger night-time melatonin, causing natural sleepiness. The science of light on your retina and hormonal balance is long established and new developments are emerging^[3]. Daylight regulates your sleep cycle- now it’s up to you what you will do with the day. Take your coffee, take your journal into the light!

Five Gratitudes = Grateful Attitudes. A Gratitude Journal is a simple way to improve feelings of wellbeing, and the old-fashioned way takes just paper and a pen ( there’s something good about writing it out).The Five Gratitudes idea is, jot down 5 things a day you find yourself grateful for. Your in- the-moment thinking might include: I’m grateful for this sunny day/ for the smell of the leaves as I walked yesterday/I’m grateful that I’ve made time each morning just to ‘be’/ to exercise/ I’m grateful for this warm mug of amazing functional mushroom coffee, which is helping build my immunity as I enjoy it (Dodjivi, of course). Five Grats, five minutes– and a beautiful, quiet way to enjoy your mug of Dodjivi Premium Mushroom coffee as you sit in the daylight. The psychological

^[1] Healthline

^[2] Conference Board of Canada/ Water Quality

^[3] PubMed/Circadian Light Regulation

1. and emotional benefits of gratitude, such as how it can switch on optimism and make you feel happier, are well-documented. If you want more prompts and exercises, browse Gratitude Journals online to see what works for you. Morning is a great time for gratitude- your mind begins the day with appreciation. But if you’re short 1 or 2 Gratitudes, finishing your list in the evening feels amazing.
2. Morning Movement. If this is the self-care you crave, even a few days of the week– if adding exercise feels decadent, like you’re cheating the system, that’s a win! So get moving– we all know exercise’s many benefits, and finding time for it is great self care. Off you go– you did it!

I fully believe in this tried-and tested routine, Health Warriors. Yours will need to be tweaked for you, to be just right. Even if you include half of these tips, I know you will find that some of the big wishes listed above are improved.