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Okay, so let’s talk about morning routines.

Because apparently, if you’re not up at 5 a.m. doing sun salutations, whispering affirmations into your green juice, and manifesting a six-figure business from your Himalayan salt lamp—what are you even doing with your life?

But real talk? Morning routines have become *a little* unhinged. Like, when did mornings stop being just “wake up and survive” and start becoming this competitive Olympic event of self-optimization?

I saw someone on TikTok say their morning routine takes three hours. Three. HOURS. That’s not a routine—that’s a *part-time job.* And I'm over here celebrating because I brushed my teeth *and* didn’t check my email in bed. Growth.

Now, let me say this—I do believe in the *magic* of mornings. I believe in setting the tone, in choosing your energy before the world hands you its chaos. I believe in rituals and habits and grounding practices. I really do.

But I also believe in *reality*.

And in reality, not every morning is going to look like a Pinterest board. Sometimes the magic is in your kid letting you pee in peace. Sometimes it’s drinking *hot* coffee before it becomes iced by neglect. Sometimes the win is just *waking up* and not immediately doom-scrolling.

So if you’ve ever felt guilty because your morning didn’t include 37 steps of holistic perfection, let me be the one to say: *Stop that*. You're not broken. You're just human. And probably tired.

Let’s get into what morning routines *can* be—without the pressure, without the perfection, and without the influencer voice telling you to align your chakras before 6 a.m. or risk emotional collapse.

Let’s start here: What actually makes a morning powerful?

It’s not the celery juice. It’s not the matching yoga set. It’s the *intention*. It’s the *energy*. It’s the *choice* to begin your day with something—*anything*—that reconnects you to yourself.

Maybe it’s breathwork. Maybe it’s blasting Beyoncé while you put on mascara and hype yourself up in the mirror like you're about to storm the stock market. Maybe it’s a five-minute walk outside where you talk to the trees like they're your coworkers. (They listen better than actual coworkers, anyway.)

The point is, your morning routine doesn’t have to look like *anyone else’s* to be sacred. It doesn’t have to be long. It doesn’t have to be photogenic. It just has to be *yours.*

For example, my current morning routine? Here it is. I wake up. I say a little “thank you” to the Universe because I’m not dead—always a plus. I roll over. I check in with myself. I ask, “How are we doing today?” Not the version of me that shows up for others. The *real* me. The one with the messy hair and the overactive brain and the dreams that left a weird emotional hangover.

Then maybe I journal. Maybe I stretch. Maybe I do absolutely nothing and just sit in silence with my coffee and stare at a wall like I’m in a softcore existential crisis. And *that’s okay*.

Because it’s intentional. It’s grounding. And it’s mine.

You see, the danger with morning routines is when they become another place we beat ourselves up. Another checkbox we shame ourselves over. “Ugh, I didn’t meditate today.” “I only journaled one sentence.” “I skipped affirmations.” Girl, please. Your soul isn’t keeping score.

There is no gold star for spiritual performance. You don’t get extra enlightenment points for completing your morning routine like it’s a damn scavenger hunt. The only thing that matters is how it *feels.*

Does it connect you? Center you? Bring you back to your truth?

Because that’s the magic. That’s the medicine.

And for those of you who say, “But I’m not a morning person”—hey, neither is my nervous system. The goal isn’t to suddenly become one of those radiant sunbeams who springs out of bed like a Disney princess. The goal is to *meet yourself where you are* and add just *one thing* that brings you home to yourself.

That’s it. One thing.

Light a candle. Pull a tarot card. Stretch. Breathe. Don’t talk to anyone for 20 minutes and protect your peace like a dragon guards its hoard. All of it counts.

And listen, your routine can evolve. There are seasons where you’re up at 6 doing breathwork and setting intentions like a goddess. And then there are seasons where you wake up, curse softly into your pillow, and survive. Both are valid. Both are spiritual. Both are *you*.

So today, I want to give you permission to make your morning routine *your own*. Strip away the pressure. Drop the guilt. And come back to the simplest question: “What would feel good to start my day?”

Start there. Then do it again tomorrow. And the next day. And let that be enough.

You are not less spiritual because you didn’t journal. You are not less worthy because you didn’t rise with the sun. You are a whole, sacred, messy, beautiful soul who deserves mornings that *nourish* you—not drain you.

So go create a routine that makes you feel alive. That makes you feel held. That makes you feel like the badass beam of light that you are.

And remember: it’s not about doing it “right.” It’s about doing it with love.

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That’s it for today, friends. Go drink your coffee. Or your tea. Or your mushroom elixir that tastes like bark but makes you feel ethereal. I love you. Your mornings matter. But so do *you*.

Stay spiritual. Stay gangster.

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