Productivity Tip:

Nourish Yourself With Morning Rituals

If you’ve ever wondered why you struggle with an action-packed morning routine, try replacing it with an empowering ritual. Transformation expert Sloane, who works with high-performing women, says the traditional idea of a morning routine is designed by men, for men.

She says: “This structure can work really well for men, but for a lot of women, it’s exhausting and becomes yet another thing on the to-do list. Unless she does the routine perfectly, she starts the day already feeling like she hasn’t done enough.”

Instead, Sloane believes women perform at their best when they first focus on feeling good. “There’s a whole field of research on subjective well-being, on how feeling good actually drives how well we function and succeed.

“How do we feel good? An important part is feeling nourished, filled up, taken care of, coming from a place of overflow, and letting that overflow serve the things we want to do.”

According to Sloane, the key is flexibility. Your ritual might take three minutes or an hour depending on the day, but it should be intentional and include at least one element you return to every morning.

Read on below to learn more about her own morning ritual and how she manages her energy.

Routine Breakdown

Sloane, Women’s Neuropsychophysiology Expert

The Morning Ritual of a Women’s Neuropsychophysiology Expert

Sloane’s morning ritual always involves meditation and lighting a candle, but the other things she does vary, depending on her energy levels or where she is in her cycle.

The Routine:

• Lights a candle.“For me, lighting a candle is the signal to my body and mind that says, ‘I’m starting this nourishing moment with myself. This time is just for me.’” 
• Meditates. “Meditation is almost always part of my ritual. It might be 10 minutes or 30 minutes, depending on how I’m feeling that morning and how much time I have available.”
• Adapts her ritual to her personal rhythms. “In the beginning of my cycle, when I have my lowest energy, I might skip the candle, lie in bed and meditate, and then end the morning ritual by doing some loving self-talk with my hands on my cheeks, eyes closed, just saying things like ‘You’re an amazing woman that you’re doing this for yourself.’ Or I might notice something specific, like how I’ve been showing up with my daughter lately. In the middle of my cycle, when I have the most energy, I might get up, light the candle in my little meditation room, do the meditation sitting in my chair, exercise and journal.” 
• Other things she might include in her ritual are dancing, visioning how she wants the day to go, or even just petting her dog in bed. “The whole idea is to take what feels good for you and to actually use it as a time for nourishment, not a time that’s about checking off boxes.”
  
  

Why it works:

• It’s flexible. The ritual changes with her energy levels, schedule, and where she is in her cycle, making it easier to stay consistent.
• It prioritizes well-being over productivity. Instead of trying to achieve more before the day begins, the focus is on starting from a place of feeling calm, nourished, and cared for.
• It uses simple cues. Small rituals, like lighting a candle or meditating, become consistent signals that it’s time to slow down and be intentional.

While Sloane’s approach is designed for women, there’s nothing to say men can’t also benefit from a morning ritual that prioritizes nourishment over simply getting more done. What do you find most nourishing in the morning?