A Cozy Morning Routine + Night Reset to Bookend Your Busy Day
If self-care sounds like a chore you don’t have time to add to your already packed to-do list, or if it feels like some woo-woo luxury that isn’t for you, then you’re in the right place.
Self-care can be a tricky phrase, especially for women. We are conditioned to put others first. I can’t even make myself a snack without first wondering if my husband wants one too. For years, I structured my days around everyone else’s needs and requests. If I wasn’t careful, my time belonged to whoever asked for it first.
And for high achievers, that “whoever” is often your inbox.
How many times have you checked your email first thing in the morning, hoping it would tell you what to do next?
When I don’t set an intention for the day, I slip into reactive mode. Reactive mode is when you spend your hours responding instead of creating. You answer texts. You react to the news. You doomscroll. By noon, you’re already feeling behind because you haven’t moved a single meaningful item on your own to-do list forward.
But what if your mornings belonged to you?
When I first started leaning into self-care, it felt foreign. Selfish. Decadent. Something I could do after I’d earned it. And as an entrepreneur, when is the work ever done?
It took me years to understand this: self-care isn’t indulgence. It’s essential.
And here’s an uncomfortable truth:
If you don’t decide how your day begins, someone else will.
Your inbox.
Your notifications.
Your clients.
Your social media feed.
High achievers don’t struggle with ambition. We struggle with boundaries. We wake up ready to conquer the day… and then end up babysitting it instead. That’s when I started thinking about self-care differently.
As a ritual.
A gentle but non-negotiable way to enter and exit my day on purpose.
This isn’t about waking up at 5 a.m. and hitting the gym.
And it’s not about sprinkling cinnamon on your doorstep, or keeping a crystal nearby.
(I’ve tried both of those, by the way—the 5 a.m. thing is not for me.)
This also isn’t about optimizing every hour of your workday or earning rest. Rituals are about protecting your creative energy so that you can be the you-ey-est you that you can be.
Here is my Cozy Morning Ritual (Before the world intrudes)
When I wake up in the morning, I don’t check email first. And yes, I do sleep with my phone on the nightstand. I listen to sleep tracks and hypnosis at night, which is my favorite thing to do when I wake up at 3 a.m.
I ignore my phone, accept the cup of coffee the hubs brings me (lucky girl energy), and sit down with my journal. Some mornings I meditate. Others, I make a gratitude list or indulge in a chaotic brain dump. Sometimes I have a conversation with God, the Universe, Source.
In short, I create before I consume. When we wake up, we are in that delicious space between consciousness and unconsciousness. There is a rare opportunity to tap into incredible ideas that come from God, or your higher self. That’s why Lemmon Society Magazine exists.
I discuss my habits for the new year in this YouTube video if you want to go deeper on this topic.
After that, I ease into my day gently. I make Pinterest pins or graphics for social media. Something easy and fun and creative I can do for the first hour of my day. Then I move onto my number-one priority for the week, which could be the book I’m writing or filming a video for YouTube or writing a post for The Lemmon Society.
There is still structure, but not before I give my nervous system safety.
The Midday Reset (Because You’re Not a Machine)
After lunch, I move my body. Even just five minutes counts! I like to walk after I eat lunch. On glorious weather days, I go outside. On cloudy, rainy, or snowy days, I will step onto the elliptical or do a walking YouTube video. They exist! I love a guided fitness video. I can zone out and do as I’m told.
I also drink some more water, and on occasion indulge in an afternoon coffee and a sweet treat.
A Nighttime Ritual
For me, evenings are for relaxing, unwinding, and letting go of the day.
Most of the time.
No lie, I am writing this at 7:30 p.m. which is unheard of, but I go where the energy calls. And today, the energy called me to bed for a 45-minute nap, so as it turns out I have a bit of energy leftover!
But most nights, the sole goal is to unwind.
I love the hot tub. A glass of wine. A mocktail if I bypass the wine.
A hot tea in the winter.
If it’s a day I need to cook, I sip while I chop, and listen to music. If it’s not, I lounge on the recliner and indulge in Real Housewives. Sometimes I watch it from the bathtub.
I’m leaning into my intuition more now than I did years ago. I don’t push myself until I’m ready to collapse and then pour a glass of wine to shut my brain off. I honor the energy. Respond to the excitement.
Last night, it was hot tub and mocktail.
Tonight, it’s wine and blogging.
Main Character Energy
Pinterest loves the phrase “main character energy,” and honestly, so do I.
But real main character energy isn’t aesthetic perfection.
For me, it’s:
Not checking email before coffee
Not beginning the day reactive
Not ending the night wired and overstimulated
For me, it’s:
Choosing yourself first
Following the energy over the to-do list
Romanticizing your life without abandoning your goals
Cozy Ritual Favorites
If you love building rituals around beautiful, intentional tools, I keep my current favorites all in one place. Journals. Pens. Cozy lighting. Bathtime essentials.
You can browse them here:
The Bottom Line
If self-care has felt like a chore, try reframing it. It doesn’t have to be earned—only to be done after you’ve done all the things. These precious moments you keep for yourself are what make the work you love to do sustainable.
And it starts with a few simple habits. Or, just one. For me, it’s not checking my email before I journal or meditate. It’s protecting that first hour of the day.
What will it be for you?
xo,
Jessica
This is the kind of intentional living we explore inside Lemmon Society Magazine. Each month we dive into creative rituals, cozy routines, and building a life that feels as good as it looks.