I asked Australian creatives how they’re structuring their mornings right now
IMAGE VIA @LINNEKLUND/INSTAGRAM
WORDS BY LEEANN BUSHNAQ
Mornings done right.
For most of us, our mornings aren’t what they used to be. The fact that I used to enthusiastically wake up at 7am every morning feels like a fever dream. Nowadays, repeated lockdowns have left me struggling to find a steady routine.
I’ve unfortunately cemented a habit of starting every morning at war with my snooze button, followed by a flurry of yawns and sighs. Finding your rhythm can feel almost impossible.
Interested to hear how others navigate the world? Head to our Life section.
Every lockdown has seen me experiment with new strategies, but nothing seems to stick, but I’m ready to conquer my ruts and reclaim my mornings for good. To provide you with some inspiration, I asked five Australian creatives how they’ve been starting their mornings on the right foot.
Elle Hioe, stylist
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Paint us a picture of a typical lockdown morning.
Lately, I’ve been waking up at 7.30am which is way earlier than I’ve ever woken up before in my life… After I wake up, I drink some water (I keep my water bottle next to my bed) and then go straight to my phone to check notifications and emails. Then, I head to Duolingo and do a bit of Indonesian practice for half an hour, followed by a lesson on Mango Languages. Since I have all this time now, I’ve been learning Indonesian and it’s been really fun.
After stuffing my face with some early morning screen time, I do my daily morning stretch in my room, wash my face and do my skincare, and go downstairs to make a coffee. I have it black because I am insane. While I sip on that, I write down my vocabulary and conversation lessons from the morning and revise while consulting my mum who is a native Indonesian speaker.
If I don’t have work that day, I do some light exercise using a workout program I found online, or read a book. Currently, I’m reading Haruki Murakami’s Killing Commentadore – I’m not sure I would recommend it. I drink more water, some homemade kombucha, and then either clock on for work or figure out what will be on the day’s agenda. I’ve never had such a productive or healthy morning routine in my life. I guess this is one good thing about lockdown. I’m so healthy it makes me sick. But there are definitely worse things to complain about!
What’s one tip you have for starting your morning right?
Drink water. And probably don’t go on your phone.
Asheda Weekes, freelance writer
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Paint us a picture of a typical lockdown morning.
My lockdown morning routine is slow-paced. My wake-up time typically sits around the 7.30am mark, but my getting-up time is closer to 8am. Between hitting the snooze buttons, and sometimes scrolling through social/news feeds on my phone, I’ll be part of a spoon train with my cat and partner. The cat is always in the middle, purring loudly as I pat her softly. It’s incredibly calming.
Once I’m out of bed, I do the essential cleanse-moisturise-SPF before getting changed. Trackies are my lockdown fit – I’m all about comfort. I pair a glass of water with my meds/vitamins before I head out the door for a daily coffee walk with my partner. This is a thirty-minute round trip to our local cafe. We go in rain or shine – we’re committed to the caffeine. It’s a nice chance to move the body, and get some fresh air before I start work. I’ll head up to my little office area and settle in with coffee in hand and a pen in the other, ready to write a daily to-do list to set myself up for the day ahead.
What’s one tip you have for starting your morning right?
Put less pressure on yourself to be productive before 9am. Especially with lockdown fatigue hanging around. You’ll enjoy yourself more, and it allows you to lean into the mornings when your routine changes. I relish the occasional early morning start – waking at 5am and filling it with hours of writing, a longer walk, and sneaking in a few chapters of a good book.
Claudia Rose, filmmaker
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Paint us a picture of a typical lockdown morning.
It’s 2.30 am and I’ve awoken to one of my crazy dreams. Lately, I’ve been trying to write these down in an attempt to trigger lucid dreaming. So I grab my journal. Tonight, the baseline of the song my boyfriend and I recorded in lockdown is the fantasy theme song. The setting is a 1920s travelling circus, and I’m filming. There are dogs with multicoloured shiny birthday hats, theatrical firing cannons, and glistening waterholes.
At sunrise, I rip myself out from under the covers. I make myself a black coffee and then pack my bag with swimmers, goggles and a towel. I get started on my walk to Bronte ocean pool for as many laps as I can manage before my face turns completely numb. As I walk home, I stop at my favourite sandstone headland and gaze at the horizon for my morning meditation. I continue my walk home admiring all the sweet pups and reflect on what I have to get done for the day.
At around 9am, I have my day figured out. I make myself a big pot of Genmaicha (Japanese brown rice green tea). I then check in on my roommates. I cuddle them and see which stage of the lockdown rollercoaster they’re on. Now, it’s time to sit down at my little desk with windows that look out to my everchanging maple tree. What I have to get done each day varies. Today I am free of deadlines. I’ve just received the sound design for a passion project I’m working on. It’s a video project I shot of my roommate in our house in isolation. It deals with the motion of a mind in a day of isolation. I’m currently finalising that edit.
What’s one tip you have for starting your morning right?
Each morning is especially different in lockdown. Some days I open my eyes with inspiration and motivation and other mornings that feeling is locked away. Waking up early, getting outside, clearing my mind and moving my body helps me find the key to this.
Anastacía, stylist, model and vintage store owner
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Paint us a picture of a typical lockdown morning.
Quite frankly, my lockdown routine isn’t consistent enough for me to paint a clear picture of how my mornings unfold. I tend to wake up anytime between 6am and 12pm. Rising usually depends on whether I was up late working the night before or how my paranoia is travelling. I always skull three glasses of lukewarm water once I’m awake. I usually do this right away, then I’ll make a green smoothie, which is followed almost immediately by either matcha or stove-top coffee. Once I’m caffeinated, my partner and I will coordinate the rest of the day with a basic plan that we may or may not see through.
Generally, the first part of the day involves working out, washing clothes, updating or packing Depop orders, and smoking weed while listening to music with my partner. Once admin is taken care of, I’ll start sorting outfits for future shoots, mending pieces, or curating my Insta post rollout. I used to work in a much more regimented, disciplined way, but now I just like to see where the day and my energy takes me.
What’s one tip you have for starting your morning right?
Give thanks as you consume your morning water. There is something really positive about cleansing your stomach while holding space for your gratitude.
Andi Short, founder of Bye Bambi
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Paint us a picture of a typical lockdown morning.
A typical lockdown morning for me starts anywhere between 5am and 6am. Depending on the day, I try to fit in some form of enjoyable exercise. Usually, I walk down to the coffee shop, although more recently I’ve been aiming for a weekly bike ride (my preferred method). I then have a cold shower and make an energy tea to wake me up for the day.
Accompanied by a new episode from one of the 11 podcasts I have on rotation, I then drive my 25-year-old Toyota Camry, Shaz, into the Bye Bambi office to start work for the day. Luckily, I have a work permit to go into the office – which we have actually just upgraded to a space that will allow for our first brick-and-mortar store (grand opening to be announced, and currently at the mercy of Victoria’s lockdown status).
What’s one tip you have for starting your morning right?
Try to wake up within an hour of the same time each morning. Your body clock will sync accordingly. No matter the time, the theory is you won’t wake up as tired. I have only truly gotten into a rhythm with this here in 2021, however, it has really helped get rid of my lockdown lethargy.
Read more on morning routines here.
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