

Does Your Morning Routine Need A Refresher? Here’s How To Make The Most Of Your Morning.
My new year's resolutions started late last year. In an effort to ease into 2023, I decided back in November that I would start making small adjustments to my everyday habits that would lay the foundation for the year ahead. So in order to form better habits, I knew that the biggest changes had to first take place with my morning routine.
After experiencing a huge dip in my productivity and lifestyle a few months back, getting up in the morning became an uphill battle. I would spend my first waking moments on social media apps doom scrolling, losing track of time, only to end up in a poor mood when it came time to start my day. I knew that this type of habit wasn’t sustainable if I wanted to see real, positive change in my life; so bit by bit, I began to make adjustments.
Instead of reaching straight for my phone every morning, I would pray, journal, or start drafting my to-do list. While every morning wasn’t perfect, it was the start of a system that illuminated a vital principle: if I wanted to see a big change in my life, I had to start with small, daily shifts.
Our mornings set the tone for the day ahead and how we approach our day, eventually impacts our lifestyle. And as life moves in cycles, things can become stagnant. We have times when we aren’t as motivated or inspired to live at our highest potential, which calls for a fresh start and approach to our morning routine.
To help us get clear on how to make the most of our mornings, we tapped Licensed Clinical Psychologist and founder of Center for Inclusive Therapy + Wellness, Dr. Janelle S. Peifer for where to start.
If you feel the desire to establish a new, steady routine for yourself, you can feel relieved to know that it’s an inherent human need. According to Dr. Peifer, humans are naturally wired to thrive and rely on routine to shape our psychological, emotional, and physical health.
“Having a predictable routine helps us translate conscious efforts into habits that we can build from,” Dr. Peifer tells xoNecole. “A morning routine can enable us to set the tone for the day, centering our well-being and values before the onslaught of external demands grabs our attention and energy.”
“A morning routine can enable us to set the tone for the day, centering our well-being and values before the onslaught of external demands grabs our attention and energy.”
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As Dr. Peifer explains, forming a morning routine is especially important for those who may experience depressive episodes or mood disorders. Now that we’re on the tail end of the months when seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is most common, Dr. Peifer shares that there are a plethora of ways to get back into your groove and find your morning rhythm again.
“Using affirmations, journaling, and ending your day with a gratitude practice, can be helpful,” she says. “Moreover, creating routines that get you moving, out of the home, doing self-care behaviors (like hygiene), and connecting with others… can also help us connect into social support that is so essential to our mental health.”
She also says that having a practice to address the barriers that are maintaining your depressive symptoms can be helpful in regaining a sense of agency over your life, as opposed to despair and hopelessness. “Of course, all of these steps require that you are well-supported. It isn't just a matter of willpower,” says Dr. Peifer. “Engaging in therapy, a support group, speaking to a spiritual leader in your community, taking medication, or engaging in a holistic health practice can give you the boost you need to get into a groove, enact, and sustain a routine that can help maintain your wellness.”
And while some people can "fake it until they make it” in their daily routines, Dr. Peifer adds that others may need additional support and resources in order to build and maintain their wellness routines.
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Whether that be having an accountability partner, a wellness group chat, or frequent check-ins with your therapist, it’s important to listen to your needs and limit the distraction of outside influences—whether online or your inner critic—to establish a routine that works best for you.
“It can be tempting to see others' routines, especially on social media, and feel like you have to follow a specific, narrow pathway to be doing it ‘right,’” she says. “In reality, various factors will shape what routine will work well for and be sustainable within your life. When are you most awake and aware? What is your family and work situation?” she adds. “While 5 a.m. may be perfect ‘you’ time, it may not be — and that's okay! You can be in the 9 a.m. club and crush it!”
When it comes to finding the routine that truly maximizes your morning, Dr. Peifer shows us where to start:
Set your phone down.
“If you notice an urge to pull up your email, check socials, or text your boo right when you wake up, consider pausing. Take a moment--even just 5 deep circular breaths to ground yourself in your body with awareness before diving into the noise and busyness of the day.”
Start with gratitude.
“Research suggests that a gratitude practice can improve mental health and self-esteem. Beginning your day with an expression of gratitude that feels real and authentic to you can be helpful.”
Take care of your body and spirit.
“Taking a moment to do a restorative, self-care practice, be that mindfully brushing your teeth, a luxurious skincare routine, or a slow shower with music can bring you into your body and into the moment.”
Do a reflective practice.
“A practice of journaling, voice recording, creating a video, or a brisk walk around the neighborhood can help you reflect on what you need most and what you hope your day will entail. Find a reflective practice that works for you and give yourself grace on practicing it.”
In all, Dr. Peifer recommends that when it comes to the early days of refining your morning routine, always give yourself grace and practice patience with yourself—because this too, is a journey.
“Any routine requires grace and flexibility. Practicing compassionate self-talk is a great resource as you're building new skills and habits,” Dr. Peifer says. “To stay on track, recognize that behavior change is typically nonlinear and loops through periods of relapse and growth. That doesn't mean you're doing it wrong! That's just how human behavior change happens and with grace and self-compassion, you're much more likely to stay with the process rather than try to escape feeling inadequate and like a failure.”
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Aley Arion is a writer and digital storyteller from the South, currently living in sunny Los Angeles. Her site, yagirlaley.com, serves as a digital diary to document personal essays, cultural commentary, and her insights into the Black Millennial experience. Follow her at @yagirlaley on all platforms!
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
We all have a dream life that we spend our free time daydreaming about. You know, the one with a loving partner, high-rise apartment, thriving career, and endless abundance. But as much as we can dream about it, there has to be a little extra sprinkle of “magic” to make it become a reality, and that’s when manifestation comes in.
The uptick in manifestation techniques is nothing new to the internet. Since The Secret and the Law of Attraction became available on YouTube in the early 2010s and fast forward to today, where #manifestationtok and #spiritualtok surging in popularity, it’s clear that there are a number of different ways to get what you want out of life with the right action, affirmation, and visualization.
Still, with so many ways to manifest, from scripting to the 3-6-9 Method, it can be hard to know which one to lean into. But there’s one new technique that’s promising to yield “instant results,” and we’re curious about it.
The "I Am Sure" Manifestation
@hothighpriestess Replying to @A I M E E 🖤 lG: hothighpriestess 🤍 this is the “I am sure” method #iamsuremethod
The “I Am Sure” manifestation gained traction this summer by TikTok creator Sara Perl of @hothighpriestess, who initially introduced the method.
In her original video breaking down the concept, she detailed the steps to use the technique for those looking to “manifest overnight.” To do so, start by stating “I am sure,” followed by “your desired manifestation in the present tense.” If there’s a job, promotion, or text from a crush that you want, then you’d say, “I am sure that I got X job,” or “I am sure that I make a $100K salary.” Repeat this out loud 10 times, or for faster results, write them down on a piece of paper and say it back to yourself whenever the desire comes up.
Using your words and speaking in the present tense, affirmatively, “puts you in the frequency that has that desire,” as Perl states. “We know our thoughts create our reality, but our words create our reality even faster.”
No matter how you choose to manifest your dream life, there’s nothing like channeling a powerful affirmation and some faith to get what you desire. In every instance, though, allow yourself to dismiss any doubt that may try to cloud your hopes in good things coming into your life, and don’t hold too tightly onto the “how” or “when.” Trust the process and know that the “thing” that you desire is just waiting for the perfect time to enter your life.
Happy manifesting.
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