Our Morning Rituals, Vol. 2
Our Morning Rituals is a new lifestyle series in which the Attic editors give us a glimpse of their mornings – what do they eat? what products do they use? what do they read? In this second instalment, Political Editor Lauren Olmeda shares her productive mornings.
I wasn't always a morning person. Even as recently as a few years ago, I loved to sleep the mornings away. The older I get, the more I relish the slow movement of time in the morning where I can catch up on emails, slowly sip my coffee, and take a steaming hot shower. There is something delicious about waking with the sun and making the most of the daylight it brings.
As soon as I'm up and out of bed, I grind coffee beans and turn my coffee maker on to brew while I'm in the shower. I shower in the morning due to my curly hair, which takes ages to dry but also won't look exactly how I like it unless it's wet first thing. I know the rule nowadays is shampoo less often, but I wash my hair every day. I use Bumble and bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil shampoo and it brings my curls back to life after they've been matted down on my pillow. The scent is light and floral and it wakes me right up! I wash my face with the Milky Jelly face wash from Glossier, which is a total lifesaver. It's neither harsh nor exfoliating, just pure cleansing to freshen up my face for the day ahead. Post-shower, I moisturize with my trusted Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer (not pictured). I am a new convert to the amazing brand The Ordinary - right now I am loving the combination of the Vitamin C Suspension and the Granactive Retinoid Emulsion.
When I step out of the bathroom and smell the brewed coffee, I am alive. I light candles every morning just for the ambience (I am addicted to PF Candle Co's Teakwood and Tobacco scent) and I take however long I need to enjoy that first cup. Let me say that I know how luxurious it sounds, to have all this time in the morning to relax and drink my coffee slowly with candles lit, but over the years I have found that nothing gets my day off to a worse start than having to rush through my morning. I will specifically wake up early just so I don't have to rush. Everyone can make time for this, although the first few mornings waking up before you're used to doing so can be difficult - but it's worth it!
Once I've poured my second cup, I browse the news and sort through my emails. As a freelance editor, documents are often returned to me overnight and require my attention as soon as possible, so I make the day's to-do list and let that guide me.
Mornings are my favourite time of day. As a person with a busy brain who finds it hard to wind down and shut off sometimes, it is such a treat to move slowly and with care for a portion of the day. Never underestimate the power of a productive morning, and productive can mean anything from finally catching up on all the articles you have open in your browser, reading a few chapters of a book (I'm deep into The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton), or simply looking out the window and taking a few deep, mindful breaths.
All pictured items author's own. Mug: Anthropologie. We may earn a small commission through some links in this post.