Morning Routine: Lily Harris
*photo by Lily Harris
As we're constantly learning, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to wellness. In order to find the best personal health plan, it can take lots of research and fine-tuning habits. To highlight this journey, we’re starting at the very beginning of the day. By zooming into the morning routines of our faculty, alumni, and other members of the health community that we admire, we’ll showcase what works for them. In illuminating the difference and similarities of these routines, we hope you’ll find a tangible starting point with your healing.
For the second installment of this series, we headed over to Brooklyn to speak with Lily Harris. After graduating from AHN in 2020, Lily became a Certified Holistic Health Practitioner and works with her clients to identify the root of their issues. With a background in fashion, Lily stays creative with the beautiful dishes she makes, selling vintage jewelry, and even curating health memes.
Wake up bright & early around 6 AM! Now that I work from home, I try not to use an alarm clock, which eases my morning anxiety.
Grab a large glass of room temperature filtered water. Front-loading my water guarantees that I will at least get my first 32 ounces in.
Make my regular cup of earl grey tea with a dash of homemade coconut milk.
Crawl back into bed for a bit & read a book. Starting my day with reading has improved the intentionality of my mornings.
After a bit of reading, I will usually grab more water & start answering work emails.
Around 9 AM, I will make breakfast. This meal typically consists of a homemade smoothie or plate with eggs, veggies, & avocado depending on what I’m craving each day.
That’s my morning! Back to work & fitting in a workout over my lunch break.
*photo by Lily Harris
What led you to this morning routine?
I have to say that this pandemic forced me to create this new morning routine for myself. Because I no longer had a work commute, I could better utilize my time. In 2020, I added in reading because I wanted to rewire my habit of checking my phone, emails, & news right away. It’s important to have time to center my thoughts before I start my day or start thinking about my to-do list.
How long did it take to form? How long have you been following it?
I have been following this routine since early 2020.
Did any ancient practices inspire you?
I was not inspired by ancient practices. Intuitively, I was inspired by my lack of commute tied with my desire to ease anxiety from the huge lifestyle change of working from home brought on by the pandemic. I realized that without my daily subway ride, I wasn’t finding as much time to read & wanted to add that back in. At the same time, I wanted to limit my news intake, so I swapped behaviors.
For you, what is the importance of following a morning routine?
I am someone who has dealt with anxiety in the past, so I’ve learned that I thrive off of routine. Having a morning routine eases me into my day instead of waking up with a mind full of demands from myself & the outer world.
Stay tuned for more Morning Routines from our AHN Community.