Winter Morning Routine

I'm growing an Amaryllis bulb and as you might expect I'm very, very excited about the forthcoming floral prospects. Annoyingly, I can't remember exactly when I started it off but I think it was around the middle of January - this is the first time I'm growing an Amaryllis using water only (no soil) and I really love the pleasing aesthetic of it, but the stem is very much shorter than I would normally expect and I think the flowers are going to be smaller too. I don't know if it's just this particular bulb, or whether the lack of nutrients has stunted its growth somewhat, but either way it isn't making it any less exciting. Yes, I'm SuPeR excited about it!

I took the photo this morning and cannot WAIT for the flower to be in full bloom, actually there will be three flower heads coming from this bud, plus there is a second bud to look forward to. Gah, I can hardly stand the suspense.

Anyhow, this has nothing whatsoever to do with my morning routine, but I couldn't keep the thrill of this bud all to myself. It's too good not to share and I figured you might like to see it and imagine me beside myself with impatience as I wait-wait-wait for those pretty petals to unfurl. 

I wanted to follow up on a few things I've talked about recently with regards to my current morning routines and the things that I've been trying out to improve my Winter season and general wellbeing. You may know if you've been with me in previous winters that I find them a major struggle and since my mid forties I've become aware that I suffer with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Thankfully it's not severe enough for me to really worry about it in terms of seeking medical advice, but it does really impact my daily life for at least 4 months of the year. In mid December last year after weeks of feeling my mood dip lower and lower each day, I decided to invest in a SAD lamp to see if I could help myself cope a little better. To be honest I didn't hold out too much hope, but I chose a lamp that had really great reviews and was less than £40 and I figured it was worth a try. You can see it on my bedside table in the above photo - it's called the Albina lamp and at it's brightest setting it shines out 10,000 lumens which is enough to combat the effects of SAD. As soon as it arrived I plugged it in beside my bed and I committed to building a solid routine around using it every morning.

I began to set my alarm clock for 5.30am - I know that sounds shockingly early but I am naturally an early to bed, early to rise type of person and am usually nodding off by 9.30pm. I've trained myself to get up within five minutes of my alarm going off and in the beginning that was honestly quite a struggle. Since I've had this routine established for the past three months, that 5.30 get-up has become very much easier, mainly because I am sleeping soooooo much better at night. As well as helping my SAD mood (and it really, really, really has helped enormously), I've found the lamp has had a very positive effect on my circadian rhythm. My body is now pretty happy to shut down around 9.30 and wake at 5.30 and I'm getting good quality sleep in those eight hours.

I think the trick with anything like this is to be as positive as possible and to enjoy the extra time that an early wake up gifts you in the quiet of the morning. I always make myself a coffee which I bring back to bed, then my lamp goes on and I sit quietly to sip my hot milky drink, read for a while and really enjoy the slow start to my day. I also use this lamp time to apply my HRT gel** and let it soak in and do all the good work, so I like to think of this half hour as much needed self-care time.

**I'll update you briefly about my HRT journey at the end of this post so you can just skip reading it if it's not of any interest.

After my slow start, I get up for a second time at 6.15 and by this time I'm energised and  ready to get going. I put on my workout clothes, brush my teeth, then head downstairs to fill my water bottle and take my vitamin D3 (I have these high strength ones). This is the third winter I've taken vitamin D supplements and I can highly recommend them if you live in this part of the world where sunlight is in such short supply. Just like the light lamp, the trick is to be consistent - I take them every single morning without fail from the beginning of October until the end of March.

They are cute, look! Teensy little capsules that I can actually swallow without water if I need to (and I am a huge wuss when it comes to swallowing tablets of any kind).

By 6.30 my trainers are on and I'm ready for a quick workout - I never thought I'd be the kind of person to look forward to working out but this has been one of the very best health changes I've made for myself in recent times. I wrote about it in my Wellness Journey blog post in 2020 (you can find that post here) and I've been pretty consistent with my Monday-Friday exercising ever since. I'm still using the same YouTube channel and can highly recommend it if you fancy getting some home exercise into your day. Lucy Wyndham Read workouts are short (usually 7 or 10 minutes) and very effective, plus almost all of her routines use standing exercises so you don't need a mat and there's no getting down onto the floor. It's all very doable whatever your fitness level, and trust me you will feel aMaZiNg afterwards - it's just fantastic what a 7 minute workout can do for your mental health as well as your fitness. Try it - and drop me a line and tell me how bloomin' good it feels!!

Depending on my energy, sometimes I only do one 7 or 10 minute workout, sometimes I do two back to back, but it's never more than 15 minutes of my time. It's so very achievable.

Once my workout is done and dusted, I re-fill my water bottle and swap my trainers for walking shoes so that I can head out and get some fresh air. I'm usually quite hot after my workout so it feels especially good to stride out into the cold morning.

J and I started walking together back last year sometime (in the summer I think?), but I'd been doing it by myself for a while before he decided he wanted to join me. When I walked by myself it used to be very much shorter, but getting out earlier means that we can walk for longer - about 45 minutes.

I have this 600ml water bottle that goes everywhere with me and I love it - I drink one bottle with my workout, and a second bottle when I walk, so that I'm properly rehydrated first thing in the morning. I then drink at least one more refill during the day (1.8l in total) and I find that keeps me feeling good.

Walking in the still of the early morning gives me so much pleasure, and has become a vital part of my weekday life. Even throughout the dark months of mid winter it still made me feel good, and I can really recommend it if you can find a way to fit it into your morning routine and make it a priority. I find that by getting up earlier it has made this an easy thing for me to fit into my morning, and I value it very much.

I took these photos yesterday morning and it was sooooooooo gorgeous out there! Crisp, frosty and fresh - very, very energising I have to say.

So we walk between 6.45 and 7.30 and sometimes this includes a quick stop at the bakery on the way home (the Little People get fresh almond croissants every Friday morning, my goodness, how lucky are they?!) Coming back into a warm, cosy house after a brisk frosty cold walk feels great and I love the happy vibes that it gives me (hello, endorphins!)

The next hour is spent doing all the Mum things needed to get the Little Peeps out the door and on their way to school as well as getting myself showered and ready for the day. I also do some basic household jobs like emptying the dishwasher, putting a load of laundry into the washing machine, seeing to the kitty, and having a little tidy up of our downstairs living space (folding crochet blankets mainly, haha). I also always make sure to make my bed as it's such a pleasure to see it all neat and tidy whenever I come in and out of the bedroom throughout the day. I adore my bed, and love getting into it when it's all smoothed out and ready for me at night. 

We're still using the brushed cotton winter bedding which I think I might change very soon. I love the cosiness of it but by the end of March I think I'll be ready for crisp smooth cotton again and some lighter colours too.

The Little People both leave the house to walk to school at 8.40am, and it's strange in many ways to think that by this time I've already been up for three hours. Three hours! But I've really come to enjoy this slower, longer start to my week day mornings and getting up early and prioritising my self care really does suit me.

The final part of my morning routine begins once the Little Peeps have vacated the building - I make myself a second coffee (decaff this time) and sit down with my laptop and planner. I check my calendar, make a little plan for the day, tick off my weekly to-do list, then read my emails and blog comments and catch up on Facebook and Instagram.

This year I'm using a BusyB diary which I found on Amazon and I absolutely love love love it - it's an A5 size and is called a "to-do" diary (you can find it here, it's reduced in price now).

The layout really suits me - a weekly diary page on the left and a lined page for my to-do list and scribbled notes on the right. There is also a month-per-page year planner at the start which I find ever so useful to note down school holidays and appointments etc. It's such a good quality diary too - thick paper pages and a sturdy cover, plus it has an elastic pen-loop (it's these little details which really make all the difference). BusyB is a female founded, UK company which I'm happy to support so if you're looking for a great quality, practical diary then I can highly recommend them - you can see more photos of the pages and layout etc on the Amazon listing.

Well I think that's about covered everything I wanted to talk about, I hope it might have been of some interest to any of you who are looking to make small changes to help improve your own wellbeing and health. Having a solid morning routine which gives you the time to take care of yourself properly is so important (especially if you struggle with low mood in the winter months), and I know for me personally it's made a huge difference to the way I feel. Combining an earlier, slower start with light therapy, HRT, a short workout and outdoor exercise has had a really positive impact on my mental and physical health, it's been life changing really to be honest.

I am sending you all so much love and light at this time, the world is a scary place right now, so I do hope you're feeling OK. Take good care of yourself, won't you?

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A little bit of HRT stuff now, if you're interested to know how I've gotten on.....

Just to say that I am finally now on a really even keel after some rather hefty ups and downs finding my way with HRT. I started in August so it's been 6 months, and I'm still very much in the peri-menopause phase and having regular cycles (I'm age 53). The first three months I was using the patches (oestrogen for the first half of the month and then combined oestrogen and progesterone for the second half of the month). The oestrogen part of the month was bloomin' marvellous and my mood lifted massively and very quickly, I was so happy! However the progesterone did not suit me at all and I had some side effects which were v uncomfortable and I really couldn't live with them long term. I stuck it out for three months, and then after a consultation I switched over to using a gel for the oestrogen, and a progesterone tablet which I take for 24 days out of a 28 day cycle and this is now working really well for me. In the beginning there was a mix up with the dosage and I was given wrong advice (only getting half of what I should have been having) and my goodness I really suffered through a bad two month spell of plummeting moods. But now I'm on the right dosage and things have settled, I'm really happy to report that I feel absolutely fantastic. One thing that's important to note - the HRT I'm taking is what's known as being "body identical" and comes from a natural source (from the yam plant) - this is really important info because it means that there is less risk/side effects with this kind of HRT. For more info about this, the Menopause Doctor explains it (here). HRT is a very personal choice, and for me I can absolutely say it has been life changing. As I now feel more like my normal self than I have done for many years (well as normal as it gets for a weirdo like me), I look back and recognise just how much I struggled, and for so many years too. I really wish I knew that I could have made this change for myself sooner. So if this resonates with you and you're at the same stage in life - please do speak to your GP or womens health clinic, there is a LOT of emerging publicity and media coverage around the menopause and as a result it's getting very much easier to talk about it and to seek the right medical advice and therapy. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Ashley]

Thank you so much for sharing your routine! It was so enjoyable to read, and it inspired me to consider how I can improve my own. :)

[Sandra]

That is a very high dosage vitamin d. My tablets are a quarter of that and are 500% of the recommended amount, which I worry about sometimes. I was worried about that level dosage as vit d is fat soluble and your body does not flush out any excess (as it does with vit c). Toxicity can occur. Taking dosage daily is recommended over weekly though.Your high dosage is the the very maximum level according to nhs website. Also toxicity tests etc are usually done on men, who are obviously generally bigger than women. Too much can also mess with calcium levels.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d/#:~:text=Do%20not%20take%20more%20than,(2%2C000%20IU)%20a%20day.

Not wishing to be interfering and you perhaps had them prescribed. I'm sure you also did your own research.

[Kimmy]

So glad you have found something that works for you, Lucy. I'm 70 now and never had any HRT. For some reason, I didn't need any. But I never suffered from PMS so it probably wasn't necessary. Everyone is different. Love all your pretty photos and I'd like to know how you crochet those little bobbles you're planning on using in your spring garland. Hugs ♥

[Veronica Davis]

Such a helpful post Lucy, thank you - especially around your morning routine and links to the Albina lamp and diary. I think Covid has totally destroyed our routine in this home and I tend to drift through some days , race through others , no sensible routine and not sleeping well, My husband also suffers from lowered mood during winter months, which can be especially dreary here in the West of Scotland where daylight hours can be exceptionally short, especially this winter when, for that seemed like weeks on end, the low cloud level barely lifted.
You have inspired me to establish better routines, increase Vitamin intake and toorder an Albina lamp right now to have it ready for next winter. Thank you for this and for all of your interesting blogs, crochet news and patterns. I am in the finishing stages of Harbour blanket which I just love but had to tae a break after a very swollen inflamed arm resulting in a week of antibiotics to treat severe inflammation that made me quite poorly. Now limiting myself to just a short period of crochet per day so it will be another week or so before my blanket is complete - but I love everything about it - the colours, the pattern and the cosiness. This is my third blanket and I love them - so do my grandchildren . Meadow has already found a new home with my granddaughter and my grandson has his eye on Harbour already - but NO-ONE is going to run off with my glorious Dahlia blanket. Thank you so much and keep up your wonderful inspirational blogging.

[Pam]

I know this is going to sound really smug but I never suffered through menopause. I was on the contraceptive pill for years and when my doctor retired the new one refused to prescribe it due to my age(54). I’d never really given any thought as to whether I should still have been taking it at that age. Anyway after a couple of years of intermittent heavy periods that was it. I’ve never had mood swings, sweats or anything. A friend suffered greatly from sweats - she would be drenched in seconds, so I can sympathise with women who struggle through menopause. I just feel incredibly lucky to not have had any of that.

[Susan]

I started Lucy Wyndham Read’s video today and think it’s going to work for me. I’m 71yo and walk daily but needed to add another activity. Thanks so much for sharing. Susan in North Carolina USA

[Jan]

Thank you so much for this Lucy! We are the same age and I’ve realised that, although I have been taking HRT for a couple of years, my GP has never taken the time to check my dosage or offer alternatives. I’ve had huge mood swings too, though not as bad as not taking it!
Also love the advice on keeping fit and mental health. Lovely to know we’re not going through these things alone!

[Kari Dent]

I absolutely hate starting my day with the jarring sound of an alarm clock. A few years ago my daughter bought me one that simulates the sunrise. A gentle light comes on and gradually gets brighter like the natural sunrise. If for some reason I sleep through that, the sound of birds chirping wakes me up for sure after 30 miniutes. (The length of time and the sound can be customized.) It has made a huge difference to how I start my day.

[Amanda]

That was a really inspiring post, thank you. I need to make some health changes to improve my health and fitness in order to reduce my blood pressure and get on the HRT! I use a Dodo pad diary https://dodopad.com/?gclid=CjwKCAiAvaGRBhBlEiwAiY-yMPYF3MZ_RQ5NUX3cfmAyd0DdtyaVzHCENCS7_yWfQ1-WafLsfGW5VxoCvwIQAvD_BwE
Which I find fab!

[Helen Mathey-Horn]

Reading your menopause comments made me think of my former mother-in-law a sweet lady. One day she was going to her music lesson (voice) and her teacher greeted her at the door and said, "Welcome back, Shirley." Shirley was confused, "I've not been anywhere." And the teacher replied, "Oh, yes you have." So yes, mood changes. :)

[Ana]

Have you done a previous post on HRT? I'd be really interested to hear what your symptoms were. I've been toying with the idea for a while now but am nervous that my GP will say I'm not suffering enough to be prescribed anything.

[Suzanne Barbour]

What a fantastic post, thank you so much Lucy for sharing your routine and your experience with HRT. As a cancer survivor myself I was always afraid of HRT despite mine not being oestrogen sensitive. My treatment also induced medical menopause at 41 years old. However having now done just over 4 years years of research and training to become an accredited menopause expert, I am now much better informed and have started on HRT this week under the watchful eye of my Oncology consultant. It’s early days but I am hopeful.
I would also like to say that to the amazing breast cancer survivor who was talking about not being able to take HRT, there are lots and lots of tools and tips available that can help manage your symptoms in the best way possible that are not hormone treatments. It is a bit trial and error to see what works for you personally, but don’t give up. You can get back in the driving seat with the menopause - we do not have to let it control us. Good luck to everyone who is experiencing it and please keep the conversation going! It’s fantastic that you are all talking openly about your experiences. It’s a great support to so many. 🥰 Suzanne Barbour (Life Coach) Xx

[Susan]

Lovely post about your morning routine & mine went haywire once hubby retired & that's another part of life completely. I also liked reading about your mid life problem & how you are coping with it & wish we'd had more information on dealing with it many years ago. Thanks so much for all the info. Take care & hugs.

[Elizabeth]

Looks like you hit a nerve! Thank you for sharing your morning routine. You make many helpful healthy suggestions. You are reaping what you have sown. Good on you!

[Ruth]

Loved the photo of the milk bottles. Very unique for me in the southwest US! It brought back memories of my childhood in a small town!

[katell]

Thanks for this very interesting post , i'm 49.
As you i take vitamins and it makes me really get better!

[Rita]

Hey Lucy, thank you for such a lovely, informative post, I think the ideas you have in place for your morning routine are really inspiring to me and I'm going to try to incorporate into my mornings, Unfortunately after having breast cancer twice,and having my ovaries removed as a treatment, any hormone is a strict no no for me, but I think the rest of the routine might just help.Lucy, could you please tell me wherwe you purchased the beautiful red tree with birds that is in your first photo? It would give me great joy to wake up to that every morning x

[Nancy in Indiana, USA]

Thank you very much for sharing your struggles and joys so honestly. It’s been very helpful to me, especially your experience with HRT. Much love to you!

[Sandy cooksley]

That’s so interesting ! I was looking at that exact lamp only this last week ! I’ve found myself noticing since moving to Scotland I really struggle harder in the winter - so thank you for your input - I’ve just ordered my lamp :)

[Raine Phillips]

Great story Lucy, I live in Australia & feel a little off without reading in the sun every day. If the sun shines in winter I can mostly find a spot out of the wind. Even just an hour or two is all I need to be a happier soul!

[CJ]

My morning routine is so similar, except I am sorry to say I don't drink nearly enough water. I do a 15 or 20 minute workout first thing (Joe Wicks) and it really has made a difference to my strength and the way I feel. I use the time to listen to a writing podcast. I am really interested in your HRT experience. Something I need to look into I think. Thank you for talking about it, its so good to hear about your positive experience. CJ xx

[Christine]

Loved this post, so full of interesting info.
As an older reader, HRT saved my life. I spent 3 years going to my GP with symptoms and in the end he got angry with me and sent me to a menapause clinic!! Best thing he ever did.... I got my life back and, although I was warned about the cancer risk, I thought the pluses out weighed this. I eventually had to give it up in my late 60s, reluctantly, but still have some of the benefits...
I'm thinking of joining in with the short workout, the low impact one seems to be just the thing I'm looking for.
Thank you for sharing

[Alex of Log & Mitten]

Morning Lucy!

Thanks for sharing this experience with us. I'm myself on a self-care routine development journey and find it inspiring and helpful to discover how others do it :-)
I am not doing this at the moment but I totally get you when you say you go out in the morning when it's calm,
fresh and crisp and it feels so good. It would with the air of the early morning. Well, wish you a lovely day and enjoy your newly found morning routine!

[Femke]

Thank you for sharing your morning routine. It sounds wonderful. I am really bad at mornings... but the thought of getting up early and then take time to wake up slowly sounds really good. The way you describe it, makes me want to try it out (but not that early!). It might be easier now that the days start earlier again.

[Elie]

What a wonderful and empowering post! Though it makes me feel a bit inadequate because I am TERRIBLE at going to bed early and therefore there's no way on earth I'd be able to get up at 5.30 and fit in all that good stuff before the kids wake. :-D I'm a night owl but my lifestyle (eg. having school-age children) really doesn't work with that, so staying up at least two hours past the time my husband's gone up isn't beneficial. I need to start addressing that.

My GP has just prescribed me HRT (somewhat unexpectedly but it was an occasion for rejoicing as my usual GP had been stonewalling me on it for years) and it sounds very much like the protocol you're on now - oestrogen gel (Sandrena, a pretty name I think) and micronised progesterone (Utrogestan, also yam-based, yay!) for 1-25 days of cycle. I'm just hoping the progesterone doesn't make me feel rubbish but I'm very encouraged by your post, though of course we all react in different ways to these things. I think it's great that you kept pushing to get a preparation that worked better for you.

Now I'm going to get off the sofa and put my own workout clothes on and DO SOME YOGA for the first time in at least 3 weeks! It's not a frosty walk before breakfast but I know it'll make me feel better. Adriene is not wrong when she starts each session saying 'the hardest part is coming to the mat'! :-D