The Slow Summer Morning Routine That Will Transform Your Day

This story is part of the editing: Summer issues. Quarterly magazines celebrate the rituals, recipes and rhythms of intentional life. That’s the theme of this season Carefree– An invitation to live writers and deeper love. Find out the complete question or order a print version here.

There are certain kinds of mornings that I often go back into my mind. I have feet on the cool tiles, the windows open enough to blow a breeze, stretching in front of me all day. It’s not a memory associated with a place or age, but a feeling. A morning ritual that appears to only exist in the summer.

Of course, these days, my mornings are marked by calendar invitations and standing meetings, rather than by infinite days freedom. However, I came to believe that summer feelings are not reserved for the PTO. Even if you are still going to work, it’s something you can nurture. And perhaps the secret is not to leave our lives, but to choose how we step into each day.

This guide is a quiet rebellion against rushing routines and autopilot mornings. Think of it as a resource to regain a sense of security. Provide small, soulful changes that bring more golden time energy to your everyday life.

Special images by Michelle Nash.

Reconfigure the morning

We often treat the morning like a hurdle. Something to get over quickly to arrive at the “real” part of the day. The goal is to get out the door, into your inbox, and then into the next one. But what if, instead of starting the day without us, we began to fill it with intention?

This doesn’t require a 5am wake-up call or an hour-long journaling session. It’s not about doing more, it’s about displaying it differently. It’s more present and more intentional. It starts with permission. It’s a little slower and realising it feels good, and even in small ways you can create space for beauty and softness. When we stop measuring in the morning by their productivity, we create space for them to feel grounded and generous.

Shift 1: Lead the senses

If there is a superpower in summer, it’s this: the seasons make us feel. The warmth of sunlight on your naked skin. Listen to your favourite song while you make that first cup of coffee. Tapping your senses is one of the easiest ways to turn your mornings from mechanical to magic.

Try checking in to your body instead before scrolling. What do you hear? odor? look? Maybe they’re opening the windows enough to let the wind in while they’re ready. Maybe it illuminates candles that smell like citrus fruits and sea salt. Maybe it’s slowing your face a bit, making your skincare routine feel like a ritual instead of a task.

This is not about grossing your to-do list, but about using your senses to gently return to yourself. Summer isn’t the place you go. That’s the feeling you create.

Shift 2: Slow down one moment

When your schedule feels unnegotiable, late morning ideas can feel out of reach. But what if you didn’t have to slow everything down?

Think of breathing into your routine. Walk for 10 minutes before opening the laptop. Sit down to drink coffee instead of drinking it while standing on the sink. Listen to the full song without checking your phone. Even one relaxed moment may surprise you that you can soften the edges of the future.

The keys are not perfect. It is existence. By choosing to slow it down for just a second, you can extend your time in the most subtle and powerful way. You remind yourself that you are allowed to be your morning participant – not just the manager of it.

Shift 3: Set the sound with sound

There’s a reason a single song can carry you to another place or time. Music is memory, mood, momentum, and one of the most underrated ways to change your morning energy.

Curate playlists that sound like summer. Maybe the windows open are the souls of the 70s, or the soft people who make your kitchen feel like a beach house. While the espresso is brewed, it is bossa nova. Let your soundtrack be less about hype and more about atmosphere. It’s not a scramble, it’s something you’ll prepare for the scene.

Sounds like scents can connect you to emotions. With proper music, your mornings don’t need to count down to work. It can be a slow opening – a little dreamy, a little golden, and totally yours.

Shift 4: Create space for joy

Summer mornings often give a simple joy. Fresh pastries, quiet moments on the pouch, taste of water with lemon. These little joys are not dul. They are anchors. They remind us to slow down and be with us. Here and now.

Squeeze a few minutes each morning for something purely fun and create a rhythm of self-care that brings calm and clarity to the rest of the day.

So joy is practice. Not only is it something that demands your attention, but it’s an invitation to start your day. No matter what your calendar is, it’s a gentle way to carry the gentle clarity of summer with you.

Carry the summer with you

Summer mornings are not seasonal. They are in a state of mind. You will see that they are not in the dates on the calendar, but in the first choices you make every day. It is to taste, slowly, to invite light and joy normally.

You don’t need a perfect moment to create this feeling. It lives on a small shift – how you apply your skincare, ammeel you craft, intentional pause before email. These are invitations to reclaim your mornings to keep a little more space for yourself in a busy world.

So, remember when you face the demands of your day: the spacious energy of summer is already within reach. It awaits in your breath, in your senses, in your presence. All you have to do is get started.