The Routine:
Gould’s mornings start bright and early with wake-up times falling anywhere between 5:45 and 6:00 a.m. Before launching herself into a busy workday, she does a gratitude practice, something that I admittedly don’t do often enough. This includes journaling, meditating, and just “waking up and saying thank you” before she moves through the rest of her day. I’m not sure if she’s a natural early riser or if it’s been learned through trial and error, but I admire her dedication to taking calm moments for herself. She’s found a way to strike the delicate balance between wellness and her multifaceted career as a cosmetic founder, content creator, and creative director.
The Result:
I’ve wanted to discover solace in the silence, but I haven’t always had the tools or drive to pull it off. It turns out that starting a workday with gratitude can foster an extra helping of positivity to carry me through the day. I finally broke open the lined journal and daily planner I’ve been keeping on my bedside table for a rainy day and spent the first few minutes after my morning alarm writing down five things I’m grateful for, setting my intentions, and taking note of what I hope to accomplish. This was followed by whichever guided morning meditation I stumbled upon on Spotify that led me through deep breathing exercises, affirmations, and stillness.
While rising at the break of dawn isn’t something I would normally be drawn to, I was amazed at how much more time I had to myself in my mornings before switching on my “productivity autopilot,” the driving force behind my work mindset. The controlled chaos of beauty editor Maya didn’t exist until meditative Maya had a chance to set the tone for the rest of the day. Since following Gould’s morning rituals for a week, I’ve found myself wanting to wake up earlier to get as much “me” time in my day as possible. My mornings may not always start while it’s still dark outside, but I love being more of a morning person as opposed to my night-owl tendencies—consider me sold.