The Morning Reset: Change your day. Change your life.

A personal revolution for calm, resilience and your most pleasurable Joyspan ☀

Welcome to Roadmap #2 of the Joyful Resilience Project—our special series here at Road Trip to Younger magazine. As always, we’re cutting through the hype to get to what’s real about healthy ageing, especially for women 50+.

With the Joyful Resilience Project, we’re throwing a magic wand over our usual journey, adding lashings of calm and resilience. We also add an Express Route and ideas for creating a Spa @ Home. Because… life right now. So, slide your favourite road trip mix into the cassette player. We’re hitting the road to morning bliss—your daily dose of sunshine, inside and out. ☀️

OUR JOURNEY SO FAR

• ROADMAP #1: We took a nourishing lifelong detour, foot to the floor, away from what harms: the most dangerous foods on the planet.

• Now with ROADMAP #2: We add what heals: a morning reset for our body clock to change our day, and our life, extending our very Joyspan.

THE MORNING RESET—LET’S GO! ☀️

Are morning people born or made? According to the science, they’re made: more than 300 genes align to make you perky (or not) in the morning. But I’m here to tell you, they’re not set in stone.

Hey, I was born at 8pm on a Saturday night while my father was playing sax at a society event. What hope did I have? I was a “night owl” from the minute I was born.

But ten years ago, I swapped leaping from bed in a hot panic, to gently easing into the real best part of my day. I swapped exhaustion for feeling energised, focused, and far happier and sunnier.

The science led me to a daily morning ritual that bucked the genes. And it pays me back all day long, all the way to a better bedtime. It also, day by day, acts as a total reset, rewiring my body and brain, regulating my hormones, boosting my metabolism, creating a buffer against stress. And much, much more—we’ll come back to all that. For now, know this: the biggest gains are for women 50+.

HOW TO GET THERE

If The Morning Reset was a destination it’d be right up there with the great health spas of the world, especially for women 50+ who want to build resilience—physical, mental, and emotional.

Here’s a roadmap I use—a simple, gentle route—as your starting point. I know you’ll make this your own. ;-)

A note before we begin

Roadmaps may be easy, but bedding down new habits takes time. Go slow. I did this one step at a time, over weeks rather than days. That’s perfectly okay! Stick with it and one day it will be like clockwork.

1 Ready, Set…

The journey begins, as with all good road trips, the night before.
This evening ritual: * signals your brain that rest is coming * sets your intention * cuts time in the morning * reduces morning decision fatigue * for women 50+, this step benefits changing sleep patterns.
Here’s your pre-bed pack list:

• Alarm—set it to wake with the sun: a gentle ringtone (like "Birdsong" on iPhone). Place it out of reach, to coax your feet to the floor.

• Clothes—lay out everything you’ll need.

• Water—have this ready beside your clothes.

• Bliss Zone—designate a cosy hub, with your journal and creature comforts like pillows and a blanket.

• Intention—yes, ‘pack’ this, too: a single intention: two feet on the floor.

2 Rise

Make these first moments of the day luscious.
This step: * kickstarts your metabolism * sets your body's natural rhythm in motion * signals to your liver and digestive system that the day has begun * for women 50+, it also supports waning morning energy after menopause.

• Stand and stretch—two feet on the floor—gently grounded. Arms overhead. Breathe.

• Hydrate—prime your body with water: take long slow gulps.

• Dress—go slow, make it a quiet mini-ritual in itself.

• Delay digital—airplane mode preserves your calm and your time.

3 Move

The combination of movement and light: * synchronises multiple body clocks—in your muscles, skin, and eyes * creates hormonal signals that set timings across the rest of the day * kickstarts your energy

• Head outside—harness the morning light within 30 minutes of waking.

• For 2 minutes—tune into this one remarkable day: the sounds, the feelings on your face and skin, the colours and the play of light.

• For 5 minutes—gently hold the day ahead in your mind. What are you most grateful for? What’s a single intention for the day?

• Head home—or continue to walk, if you are able.

4 Find stillness

Once home, this 5-minute morning ritual of mindful stillness: * activates your parasympathetic nervous system * creates a buffer of calm * makes your stress response systems less sensitive to disruption * for women 50+, stillness can act as an emotional shock absorber to serve you all day long.

• Head to your pre-prepared Bliss Zone. Bring water, and a cup of herbal tea perhaps.

• When you’re settled—no hurry—set a chime for 5 minutes (like the Basu Bowl chime, free on the Insight Timer app).

• Do you have a mindfulness practice that works for you? By all means, use that. If not, simply focus on your breath flowing in and out, noticing its natural rhythm without trying to change it. When thoughts arise, acknowledge them gently and return attention to your breathing.

• In case you missed it, check out this The Art of Mindfulness guide.

5 Journal

This 5-minute journaling ritual offers a raft of evidence-based resilience upsides, especially for women 50+: * reduces cortisol levels * improves immune function * aids working memory * reduces anxiety * activates your brain to align your intentions with opportunities.

• Gratitude—record the thing you’re most grateful for as considered earlier

• Intention—record your most important intention

• Thoughts for the day—record anything that helps clear your mental clutter.

EXPRESS LANE

Pushed for time? Need a quick version? Here's your fast track to morning magic:

Light Boost - Spend just 2 minutes in morning sunlight while sipping water to reset your body clock

Mindful Minute - Take 3 deep, intentional breaths while setting your daily intention

Morning Stretch - One gentle full-body stretch sequence to wake up your muscles and joints

Journal Moment - Jot down one thing you're thankful for, and your most important intention for the day

SPA @ HOME

Extend the magic of your morning with these quick luxuries that nurture both body and spirit:

🍃 Green Goddess Smoothie:
Blend 1 cup spinach, 1/2 avocado, 1 tablespoon almond butter, 1 cup coconut water, and a squeeze of lemon. This real-food treat delivers calming magnesium and healthy fats that support your nervous system.

🚿 Hydrotherapy Boost:
End your morning shower with 30 seconds of cool (not cold) water. This gentle practice improves circulation, reduces inflammation, and invigorates your system.

ATTRACTIONS

Finally, we’ve already covered a raft of attractions. But, let’s get the full view with a whistle stop tour around the Joyspan Compass. As you’ll see, the Morning Reset takes us in the right direction across all eight compass points. And I dare say in the right direction of getting two feet on the floor in the morning as well! 🚗

🤗 THRIVE TOGETHER

• The higher energy levels and the mindful presence provided by a morning practice supports positive relationships and can also impact a greater sense of belonging within communities

📈 BOSS YOUR BODY

• Reduces inflammatory markers linked to age-related diseases

• Strengthens your immune response against seasonal illnesses

• Maintains healthy blood pressure and cardiovascular function

🏃‍♀️ MOVE IT

• Improves mobility and flexibility for everyday activities

• Boosts circulation to deliver nutrients throughout your body

• Strengthens your core stability to prevent falls and injuries

🥗 PRIME YOUR PLATE

• Supports gut microbiome diversity for optimal digestion

• Enhances nutrient absorption for cellular repair

• Regulates blood sugar levels for sustained energy

🧠 NURTURE YOUR NEURONS

• Protects cognitive function through neuroplasticity practices

• Sharpens focus and attention for daily tasks

• Builds cognitive reserve against age-related memory changes

🌱 CULTIVATE PEACE

• Reduces cortisol production and its damaging effects

• Develops emotional resilience to life's inevitable stressors

• Creates a foundation of calm that permeates all activities

💤 SLEEP SWEETLY

• Optimises your circadian rhythm for restorative rest

• Supports memory consolidation during deep sleep cycles

• Enhances cellular repair and regeneration overnight

⚖️ OPTIMISE YOUR HORMONES

• Balances stress hormones for greater emotional equilibrium

• Supports thyroid function for optimal metabolism

• Maintains healthy estrogen levels for bone and heart health

This evidence-based Morning Reset doesn't just add years to your life—it adds life to your years, with the power to also immediately grow the calm and resilience many of us need in these uncertain times. I don’t know about you, but I certainly crave more of that right now.

Struggling to get up? Tips from our community

I go to bed early and always have. But the trick to not hitting snooze is to start the day working towards a goal you have…Whatever the thing is that you really want to work towards, that’s the thing that makes you jump out of bed :-)
This Is Sophie Today

I once heard a quote that said, “Going to bed early is the same as sleeping in.” and that made me exhale a bit, as self-care can look different for everyone.
Lucy Celebrates

⏰ Go to bed early. Wake up early. You get two days instead of one!
Jennifer Lauck

My trick is… set the alarm 25min before I wanna wake up fully, get up and make myself a lukewarm coffee, down the brew, then hit snooze. 20min later, I'm up and at ‘em! :-D
Chip Colquhoun

Thank you for reading!
Please add any comments below! I love, read and reply to all. And, don’t forget to join the conversation on our Road Trip to Younger group chat.

A little bit about me, in case we haven't met
I’m Brodee, coming to you after 30 years in mainstream media, as an award-winning magazine editor. I’m thrilled to be here bringing you all my expertise. My mission: to cut through the hype, translate the science, and get to what’s real for women 50+ healthy ageing. I do the hard work so you don’t have to. Here’s more about what to expect!

Until next time,
Much love,