I am not a morning person, and I’ve come to terms with that. Everyone has different circadian rhythms that influence the time of day they are their most alert, in tune, and productive—and my personal take on the matter is that as long as you feel confident and comfortable with what you tackled in the day, then when it gets done is less important. So while I am content in the fact that I am not a natural early riser, there is one aspect I do want to work on: I want to have a better attitude—yes, a more joyful one—in the mornings. 

See, while I know my most creative and productive hours aren’t until later in the day, I can still infuse positivity into my morning rituals—so even if I’m not at my best, I’m still bringing out some good during these hours. 

And when I thought about how I can start my joyful morning journey, I thought I’d make it easy on myself and start with the parts of my a.m. routine that already bring me happiness. The one that first comes to mind? Even before skin care or the like? Coffee. In 2021, I’m indulging in my coffee routine, and I invite you to do the same. 

How I’m relishing my morning coffee routine.

Coffee is an item in life I don’t care to live without, and I’ve tried: For one miserable three-month stint, I gave it up during a skin care experiment, and I realized by the end of Week 1 that whatever benefits I encountered later in my trial were certainly not worth giving up the pleasure of a morning brew. It wasn’t, and seconds after the story was published, I turned back to my coffee cup. And coffee, to me, isn’t just a means to energy: I love the taste, I love the smell, I love warmth, I love the add-ons, I love the cups, and I love the ritual. 

If you haven’t picked up on this yet: Coffee brings me joy. If you’re looking for a moment of pause in your daily ritual, I’d invite you to try a few, too:

1. Take a walk.

I used to take my coffee with me on my commute to work daily and sometimes felt like it was the only thing bringing me peace on the busy subway. And while I’m less interested in packed, jostling spaces—I do miss the act of walking and drinking coffee. I’m lucky enough to live in a quieter part of my city, so now I’m going to try and take morning walks with a brew. Consider it a walking meditation and a splash of your daily dose of vitamin D.

2. Grind your own beans.

The most effective way to make sure your coffee is fresh and aromatic is to grind them daily, before you brew. Of course, this will require tools, but if you can swing it, experts agree this is the way to go. “Whole beans hold the flavor longer, and you can enjoy fresh coffee for longer over time. Whole-bean is also likely to be of higher quality since the whole bean is visible versus just grounds that you can’t inspect directly for quality,” says Margaret Nyamumbo, a third-generation coffee farmer and the founder and CEO of Kahawa 1893 of optimal coffee freshness.