How to Make Morning Circ Walks Your Favorite Self-Care Habit
If there’s one habit I swear by, it’s my morning circ walk.
Short for circadian walk, a circ walk is a walk you take by getting outside within the first 30–60 minutes of waking—ideally in natural sunlight.
Early morning light exposure helps regulate your circadian rhythm—your body’s internal clock that governs everything from sleep-wake cycles to hormone production. When sunlight hits the photoreceptors in your eyes, it signals to your brain that it’s time to be alert, suppressing melatonin (your sleep hormone) and triggering cortisol (your wake-up hormone) in healthy, natural doses. This helps reset your internal clock and supports a more stable mood, balanced energy, and better sleep at night.
From an evolutionary perspective, our ancestors naturally rose with the sun and were active outdoors throughout the day. Morning light exposure was essential for syncing the body to its environment. Today, most of us wake up under artificial light and spend hours indoors, so a simple circ walk can help bring your biology back into balance, starting with the very first hour of your day.
Here’s how I like to make my circ walks something I look forward to, even on the mornings when getting out of bed feels like the last thing I want to do:
1. I Bring a Protein Iced Coffee With Me
Before I head out, I like to mix up a protein iced coffee (I’ve been using Chike protein coffee lately). Not only does it give me a little caffeine boost to help wake me up, but it’s also a sneaky way to get in my first 20–25 grams of protein for the day. Prioritizing protein early can help balance blood sugar, stabilize energy, and curb cravings later on, which is especially important if you struggle with anxiety or fatigue.
2. I Queue Up Something That Makes Me Feel Good
Depending on what I need that morning, I’ll throw on:
A motivational podcast
A gentle morning meditation or Activation
A feel-good playlist that gets me into the right mindset
I like to think of it as setting the soundtrack for my day. Some mornings I need a pep talk, other mornings I need peace. Giving myself what I need—before the day starts asking things of me—feels like a small but powerful form of self-love and care.
3. I Bring My Dog Along
Let’s be honest, it’s a lot harder to cut your walk short when your pup is trotting beside you, tail wagging like it’s their favorite part of the day (because it is). My dog gets a chance to burn off some morning energy, and I feel like I’m being held accountable to actually do the full loop around the block. Plus, I think there’s something incredibly grounding about starting the day with a simple shared joy like that with your best furry friend.
4. I Treat It As Sacred Time—For Me
We spend so much of our days in chronic response mode: messages to answer, notifications buzzing, people needing things. A circ walk gives me a buffer — 15 to 30 minutes of private “me” time, before giving the rest of the world access to me and my energy.No checking emails, no scrolling, no pressure to be productive. Just fresh air, sunlight, and movement.
Why It Matters
Your morning sets the rhythm for your entire day. When I skip my circ walk, I can honestly feel it. My thoughts are messier, my energy is lower, and I feel like my nervous system is already trying to play catch-up by noon.
But when I take that time—protein coffee in hand, pup by my side, a good tune in my ears—it’s like I’m telling my mind and body: Hey, we’re safe. We’ve got this.
So if you’ve been wanting a gentler, more grounding way to start your mornings, try a circ walk! Make it yours, and make it sacred. You might be surprised how much it changes everything.
