Welcome to Waking Up Well, a column where we hand-select people we admire and ask them to share how they start the day. We think morning routines are a crucial part of an intentional wellness journey and we’re fascinated by the practices of our favorite figures.

When Lindsay Dahl talks about clean living, she’s just as likely to mention policy reform and ingredient audits as she is her 5:15 a.m. wake-up call with a 7-year-old tucked under her arm. An award-winning activist, author of “Cleaning House: The Fight To Rid Our Homes of Toxic Chemicals,” and Chief Impact Officer at Ritual, Lindsay has spent two decades advocating for safer products and stronger chemical laws. But her style bridges legislation and the texture of life, always full of firsthand stories about the trials and triumphs of advocacy work and the real impact it has on all of us.

“Lindsay’s routine is rooted in intention, not perfection.”

From sipping coffee while helping her daughters make breakfast to blending a protein shake she personally helped vet for heavy metals and supply chain ethics, Lindsay’s routine is rooted in intention, not perfection. She checks Slack before school drop-off, writes in the early hours before her West Coast team logs on, and yes, takes her SSRI alongside her supplements because, as she says, mental health is paramount and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to wellness.

The morning routine Lindsay shared with us mirrors her work: Thoughtful, transparent, and grounded in the belief that small, consistent actions — at home and at scale — can shape a healthier future.

5:15 am | Morning breaths 😮‍💨

Initial wake-up! My 7-year-old daughter climbs into bed with me. If I’m lucky, I’ll fall back asleep, but oftentimes I lie still while she finishes out her slumber, and I breathe deeply or mentally plan my day.

6:30 am | Family breakfast ☕️

The whole family is awake. I haven’t used an alarm since I had children! I get up with my girls, and we head to the kitchen, where I pour a cup of black coffee and help my girls make their breakfast. 

Sliced oranges, strawberries, broccoli, and other vegetables arranged on a wooden board.
A gray ceramic mug sits on a white surface in front of a lit candle and a small potted plant, with a blurred background.

7:00 am | Secretly check Slack 🤳

Secretly check Slack and email, as the Chief Impact Officer at Ritual and a first-time author, work is important. I like to see if there is anything urgent I need to respond to. I try not to be on my phone in front of my kids as much as possible, but the reality is, I still need to be engaged for my team. 

7:45 am | Clean protein shake 🥛

I make a simple morning shake with Ritual’s Essential Protein. I love both the vanilla and chocolate flavors. I’m proud that Ritual openly shares the heavy metal test results for our protein powder, and I was personally involved in auditing the ingredients like cocoa which is at high risk for human rights abuses. Plus, it’s a plant-based formula without any of the gritty texture and 9x less carbon than whey protein! 

A bag of Ritual Essential Protein Daily Shake in chocolate flavor stands upright next to a yellow scoop filled with protein powder, all on a brown surface.
A person in a white t-shirt pours powder from a red scoop into a blender cup.

8:35 am | Dress and dash 🏃‍♀️

The mad dash to get my girls dressed and out the door on time for school. I usually let them watch TV while I get their lunches prepared (a mix of fruits, vegetables, crackers, and some protein… when they will eat it!) and clothes picked.

A yellow lunchbox with sections of peeled orange slices, yellow cherry tomatoes, bread, scrambled eggs, and cabbage with mushrooms, next to lettuce, chicken, and a cup of sauce.
A green sleeveless dress with white trim hanging on a wooden hanger, displayed in front of other clothing on a black metal rack.

9:00 am | School drop-off 🚐

Load up my minivan (don’t worry, I’m cool). Drop off my girls at school. Sometimes, this is a smooth and happy transition — and other days I’m juggling mixed emotions from my little ones. 

9:20 am | Supplements & self-care 🧴

Time for myself, I shower and get ready using some of my top clean beauty products like Counter Beauty, OSEA, Odele, Kypris, Hanni, and other goodies from Credo Beauty. Back to the medicine cabinet, I pop my favorite women’s health wellness supplements: Ritual’s Synbiotic+ (3-1 biotics designed by nutritionists for optimal gut health), OMEGA-3 (traceable vegan and a delicious citrus flavor), and HyaCera (clinically backed to reduce fine lines and wrinkles).

Three OSEA skincare products are arranged on a wooden nightstand next to a bed, including bath oil, pillow mist, and a serum, with decorative elements in the background.
A person in a light shirt holds a clear, ribbed glass vase against a sunlit wall, with shadows and partial view of their hands and arm.

9:30 am | Morning writing ✍️

Writing time! Since I work for a company based on the West Coast, I have a few hours before the whole team is really up and running. I used these morning moments (when I’m the most clear and sharp) to write my book CLEANING HOUSE, a non-fiction memoir helping people understand the issue of toxic chemical pollution in the age of misinformation. Writing helps ground me and is one of my favorite creative outlets. 

A person types on a laptop at a marble table in a café, with a white coffee cup and saucer in the foreground and blurred background seating.
A person smiles and holds a book titled "Cleaning House: The Fight to Rid Our Homes of Toxic Chemicals" by Lindsay Dahl in a bookstore, standing near a "Science" section.

10:15 am | Kickstart the day 👩‍💻

Kick off my official workday at Ritual (8:15 AM PST, the company is based in LA), where I work with the team to help set a new standard in women’s health, bringing supplements to the market designed with safety and efficacy top of mind. 

Thanks to Lindsay Dahl for providing images for this piece. Additional imagery from OSEA and Ritual.