“Every morning I …”
How would you finish that sentence? Do you have a regular morning routine or do you typically roll out of bed and start your day? Do you create your day or are you a reactor to whatever comes your way?
Having a ritual or routine can help you to set the tone and intention for your day.
We all have schedules and things to do that may be beyond our control, but the one thing we can control is how we show up. When we take the time to prepare for the day ahead, we can approach it with clear intent, perspective, and a positive self-supporting mindset.
As a personal trainer, my schedule has varied over the years in which some mornings started very early and others were closer to a typical workday schedule. I was really good about having a morning routine on those more “normal” mornings, but the super early ones were a different story. On those mornings, it was hard enough just to get up and get going, let alone make time for a morning routine.
As I stayed consistent with my ritual on those other days, I started to notice I felt more in control of my day.
I felt in a better place mentally. I was more ready, and could handle the stresses that came up, with a better mindset and approach. It became very clear to me that my morning ritual affected the rest of my entire day. I decided I would experiment.
As I mentioned, it was hard enough to get up some of those early mornings when it was still pitch-black outside and felt like midnight. Surely 15 more minutes of sleep would be better than getting up, collecting my thoughts, and having some quiet time to prepare for my day! But nope, it turns out those intent-ful 15 minutes were exponentially more helpful to my day than laying there catching a few more snoozes – which studies show, don’t help us anyway. Better to just get up.
Fast forward to today.
I have learned that taking some regular time in the morning can vastly make a difference to what happens to the rest of my day. Not in things that are going on in it necessarily, but in myself and how I handle those things.
Now my routine starts with getting a big cup, actually two, of coffee. (That will be my next blog – did you know coffee has some amazing benefits to your health and longevity?) I love my coffee! That simple, delicious, pleasure of something to enjoy and look forward to first thing in the morning as I start my day feels so good!
Your simple pleasure may be something else. It’s important to figure out what that is for you.
I take my coffee and slip back into bed, propping my pillows so I can sit up. Then, I proceed to smell the delicious aroma. I relish that first sip. I take in and truly enjoy this simple-pleasure-moment with my puppy, Nash, settled in next to me. Ahhh, life is good! Next, I take some quiet time to either still my mind with meditation, or I might listen to a motivating video or a guided meditation that I found on YouTube.
Or, I just focus on positive, soothing, creating-my-day self-talk. Most days I try for 15 minutes of this, sometimes it’s less. I do not add pressure on myself on how much or how little time I put into it. It’s not how much time you’re “doing,” it’s more about what you can get out of whatever time you have. It’s “being”.
Do what works for you.
Start with closing your eyes for even five minutes and sit and set the tone for your day. Check out our Monday Mantras on our social media accounts for some ideas you can instill in your mind. Add on time as you feel comfortable. My guess is you’re going to want a few minutes more when you realize how good it feels!! You really don’t need more than 15 minutes for this, but again, do what works for you.
My last step is to grab my paper notebook and pen that sits on my nightstand and write down a few things I’m grateful for. For me, it’s things like:
- My children
- My Nash
- Waking up to a beautiful day
- I have the most comfortable bed
- My pillow feels so good
- I have a roof over my head
You get the idea. This only takes 1-2 minutes. Starting your day with gratitude gives you a whole new perspective on your day and an appreciation of what you have in your life.
So there you have it. I’ve learned that taking a few minutes every morning with this ritual to create my day with clear intent and purpose always puts me in the best possible position to co-create with everyone I interact with and make it the best that I can.
Do you have a ritual? Please share with us what you do. If not, maybe tomorrow morning, set aside 5 minutes to sit quietly and set the intent for a wonderful day!
Wishing you abundance in all good things,
Irene