Mindful Morning Routine

Last week we talked a little about morning routines and I shared a video that guided you through an example morning routine. I figured I would take some time to go into more detail about the importance of morning routines and to offer some ideas so that you can create your own routine that inspires and works for you and your lifestyle.

What is a morning routine and why should I have one?

A morning routine, as the name suggests, is a series of activities that you do every morning, which help you start your day of well. 

A lot of times, especially when we are tired or busy, we sleep until the last possible moment, jump out of bed, and rush around to get out of the door. Our morning feels rushed and stressful. 

On the other hand, when we take time for a morning routine, we have the opportunity to wake up and get our day started in a peaceful and intentional way.

The tone we set in the morning, follows us into the rest of our day. If we feel stressed and rushed getting out the door, our whole day will be colored by that same feeling of stress. If we feel calm and relaxed in the morning, we will bring that feeling into our day and it will help balance us when things get hectic.

What does a morning routine look like?

Morning routines look different for everyone because they are based on your own individual needs and understanding of what helps set your day up right. The most important thing is that every step of your morning routine helps further your sense of peace and mindfulness. 

It doesn't mean that it won't be challenging at times (sometimes I have to spend time convincing and preparing myself to sit down and meditate) but the key is that the effect of the action furthers your wellbeing.

For some people a morning routine lasts 20 minutes, for others it is a full hour or more. It all depends on what you need and what you can work into your morning.

The three most important elements: THE THREE M's

If you do nothing else, the three most important elements of a successful and mindful morning routine are: Movement, Meditation, and Morning Pages.

1. Movement - Some kind of movement is key to waking up and getting connected to your body. The mind-body connection is one of the keys of mindfulness. This movement can be yoga, mindful exercise, going for a walk, or even simply stretching in bed.
2. Meditation - Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that there are many proven benefits of meditation. Some major benefits include: decreasing stress, increasing memory and ability to focus, increasing sense of happiness and positivity, etc. So, sit down, set a timer, close your eyes, and breathe.
3. Morning Pages - Writing morning pages is one of the biggest tools that I have found for mindfulness and self-awareness. Morning pages are similar to journaling but instead of the goal being to recount your day, with morning pages the goal is just to write and process what is going on in your head and heart. To do them, find a notebook or blank sheets of paper and hand-write without stopping for at least three full pages. It is stream-of-consciousness writing with no intended goal accept to simply write. 

To Get Started: I have a feeling that most of us can agree that it is completely feasible to wake up 15 minutes earlier every morning, right? So, start out by dedicating an easy 5 minutes to each the of the Three M's. Then, over time build up and increase the amount of time you spend on each. 

 - Try out this Guided Morning Routine to help get you started - 

Other ideas to customize your morning routine

As I mentioned above, morning routines can look different based on your individual needs and schedule. Perhaps you find that you have more time one morning and want to add onto the Three M's. To give you some ideas for customizing your morning routine, I have included a list below of additional activities that you might what to add (or substitute) into your morning routine.

• Read inspiring text.
• Listen to calming music.
• Listen to an inspiring podcast, meditation, or discussion.
• Take time to prepare an intentional, healthy, and delicious breakfast -- and actually sit down to enjoy it.
• Take time to intentionally make your tea or coffee, put it in your favorite mug, and sit down to drink it.
• Drink warm lemon water.
• Keep a gratitude journal, repeat affirmations to yourself, or even set a mantra for your day.
• Work with oracle cards.
• Do some rounds of breath-work or pranayama.

Tips for Success

From my experience, there are some steps we can take to increase our success when creating a morning routine. Some tips include:

• Balance activities with time. Your routine has to be realistic and accomplishable, otherwise you won't do it. So make sure to balance the amount of time you have with the activities you want to accomplish. Start small with one or two things, then add on from there once you have a better idea of your timing. 
• Plan ahead. Doing a morning routine means that you have to set aside extra time in your morning. If we don't plan ahead, we won't find the time. So, set your alarm earlier, go to bed earlier, and/or have ready anything you need to accomplish it.
• Do some research. Doing a morning routine takes some level of motivation (otherwise we will just choose to fall back asleep). So, if we wake up and don't have a clear plan of what we are going to do or how, it will be harder to build up motivation to do anything. Take time beforehand to find the resources you need to do your morning routine. For example, if you want to read inspiring texts, figure out what that is before you are in the middle of your morning, wondering what to read. Do you want to practice yoga but feel lost when you step on your mat? Find a good video or article that gives you ideas for what to do.
• Experiment. Finding a routine that works for you takes some time and experimentation. Feel free try out different things until you find the right combination of activities that works for you.
• Stay consistent. Consistency is crucial. Try to do your morning routine every morning around the same time so that it becomes a habit. The more we practice, the easier it will be. If we skip a day, it becomes harder to do it the next day. Over time, your morning routines will become second nature and you won't have to think so much or feel like you are forcing yourself to do it.
• Avoid social media or other distracting things that take you out of a state of mindfulness. 

PLEASE SHARE

What does your favorite, most successful morning routine look like? What are you experimenting with? What do you want to try out or get better at? What tips & tricks have you picked up along the way to finding a successful morning routine?

Please share so we can all learn from each other.

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More resources to check out:

• Four Healing Morning Rituals. Ideas from my friend Stef, a Holistic Heath Coach, on morning rituals: http://luzfemenina.com/en/morningrituals/#.WHZxGstOKhA
• Four Go-To Breakfasts. Healthy and easy breakfast ideas from Carolyn, my friend, trainer, and nutritionalist: http://carolynbanner.com/2016/02/21/4-go-to-breakfasts/
• 15-Minute Morning Routine: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-26107/the-15-minute-morning-routine-that-keeps-me-from-hitting-the-snooze-button.html
• Morning Routines: Why and How to Start: https://mindfulminutes.com/morning-routines/