I'm frequently asked, "What does your morning routine look like?"
Mornings are my most cherished time of the day! Although getting myself out of bed is not always the most graceful, I'd like to consider myself a morning person. Without a doubt, a good morning routine makes all the difference in how I move through the day ahead! There are so many positives to the morning. It's an opportunity for a new day, to do something new, to leave yesterday's pitfalls where they belong, and have a fresh approach to a new day. You don't need hours to have a beneficial morning practice. Something that softly introduces you to the morning and allows you to spend a moment alone to prepare for the day is beneficial.
So what do I do when I wake up?
The first thing I do when my feet hit the floor in the morning is drink a glass of water. Our bodies need water to function properly, and the way I look at it, I just went 8 hours without water! I don't necessarily remember right when my eyes open, but I also find something to be grateful for at that moment, like waking up or having clean drinkable water.
Stretching, stretching, stretching! Since my career involves a lot of sitting and I've pushed my body to some extremes being an athlete, I need to stretch! I'll either do a full yoga set or some static stretching. If I don't do any, I am left feeling all crooked and cramped throughout the day.
Exercise is central, and since the days tend to get away from me, I choose to get it out of the way in the morning. Exercise helps my brain get rolling, clears any mental fogginess, and sets me up for my next step in the morning.
Meditation! Throughout my practice, I have developed a love for meditation and always explore different types. Meditation and I didn't always get along! I had plenty of mornings I felt no benefit or even felt worse, but persistence yielded a fantastic benefit! Meditation is the gateway to connecting with myself and helps me be my fiercest, most compassionate self during the day. I love it so much I'll rattle off a few more benefits; it steadies me emotionally ( emotion regulation), improves my concentration, boosts my creativity, brings clarity to my communication, helps me speak my truth, and reduces my overall stress.
Lastly, with a prepped mind and body, I set aside time for small steps toward my main goals (i.e., learning a new language, writing, and training ).
There are a lot of personal advantages to setting up a morning routine! Get started! Being honest with yourself and some common ways you cave to resistance can help you figure out the best way to prioritize your needs.
The information provided does not supplement professional mental health services. I believe everyone could use support from time to time, and therapy can be very helpful, but therapy is your individual choice. If you feel you may benefit, please do not hesitate to reach out. You are not alone!