by Laura West
One of the things I love about mornings is that each new day brings new opportunities and it’s a chance to start fresh and do better. It’s like a menu full of possibilities!
How you start your day, or more specifically how you spend those first few morning hours has a big impact on the rest of your day. Think of it as setting the tone for your entire day. That’s why making over your morning is so important. It’s about much more than those first few hours.
I’m sure you’ve experienced this yourself. You set an early alarm to make sure you have time for exercise, meditation, or simply some much needed “me time”. You have every intention of getting up and doing whatever you’re setting out to do when you set the alarm in the first place. Some mornings – hopefully most mornings – you get up when the alarm chimes and go for that walk, do your meditation exercise, or read a book for twenty minutes. Then there are those days when you just can’t make yourself get up. You hit the snooze button multiple times, or turn the alarm off altogether and go back to sleep.
Think about how the rest of those days went. Did you notice a difference in how you felt? How much did you get done on the mornings when you got up with your first alarm? How did those days compare to the ones when you hit the snooze button over and over again?
If I had to take a guess, I’d say that the mornings when you got up as soon as the alarm went off went a lot smoother. I bet you accomplished what you had planned to do, too. Chances are that sleeping through the snooze button didn’t just affect your morning, but the entire rest of your day. You set the tone for how your day is going to go first thing in the morning. That’s what the old saying about getting up on the wrong side of the bed is about.
You have the creative power within you to start your day off in a positive and productive way.
Unexpected things will still happen but you’ll be more grounded and centered to handle whatever comes your way.
My suggestion is that you write your new morning ritual. It’s easy to forget what you’re planning to do. Writing it down will not only give you a reference to refer to when you get up, but also solidify your new plan in your mind.
What will be included in your morning ritual?
Here are some of my favorite ideas:
- Journaling – Writing what Julia Cameron calls Morning Pages. Write three pages without stopping. It’s such a centering experience to just get the stuff out of your brain!
- Walk in nature or around your neighborhood – Move your body and get the blood and oxygen flowing.
- Savor that cup of coffee or tea – Don’t just chug it. Really use it as a way of being present to your new fresh day.
- Light a candle – While you journal or drink tea, the beauty of light actually lights up our soul and makes us feel more things are possible.
- Meditation – You can use an app or a recording for a guided meditation or chant music to help you sit and just be present. Studies have shown, the more you practice breathing and being present the more you build up your resilience and emotional strength for the day.
- Pull an oracle card or read something inspirational – Both will give you a new perspective on your day or even a particular project you are thinking about.
What are your favorite morning rituals? How could you be more intentional about your morning time as a way to set the tone of the day?
