Set the tone of the day by designing a morning routine that goes beyond supporting daily habits, to establish ease and intention in your day.
Routine doesn’t have to mean rigid, in fact, I wouldn’t personally be able to maintain anything too structured or rigid. The idea is to have priorities and leaning into what feels good, so that you have time to really check in with yourself, your body and mind.
Mornings are so important as they set the tone of the entire day. When you are intentional about how to spend your mornings you set your mind into a better head space where you can be better equipped for daily stressors, and in tune with your body’s needs throughout the day.
Morning Routines tend to evolve depending on season of life, but they ideally would have a few core components that can provide connection and help you manifest a great day.
5 elements for a health conscious morning routine
- Intention
- Movement
- Nourishment
- Self Care
- Self Expression
Intention- Being intentional is really the heart of a morning routine, intention is giving yourself the space you need to be in a good place mentally and physically so you can be less reactive and more purposeful in your daily endeavors.
Movement- a little movement by way of walking, stretching, running, lifting weights or a pilates class to start the day gets the blood flowing and feels amazing. Running was my go to choice of movement, but I’ve switched to 15 minutes of yoga or light stretching.
Nourishment- Fluids like hot tea, smoothie, vegetable juice, water, help to stay ahead on hydration. Eating whole foods filled with fiber rich carbohydrates, protein, quality fats help for stable energy.
Self Care- Is present in each of these elements but I’m especially referring to the basic physical hygiene of showering, brushing teeth, flossing, hair care and leaving time for yourself in the bathroom.
Self Expression: This could be journaling, communicating needs or plans with a friend, photography, art or maybe you prefer to take in information by watching the news, reading or listening to music.
How to Create a Unique Mindful Morning Routine
Design a morning routine for you. You need a routine that meets your unique needs for it to be sustainable long term.
- Start by observing your current routine. Do you wake the same time? Do the same tasks? Do you check your phone? Get distracted by social media or email?
- Write down your priorities in the a.m. What are the non-negotiable tasks? What activities keep you feeling grounded, content and calm?
- Create an ideal morning routine, write it out. Once you have your priorities down, organize them in order so the morning flows leaving realistic amounts of time to complete each task. Keep it simple, trying to do too much can become stressful, defeating the purpose.
- Nix the distractions. Does your phone time, leave you skipping important components to your morning like breakfast? Tuck your phone away until later in the day.
- Not an early bird? That’s ok, you don’t have to be a morning person to have a morning routine. The idea is to design a routine that will enhance head space, so you feel less scattered, more focused, aligned and at ease. Your morning routine could be 1 daily practice that makes you feel good, if that’s what you find is best for you!
My Current Morning Routine.
(Jan. 2020)
-First thing, I think of one reason to be grateful before even getting out go bed and drink a glass of filtered water. Then settling into my meditation space, reading a passage for inspiration, and meditating for about 5-15 minutes. I recently have been adding in a hot compress, which I use on my neck while mediating. It adds to the relaxation factor and just feels really good.
-Next, gentle yoga flow stretches for 15-20 minutes in my pjs (saves time).. Movement helps wake up my body and this type of movement seems the most approachable to me early in the a.m.
-Wash up, skin care is a routine in itself and dress before breakfast, which is usually a hearty smoothie, warm oats or maybe something savory, that I batched cooked like stuffed tempeh peppers or a black bean burrito.
-Before I head to the office. I either make a matcha latte, or herbal tea like ginger or dandelion to sip while working.
-Then, I write out my goals if I haven’t already done this the night before or free journaling to get my thoughts out.
Do you have a Morning Wellness Routine?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
With my gratitude,
Jamie
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