Start your day right with a morning routine for mindfulness which will allow you to play out your day less stressed, less anxious and able to manage a busy schedule.
In knowing that the direction you choose to sail a ship is what controls its final destination, your morning routines hold just as much importance in the outcome of your day. Having a morning routine based on mindfulness is one of the foundations for being able to calmly manage a busy schedule and keep you grounded as you move through the tasks of your day, as well as taking care of your mental health. Mindfulness is a practice that keeps us aligned with our highest intentions regardless of how our day unfolds around us or what we have to face throughout the day. Our mornings create an echo into how we turn up for the day – if you start the day out in a heap of chaos and stress, your mental state will follow suit. So here are the hows and whys of setting yourself up for a mindful morning routine.
Start a bullet journal.. or even just a list
We all have busy schedules however when we look at the habits of the worlds most successful leaders their advice always falls in the praise of a daily ritual, in fact CEO of Twitpic Steve Corona says that “the busier that you get, the more you need it”. So one of the first ways to set yourself up for success in the morning is to prep the night before. In the evening before bed write out everything you want to accomplish the next day, prioritising the most important tasks first so that you have some guidelines to follow when you wake and you have a clear vision of what the day ahead holds.
Why not start a bullet journal? It’s a great way to not only organise your day, but your month, semester and year. Writing down your tasks before bed helps to release the anxiety of forgetting something important – appointments, projects, chores and important emails and calls you need to make. Write it all down so you can go to sleep quickly and get a good night’s sleep.
Quick tip – always include something fun and enjoyable on your list like going for a swim in the ocean or scheduled down time to read, relax or meet friends.
Stop hitting snooze
As tempting as it is, the snooze button is your worst enemy when it comes to thriving in the morning. Hitting snooze and letting the body drift in and out of sleep leads us to feeling more lethargic and hazy in the mornings so to counter the temptation try plugging your phone in on the other side of the room instead of next to your bed so you physically have to get up out of that warm cocoon of blankets and turn off your alarm. This little hack forces you out of bed and into the day so the hardest part is over!
Ditch the technology
Besides turning off your alarm in the morning, try not to get sucked into the digital vortex of checking emails, news networks and social media platforms first thing in the morning. These platforms supply you with an overwhelming amount of information and distraction which aggravates and over stimulates the nervous system when you are trying to cultivate focus and get clear on establishing your mindset and presence for the day.
Move your body
In the morning, your muscles are stiff and dry from laying still all evening and so it’s one of the most important times to let the medicine of movement rehydrate your tissue and bring online all the internal systems we run to keep you feeling bright and healthy in your body. Everyone is different in terms of what will suit them in the morning so experiment and find what works for you. It could be a few quick stretches (try our morning stretch routine here) or a yoga practice, a run or a swim to get you geared up and ready to go for the day.
Visualise yourself achieving your goals
Visualisation creates a blueprint where you let your mind practice acting out in real life what you want to achieve. This creates a map for you to follow more easily when you go to execute it. From the mental practice of imagining yourself achieving your goals, you are more easily able to draw yourself towards those outcomes – practice makes permanent! Visualisation is also a quick, simple and accessible tool to call on when things don’t go according to plan or you find yourself combating roadblocks throughout your day. Recalling or replaying yourself achieving success helps to stop your mind from spiralling down into the world of worst case scenarios and the endless what if game.
Include something that brings you joy
Make sure you include something that makes you feel special or brings you joy to start the day off on a good note. It could be something as simple as making yourself a cup of tea and looking out the window as you enjoy it slowly or stopping for a coffee at your favourite coffee shop. You could add extra goodies to your breakfast or take the time to carry out a skin routine. It’s important to remember to be kind to yourself and nourish yourself and adding this into your morning routine helps to set an attitude of self care guiding us to make choices that are better for our overall well being through the day.
Your mindful morning routine is the wind in your sails that sets you on course for a successful journey through the day. Try adopting some of these simple tips to make a significant impact in how you meet the world and keep a grasp of your mindfulness as you move through the day.
