We can all agree that our morning routines have been a challenge to say the least over the last month. If you don’t know it by now, I’m a huge ritual fan. And while I know that may be tough during these trying times, even just changing up your mornings, but getting in even a temporary ritual for now is better than none. Establishing morning rituals and routines will help curve internal anxiety and prepare for the external chaos you might face during the day.
When you wake up to your hair being on fire in the morning, you’re toast by the middle of the day! Internal anxiety is rushing through one moment to get to the next one. Thinking ahead creates tension. “I need to get this done so I can get the next thing done.” Rushing through a moment to get to the next makes you resent “this” moment. Even the thought for me thinking about what next week or the next month right now looks like stirs up anxiety in me.
Rituals free you to focus on the current thing, not the next thing. Here are just a few things I do to answer anxiety in the morning and keep from my hair being on fire…
- Get up at least 2 hours before others.
- Keep the lights low. It’s dark, but I don’t turn on any bright lights Dark is calming. I’m less distracted when the light is low.
- Drink a big glass of water right after I brush my teeth and before I have my first cup-of-Joe!
- Brew coffee (even just the smell to me is calming)
- Sit, relax, and reflect on my day until the coffee is done.
- Read / Blog for 45 minutes… I do NOT open a book or fire up my computer until I’ve had my first sip of coffee.
- Exercise. While the gym has been closed, I go for a run outside. These cold mornings have been a challenge, but I make the best of it!
- Plan what MUST get done today… Not a goal for the week/month – Just TODAY
I am the most productive as soon as I wake up. Creating a morning routine for yourself is essential to a successful life. Waking up earlier will give you ample time to focus on conquering the day with more energy, mindfulness and strength. I challenge you to give my routine a try. I promise you will stress out less, be more productive and have more energy to tackle the day ahead.