The Mindset of a Morning Routine
Do you have a morning routine set up where you get yourself ready? Where you are mentally ready, physically ready, and emotionally ready for the day? That goes beyond hitting snooze 5-6 times and downing caffeine and running out the door?
That used to be my routine when I worked as a Director. I got about five hours of sleep and hit snooze as many times as possible before I had to get up and scramble so I could get out the door. I would stop at McDonald's to get a large Coke and felt like I was behind an right ball, on a hamster wheel and didn't have enough hours to get everything that I was going to need to get done.
Fast forward to now. I have been able to put together a morning routine that I find is helpful. I have heard some women share that their morning routine takes 2 hours. That is great if you have the time! My morning routine does not take that long. It could if you wanted to be more elaborate in what you do. I have been able to select what I know I will need and how to best utilize it with the time I have available - but I make sure to do so daily.
I want to share 7 activities with you on things that you could do to help you set up a morning routine. By doing so, you will set yourself up for success and have a much better day then if you're scrambling and feeling like you're behind the eight ball before the day even gets started.
The first thing I do is a morning inspiration reading. I have a book and that has daily readings for everyday of the year. I find the readings helps me clear my mind and get me ready for the new day. It is inspiring and is something that I can hold onto throughout the day.
The second are mantras. Do you have your own mantras? If so, saying them in the morning can be another helpful way to get yourself focused and ready for the day. One of my favorites is “nothing can hold me back” - especially if I know it's going to be a day where I'm going to have some obstacles I'm going to have to encounter.
A third step I like to take, and you might wonder what's up with this, is that I recommend looking at your bank account every morning. A coach taught me this. Being grateful for what you have - even if that money is nowhere near what you need or want it to be - is helpful. It’s energy in and energy out. If I'm grateful for the money in my and thankful for the money that I do have, that also puts me in a better mindset. It puts me in more of a receiving mode instead of one that is focused on scarcity of I don't have. If you have that with money it also can transcend into other areas of your life and in your day.
The 4th exercise that I like to use is a meditation. There are some meditations that last 10-20 minutes, but there are also meditations that are just a few minutes. If it is a day where I have more time, I will listen to a 20 minute meditation. If I don't have the time, then I'll listen to one of the quick ones. Meditations help clear our mind, get grounded, and ready for the day.
My 5th is what I call my energy juice which is my green juice. I love my green juice. I do feel energized when I drink it and I am getting 6 servings of vegetables! I have basically replaced my caffeine with green juice. Every now and then I do have an iced tea. I gave up my Pepsi and McDonald's cokes earlier this year - and I do miss them! - but I know it's better for me to not be drinking them.
The 6th part of my morning routine is free journaling. I find that free journaling any thoughts that are in my head or anything that got stirred up in dreams the night before is good to release them onto paper. This way those thoughts are not interfering or in bombarding me during the day.
Lastly, I usually don’t have time in the morning for a walk (that’s later in the day) and I do recommend some type of movement in the morning. So what is better than having a dance party?! I have a playlist of upbeat songs that I like to listen to. Lately the two songs that have been getting the most playtime is “Don't Stop the Music” by Rihanna and also Walk The Moon’s “Shut Up and Dance With Me”. These two songs are energizing to me and if I am in a funk or if I just feel sluggish, they help get me perked up. They help get me ready and energized so that I can have a be successful day. They also tend to haunt me throughout the day and I catch myself humming to them.
If you have a morning routine, share below! I would love to learn what it is. If you do not yet have one, use some of these and see if they work for you.
To recap, 7 activities for a morning routine are:
daily inspiration reading
mantras
meditation
check your bank account balance
green juice
upbeat energizing music (dance party!) and
free journaling
Share below what you are going to add to your morning routine!