Can Every Day be a Good One?
Something I have learned about myself is that a rough morning can reeeaaallly throw me off.
In the past, I used to let the day just kind of happen to me. I was totally reactive in the morning, constantly felt rushed and overwhelmed, putting out one fire after another. Honestly, I often felt like a total failure before I even had breakfast! I allowed that stressed and deflated mood to put a damper on the rest of my day. Admittedly, I often found myself counting down the minutes until bedtime.
At some point, I became sick of how I was approaching the start of the day, and realized it was time to make a change. This was a blind spot that was holding me back.
Nowadays, my mornings are something I savor. I can promise you that I pretty much never hit the snooze button when my alarm goes off, and now those earliest hours are something I look forward to 99% of the time. I’m not saying they are perfect, but they are so much better.
So…how did I flip this switch? I built a morning routine.
Maybe the word “routine” freaks you out. ;) You can call it a ritual, plan, or daily habits — but the intent is all the same: decide how you want your day to begin, and design a plan that facilitates that. It is not a strict schedule. My morning routine is just a series of events that allows me to proactively start the day in a way that fosters inner peace instead of stress.
Rather that entering fight-or-flight mode and being ready for a nap by 8am, following a morning routine gives me a few wins and sets the tone for a great day (or at least a steady, normal, not-as-overwhelmed day).
I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I know all about your life, schedule, or daily demands. You might have a newborn baby, work the night shift, have a partner who is deployed, etc. A pleasant morning for you will look different than it does for me. The point is that you can choose to start your day with some intention — and that is powerful!
Ready to build YOUR morning routine? Here are some questions to answer as you get started:
What does your existing morning routine look like? If there really isn’t one, that’s ok too! Just become aware of how you’re currently approaching mornings at this point.
When do you prefer to wake up? Work backwards from there to identify when your bedtime begins so you’re able to sleep for at least 6-7 hours!
Tap into your senses. What would a more harmonious morning sound, feel, and look like? Would it flow slowly, or start with movement? Would it be quiet and still, or is playing some upbeat tunes more your style? Alarm or wake up without one?
What are some things you really crave at the beginning of the day? Breakfast, journal time, solitude?
What most energizes or drains you, and how can you apply that concept to your mornings?
What role do you want screen time to play? Is it necessary, and to what extent?
Here’s an example. Below are some details about my current morning routine:
Wake up between 4:30-5:30am without an alarm, and ease into my morning. I am a light sleeper, and prefer quiet and solitude at the beginning of the day. I’m asleep by 9-9:30pm most nights.
Prayer and spiritual meditation as soon as my eyes open, large glass of water, coffee (sometimes with-caf and sometimes decaf). In that order. No phone.
Walk 1.5-3 miles, depending on time constraints. Preferably outside, but I’ll walk on my treadmill if husband is out of town or weather is poor. On my walk, I catch up with friends, clients, or listen to a podcast. I allow myself to check email during this time too.
I’ll get home by 6:30 or sooner, and drink more water. I feel best when I’ve had at least 1liter/32oz by 8am.
From there, it’s off to the races. My husband and I get my daughters ready for school. I aim to be as present as possible during this time.
After that, I eat a chewable meal with protein and fiber. I feel best when I have time to slowly prepare something, but sometimes “ridiculously quick and easy” is necessary. :)
Last: choose my own adventure. By this time, it’s about 7:30am. I either start desk work right away or head straight to the gym. I work best in small chunks, so I take water and movement breaks as needed.
To be clear, a morning routine isn’t going to undo all of your stress or miraculously help your kids sleep through the night. However, it has made a noticeably positive impact for me and so many of my clients who I’ve helped work on this. I’ll never go back to those mornings of burnout.
Indeed - not every day is going to be the best day ever, but starting it off with the help of a morning routine can possibly lead you in a better direction (on purpose)!
I’m curious. Do you already have a morning routine that works for you? If so, I’d love to hear about it!