Morning routines are one of the most effective ways to ensure that you start your day on the foot that you want. They can help calm the anxiety that a lot of us feel when we first wake up. Having a routine can also contribute to anxiety and stress when we are rigid and refuse to budge from it. So how can you create an effective morning routine that you continue to do? Let’s talk about it and see if I can get you on the path of feeling better about yourself and creating the version of your day that you want.
Routine by definition has rules built into it. Such as before I get on my phone to check social media, I will complete a meditation. Sometimes the very presence of these rules can cause our already engrained habits to flair up. This can present as the night before you decide you are going to start your routine you are pumped and ready to go. You close your eyes for the night feeling good that you are finally going to get this done. Morning comes and your alarm goes off. You pick up your phone to turn it off and immediately switch to social media scrolling. You are about 10 minutes in before you even realize that you are scrolling. You toss your phone down and yell WHY? Then decide that you might as well keep on scrolling since you’ve ruined your first effort.
How many times have you committed to something and then when you had a slip or got distracted you just gave up?
How has that gone for you? I bet you end up starting a lot of stuff you don’t finish huh? No guilt or shame needed but I’m going to give you a tip…Keep going no matter how much you fail at your task. Your entire mental make up is composed of things that you had to keep doing in order for them to be stored in your subconscious mind to be a habit. Your morning routine is no different. So what you went down the rabbit hole? Climb your way out and get back to your routine.
Most people think that just because they write down a list of things they want to do as a part of their routine that they will actually do them all. When they miss one, they typically throw all of the others out of the window with it. STOP DOING THIS. It does not serve you in the long run. Everything is not always going to work the same way for you, if at all. This is especially true if you are someone who is recovering from traumatic experiences and are just beginning. So here’s my humble advice. Pick as many things as you would like to try and then be patient with yourself as you try them all. You don’t have to do them every single day. Try something one day and then something else the next. Being kind and honest with yourself will help you stick to a routine more than being a rigid task master that allows no room for error. You’re human, you’re never going to error proof your entire existence. Stop beating yourself up for being human, we all are and contrary to popular belief, even the overachievers who seem to be able to do anything they set their minds to get tired of their routines and switch it up. You can do so too.
So let’s talk about some things that you can add to your morning routine and help you craft a routine that is effective for you. Piecemealing is allowed here, take what works and leave the rest.
- What in your mornings already works for you? This could be enjoying a cup of your favorite beverage while you wake up fully.
- What are the things that lead you down a path of doing things you don’t want to do? In the earlier example you might decide that you can buy a cheap alarm clock and keep your phone out of arms reach.
- Check if you are getting enough rest. A good night’s rest does wonders for helping us not to give in to habitual patterns simply because they help relieve stress sometimes.
- Walking in the mornings is a good way to put the body and mind into a good space.
- Morning meditations (I recommend guided for beginners). Wake Me Up Podcast is an excellent resource for this.
- Body centered practices such as having a good stretch.
- If you enjoy writing perhaps journaling would be a good thing for you
- Reading or listening to something that opens your mind to the things you are trying to bring into your life. I enjoy NPR One or Ted Talks. Beyond the Guru Coaching has some excellent books listed in their library on topics as well.
- Remember to eat something so you are not distracted by your tummy rumbling while meditating.
I’ve just given you 9 things to consider as you craft a morning routine that suits you. Remember that practice makes better. You don’t have to get it all right and neatly packaged in the first or even tenth try. Don’t give up and if you absolutely abhor something it’s a good signal to let it go for a bit and possibly explore why you hate it. With that exploration you may find that there is a big reason you hate it which would then lead you to a deeper understanding of yourself and isn’t that a part of why you are developing a routine in the first place? That’s a win in my book!
Try these things and let me know if any of them are beneficial to you. I hope they help you to get a good start on crafting an effective morning routine that serves you in the best ways possible.
Beyond the Guru Coaching 