Simple Morning Routine that Simplifies My Day - Calm Morning, Calm Day.

Most of my life I woke up in a panic. My eyes opened, I rushed, I got ready, and I just felt like I was always behind. I was just always trying to get the kids in the car and breakfast served, and I never had a peaceful morning probably ever until, well, until I became much older and a little bit wiser. So I do know this, that creating a peaceful morning actually trickles into the rest of my day. It affects not only my emotional state, but also how I treat others that I encounter. It sets a tone and a mood, not only for myself, but everyone else in my house. Whether you have 5 minutes or 50, I'm going to be giving you a few of my simple, calming morning routine habits that really help start me off on the way that I want to spend the rest of my day, and I hope that you will find some value in some of these as well. Each morning, we are born again. What we do today is what matters most. Sometimes creating a calm morning routine for yourself begins with letting go of things. These are some things that are not serving you if you're trying to create a peaceful morning routine. Email. Don't let other people's problems turn into your emergency response. Negative news consumption. By turning on the news first thing in the morning, you are instantly bombarded with the problems of the world. And this will immediately either strike anger, or fear, or hopelessness, and all the negative feelings that go against the peaceful feeling that you want to have. Let go of rushing. Rushing just through the basic things like showering, and brushing your teeth, and getting dressed, and instead see if you can just slow it down just a little bit. Let go of the idea of making a three-egg omelet that day. Again, prep your breakfast the night before, especially if you have an early morning, so you can just grab and go without the pressure or expectation of creating a giant gourmet breakfast. Stop changing your clothes 10 times before you walk out of your bedroom. If you can set your clothes up the night before, oh my gosh, it helps so much. And better yet, creating a capsule wardrobe is probably the best thing I've ever done to make my mornings go so much more smoothly because everything matches, so I don't have to put any thought into what I'm putting on that day. And also letting go of the idea that it has to be perfect, that every morning is just going to be a zen morning. Because let's face it, it's not. Some mornings are going to run smoothly, like clockwork, and others it will feel like anything and everything will go wrong. You don't need a complete overhaul to improve your mornings and make them a little bit more calm. It can happen with tiny little improvements and steps of moving you toward a more calm, mellow and soothing morning. Become aware the second your feet hit the ground. In this process of just looking at your feet and noticing the ground and how it is supporting you, that right there will bring you into the present moment. Wake up 10 minutes earlier not to be productive, but 10 minutes earlier to give yourself time to just experience the day before the day starts taking you down a path of the to-do list, the meetings and the schedules. Taking three deep slow breaths as soon as you sit up. And while you're doing that, think of three intentions on how you want to feel this day. There are some simple practices for a busy morning. So these are the few things you can do even if you only have five minutes to spare. When you are drinking your cup of coffee, really be present. It's a great opportunity to be mindful. Just close your eyes and smell the coffee and that first sip. Do some gentle stretches. So if you're up for it, get down on the ground and do a child's pose or a couple of cat-cows. Or if you're just sitting on the edge of your bed, just inhale, reach the arms up, exhale, bring the arms down. When you are getting dressed in the morning, this is a great opportunity to just think of three things you're grateful for. So you put on your shirt, you think of one thing you're grateful for. You put on your pants, you think of another thing you're grateful for. So it's a little bit way of multitasking when you don't have a lot of time to spare to journal it out. When you are putting on your makeup or brushing your teeth, as soon as you're looking at your reflection, say one positive affirmation to yourself. One positive self-love comment. To let yourself know that you are on the right track, you are here, and everything is working out perfectly. Instead of thinking of your to-do list first thing, try to replace it with intentions. How do you intend for your day to go? Just setting in motion this thought of how you want your day to unfold is more likely that it will unfold in that way. There is an art to slow living. So those mornings when you can spare 30 minutes to an hour, here are some other ways that you can really create a calming, peaceful morning routine for yourself by journaling. First with gratitude, writing it out, how you want to feel, and the kind of person you want to be, and anything else that is on your mind. Meditating or prayer, really connecting to something deeper than yourself for five or ten minutes. It actually programs your mind to handle stress better throughout the day, and you have a real clear vision of not only how you want your day to go, but who you want to become, how you want to feel, and the kind of life that you want to manifest for yourself. Moving your body, whether it's yoga, going on a big walk, or lifting weights, whatever it is, but really engaging in moving and feeling your body, because this ignites your endorphins, which makes you happier, you feel healthier, and again, it reduces the stress in your life. Read or listen to something uplifting or inspiring, whether it's a podcast, or it's a book that you really enjoy, anything that's not negative is the best route to go. Take time and get outside into nature. While you're there, just observe. Notice the birds, notice the sun, notice the smells, notice how the air is brushing your skin. Really connect to the nourishing strength that Mother Earth provides. I hope that some of these simple tips really resonated with you. Remember that you don't have to spend a ton of money getting equipment or apps to make your morning a little bit more peaceful, creating a little bit more mindfulness and calm in your day. Just start super small. Maybe tomorrow morning is the morning that you wake up 10 minutes earlier and savor your cup of coffee. Or maybe that's when you use putting on your shoes to set three intentions for how you want your day to go. Whatever it is, just notice if it helps start your day off on the right foot. Have a beautiful day, my friend.