Morning Rituals
Morning rituals. Morning routines. Whatever you want to call them, they have an incredible way to positively impact your day, shift your energy and set you up for a much smoother start, let alone much smoother day. Strangely enough, I’m someone who actually really dislikes routine. I get bored. I feel stifled. I crave new experiences and variety. Yet when it comes to my mornings, I LOVE ROUTINE. My morning rituals are everything.
There’s something really sacred about holding morning rituals that makes starting each day feel special. It makes it feel like a blessing and something to be grateful for, which it is! When you’re able to start each day in a calm and positive mindset, it sets you up for success. And things seem much more manageable. That’s not to say that things won’t go wrong and you won’t have a stressful day, but your morning ritual will set you up in a place — emotionally, mentally, and even physically, where you’ll be much more capable of handling it.
Look up the term “Morning Rituals” and you’ll find some of the most successful and influential people are in on this little secret. What’s nice is you can make these rituals completely your own. Start your day with things you actually look forward to doing (as opposed to dread) and see how different your mornings will feel. Common sense, but don’t take up journaling if you hate writing. Create a morning routine that works for you, your schedule, and your goals. Here’s a look at my morning ritual…
My Morning Rituals
Wake up, stretch + visualize. I always knew I was a sensitive person, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I learned that I was an Empath. Because of this trait, my level of sensitivity could be a blessing or a curse. As a school counselor, I would be like a sponge, soaking up the pain and emotions of the students I worked with, often taking it home with me as my own. I felt everything! That’s the complicated life of an empath. Until I learned this visualization trick from a fellow empath. I was instructed that when I wake up in the morning, before my feet even hit the ground, to visualize a white glowing light surrounding my body, much like a bubble, as a shield of protection from other people’s energy. It sounds strange, I know. But it works!! And then I realized this visualization doesn’t have to be just for empaths, but really for anyone. It’s great for when you need to strengthen personal boundaries, ground yourself, or shield yourself from stressful situations, like a toxic work environment for example. You don’t have to do this exact activity, but find a way to make visualization work for you!
HYDRATE. The benefits of hot lemon tea (which is quite literally hot water with lemon) are endless. For me, I feel like it jumpstarts my system for the day, it’s great for your digestive track, boosts your immune system, and its just comforting! Plus when I know I’m consuming something good for my health, I’m more likely to choose a healthier breakfast option because I’ve already started my day on the right path. After my lemon tea, I’ll follow it up with my beverage of choice — either green tea or coffee.
Meditate. By now I’m sure everyone has heard of the benefits of meditation. It quiets the mind, it lowers stress levels, it relieves physical tension from the body, and regulates your breathing. In my mornings, I always make time for some form of meditation, be it 5 minutes, or 1. Even in my busiest mornings at work, I would close my eyes for 30 seconds and focus on my breathing, relaxing my shoulders, unclenching my jaw and clearing my mind for the day ahead. I’d do this every morning before I even check my email. Everyone has 1 minute in the morning for meditation, so I highly encourage it!
Tarot + Oracle Cards. I know this one won’t be for everyone, but hear me out on how this works for me! There are endless reasons why I love tarot so much (I could write a separate blog post on that topic, and maybe I will!) but essentially it’s an intuitive tool. It helps you exercise and strengthen your intuitive muscles, so you can better listen to your voice within, or your gut. They provide me daily guidance that I can carry with me throughout the day. I just love this part of my morning ritual and it’s something I look forward to every day! Interested in this practice but not familiar with the tarot system? No worries. You can also use Oracle or Affirmation cards that are usually just uplifting phrases, messages or quotes to give you that little hit of guidance when you need it. Some of my favorite decks in my collection that would be great for beginners to get started include this (which comes with a free app!), this and this.
Journal. I’m a writer at heart, so keeping a journal has always and will always be a part of my life. Since working with my own coach a few years back when going through my own life transitions, I was encouraged to keep a gratitude journal. This is a journal specifically devoted to identifying and acknowledging all the things we can be grateful for in our life. Get yourself a smallish notebook and devote one page daily to write down everything you are grateful for that morning. For me I would write down simple things like, “I’m grateful for a good night’s sleep….I’m grateful for the iced coffee and bagel I treated myself to this morning….I’m grateful for the awesome playlist I was jamming out to on the way to work….I’m grateful that last night I got the grab dinner and drinks with a good friend and laughed until my stomach hurt…” you get the picture. Because it’s the little things and little moments that make up our lives. These little moments make up the bigger picture. And when you’re struggling with gratitude, it’s an exercise to help you dig deeper. I remember when I was in a bad place emotionally, I felt like I was a victim to my circumstances and had nothing to be grateful for. I persevered and continued to fill up my daily page with gratitude. I was grateful for the food I had to eat, the roof over my head, the job I had to pay my bills, and for my health. But I had to dig even deeper to fill up my page. So one day I scraped the bottom of the barrel and actually wrote down I was grateful for gravity. Because without it we’d all just float away! After writing that down I just had to laugh at how ridiculous that sounded, and how ridiculous I was being, and it had an amazing way of shifting my energy into a space of love and gratitude. And the more you write down and practice gratitude daily, the easier it is to actually feel grateful. Funny how the works, huh?
Make my bed. It’s simple, but it’s a thing. I have to make my bed in the morning before I leave my house. It only takes a few minutes but makes me feel so much better about life! When I come home from a hectic day and see that I have a neatly made bed, and I feel slightly less crazy. Anyone else?!
So that’s an overview of my simple morning ritual. It helps me get started and ready for the day, in a way that leaves me feeling both energized and calm, as well as capable to take on anything the day might throw at me. Your morning ritual will be your own! Don’t have one yet? Here’s some suggestions for creating a morning ritual of your own:
-Going to the gym, yoga, or simple stretching
-Reading a few pages of a book you’ve been meaning to finish while having your breakfast
-Creating a morning skincare routine to pamper yourself
-Listen to a new podcast or audio book on your morning commute
-Keep a dream journal
-Create a getting ready playlist that gets you excited about your day
-GET OUTSIDE! Take your dog for a walk, and do it mindfully
For those of you who have your own morning ritual, I’d love for you to share them in the comments below!
Steph xx