What is the first thing you think of when you wake-up? Do you groan as you snooze your alarm yet again? Bolt upright in panic? Or do you start your morning with a healthy routine that sets the tone for the rest of the day?
Amid the current stresses of the global pandemic, it is so easy to fall into a pattern of late-night overthinking, overeating and oversleeping. Although our normal “realities” and daily lives have taken a significant shift and this is not the time to give ourselves any added pressure, a well thought out morning routine can help us accomplish our goals. Try these simple steps when you wake up and see how a positive morning routine makes a difference to your day.
Affirmations and Meditations
When we first wake up or just before we fall asleep our state of consciousness changes, making it easier for messages to be absorbed and understood by our subconscious minds. This is the area of our brain that stores all of our deep-rooted values, our truths and rules for how we live our lives. The best time to listen to affirmations and meditate is when our conscious minds are relaxed and we are in the theta state so that the messages can sink in and become our new beliefs.
Gratitude
Starting the day with gratitude makes us more likely to find things to be grateful for throughout the day. Commit to writing a list of three specific things you are thankful for each morning, include all of the good in your life and notice all that you have received. When first beginning this practice, it can seem difficult to think of our blessings, but after some time, this daily gratitude will shift your mindset so that you are in a state of appreciation. By forming this new habit, we can strengthen our neural pathways and train our brains to reduce the chance we are taking things for granted and find even more to be grateful for.
Touch base with your ego
When we are in a reflective state, it is easier to connect with our true selves and discover how we feel about the situations in our lives. If anything is bothering you, use this time to look at it from a different perspective, consider the other people involved and as Oprah says, ask yourself “what role does the ego play in this?” Often, we get so caught up in our circumstances and how they impact us, we can fail to see the bigger picture and lose connection with others. Use compassion to see if you can find a solution that benefits everyone involved.
Start your day with a willing intention
The morning is the perfect time to prioritize and create a plan for the day ahead. Take a few moments to think about everything you wish to accomplish and determine one clear intention for that day. As taught by Michael Beckwith, this willing intention will be the reason you can complete your over-flowing to-do list and become the guiding compass for your additional tasks. It can be simple, such as “act with kindness today”, or “show gratitude and appreciation today”, or you can focus on something specific such as “complete analysis report”. Use something that resonates and motivates you, and then surrender and let go of control for a productive and joyful day.
