It is in the early morning hour that the unseen is seen and that the far-off beauty and glory, vanquishing all their vagueness, move down upon us till they stand clear as crystal close over against the soul.
Sarah Smiley
Research has shown that the first few hours after waking up are the most important, as they set the tone of your day. The concept of a morning routine may not be new to you, we all know that we need to brush our teeth and practice some form of self-grooming before we leave the house and begin our day.
How many of us find ourselves constantly rushing in the morning and jugging down the last remnants of our coffee in order to make it to work or school on time? Imagine how different your day would be if you had an hour or more in the morning to just be with yourself and practice holistic habits that not only impact your day but have the potential to impact your whole life more positively.
What is a morning routine? This is defined as a set of actions you perform in the morning before completing the rest of your everyday tasks.
Okay, we now know what this morning practice is and why it is important. You may still be wondering how a solid morning routine that is tailored to your needs and interests can lead to a more fulfilling day.
I will give you examples of the habits that work for me and are beneficial, especially when practiced at the beginning of my day. This routine has the power to impact you into becoming an even better version of yourself.
Firstly, use the time in the morning before getting out of bed to visualize how you would like your day to unfold. I have found that although we can never know what the future holds, it helps to at least envision a day filled with all the things that fulfill you. I like to imagine that my day will run smoothly. In this process, you are already priming your mind to expect the best out of the rest of your day.
Next, take a shower or bath. I have found that water has some unseen healing elements – you cannot deny that after a warm cleanse you just feel so rejuvenated and the things that you may have worried about before the shower, now seem irrelevant in the after-shower haze. A great practice to incorporate in the shower is to imagine that you are literally cleansing the negative thoughts and energy that you may be feeling. Wash away the mistakes and pain you may be holding onto from the past. This will make you feel lighter and refreshed both internally and externally. Do you not believe it? – just give it a try.
Another step I always incorporate as part of my morning routine is meditation. Sitting silently with yourself as the world awakens is one of the most peaceful experiences. This is the point in my day when I usually feel the most content. There is nothing to worry about yet and even if inconveniences emerge at some point in the day, I would have at least trained my brain to react to situations more calmly, through the practice of meditation. This practice can begin as a daily habit, but it will impact your life in the long run. Regular meditation has been proven to reduce stress, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
After reading about these wonderful benefits – do your future self a favour and take a few minutes to sit down in a silent area and breathe in and out deeply, concentrating on your breath. Three months from now, it may prove to be one of the best decisions you ever made.
Lastly, keeping a gratitude journal makes you aware of how blessed you are. This journal allows you to list down all the things in your life that you are thankful for. Often, we do not realize how much we have that we may be taking for granted.
Using affirmations of gratitude to set the tone for the day, gears your mind up for abundance – you become aware of what you have instead of what you are lacking. In being grateful, we become aware of the multitude of blessings we have from blessings like our eyesight to the fact that we have healthy lungs to breathe.
I like to begin my gratitude journal with the words, ‘I am grateful to be alive yet another day on this earth.’ This sentence makes you aware of how lucky you are to have woken up again – you have another chance at life that many may not. I hope you will try at least one of these morning routine practices – they will impact your life for more than just one morning.
How you spend your morning can often tell you what kind of day you are going to have.
– Lemony Snicket
Planting Soul Seeds 