With the sun just peeking over the horizon, I poured my coffee and headed back upstairs to shower and start the day. Glancing at my meditation chair, I started the shower to warm up the water.
Running a mental checklist through my head of what needed to get done, adding in a few extra items I really wanted to get done, while I brushed my teeth, I stole another glance at my meditation chair in the next room.
Shaking my head, too much to do, I thought as I got into the shower. It had been a very busy week. In addition to my business, I work a couple of days a week as a clinical supervisor in Home Health and Hospice, and I had just returned from being away for almost 3 weeks.
When days get busy and stress builds, it’s easy to bypass the habits and tools you’ve created to keep yourself on even keel or to never take the time to put them in place. Being conscious about health, well-being and happiness is a choice.
There is no done for you protocol. It’s an individualized approach. It’s like visiting the buffet and choosing what appeals to you. I like to visualize you may not. I have a daily routine and elements that I weave in as needed. My morning routine looks like this at the moment, and it changes periodically.
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- Slow wake-up, I use timed gradual lighting rather than an alarm(I don’t need this in the summer, but daylight savings time means no sunshine until 7 am) – as former pop out of bed immediately at the sound of the alarm gal this still feels very luxurious.
- Downstairs to get my coffee, as it’s brewing, I step out into my backyard for a couple of deep breaths of fresh air and the feel of grass under my feet(grounding).
- Bring my coffee upstairs and sit for 5 minutes, sipping and appreciating.
- Meditate – usually 15 minutes, sometimes a bit longer. I use a variety of methods.
- Journal – 3 pages pen to paper without stopping 10 -15 minutes.
- Pull a card from a tarot deck for the day and take a moment to ponder it.
- Energy work – this varies daily could be Webwork, EFT, visualization, Eden energy medicine, chakra clearing, Kinesiology/Lifewave patching,
- Then off to the shower.
All told, my morning routine takes about 45 minutes(not including my shower). I know it helps me stay centered and lowers my stress level. It also helps me recognize when I’m operating from scarcity, fear, or people-pleasing(I know I’m the only one that slips into those pitfalls) 😉 .
I also know that when I’m feeling stressed or, more often time-crunched, my first impulse is to skip it to gain some time. I know it doesn’t really work. Things end up unraveling, I don’t think as clearly, and often I end up repeating tasks.
As I showered that day, I realized I was reacting to the stress I was responding in an old pattern way, pushing through it, and it doesn’t serve me(or anyone else around me). When I got out of the shower, I sat in my meditation chair, and went through my morning routine.
It wasn’t perfect. My mind raced when I was meditating. I was itching to make a ‘to do’ list while I journaled and was very indecisive when doing my energy work. But I did feel better afterward, and I know it helped transform my day from harried to one that unfolded in a much easier way.
Do you have a morning routine that helps you start the day right? Can you share 1 part of it with me?