Written by Cloe Vaz-Wiggins
Image by @NikkiThot
I have to admit, I’ll be absolutely biased on this one because as a morning person at heart, few things bring me more joy than the feeling of accomplishment I get when I’m on my morning routine game. There’s something, I dare say, quite magical about making time for yourself and the things that would usually fall off track before your day starts. You feel empowered, calm, and ready for what’s ahead because you’ve accomplished so much, but most of all, because you nurtured yourself and made time for some true self-care first and before anything or anyone else.
Before we get into the structure and how you can build your flow I just want to say:
If you’re not a morning person, don’t force it! Have no type of FOMO either. Like Mel taught us, ‘We didn’t come here to die’’, so if the morning routine is not for you, it’s just not for you and that’s ok. You’ll find YOUR routine. Maybe an evening routine, or a lunch break one, it doesn’t really matter at what time you do it, the goal here is to carve out space for yourself by implementing these set of habits, however, they look like to you. If you force it, the experience that could be quite enjoyable will become a task, something you have to do as opposed to something you want to do. Make sure that whichever routine you pick, feels in some way natural, that way you’ll be able to commit and stick with it until you no longer have to think about it. Until it’s a habit that is part of your lifestyle, something that you do every day without even thinking, kind of like brushing your teeth.
It might take some time for you to figure out what routine fits well with your lifestyle and your other responsibilities. Like what activities do you want to explore and include? Or when is the best time to do them? And that’s ok! Again, this is all for YOU, so take your time, and if it feels forced that’s your indicator to maybe fall back, recalibrate and find your balance with it.
You’re ready to go, how should you structure your morning routine?
SET YOUR INTENTION
It’s important that you’re clear on your WHY. What do you want to get out of it? Is it discipline? Are you implementing this for recreational purposes? Or do you just want to try something new? Whatever it is just be clear on why you’re doing it, that way you can step into it with a focused mindset.
PICK YOUR ACTIVITIES
Now that you know why you’re implementing this routine, choose your activities! What do you want to include? It can be as simple as making a cup of coffee and the possibilities are endless but here are some ideas:
– Meditate
– Journal
– Read
– Listen to a podcast/audiobook
– Workout
– Go for a walk/run
– Listen to music
– Burn some candles, incense or both
– Plan your day using an agenda
BE REALISTIC
Once you’ve set your intention and you have an idea of what you want to practice, be realistic. If you have seven different activities but only have two hours to play around with, it might not be the most effective and enjoyable, so maybe adjust both. Pick fewer activities, maybe wake up a little earlier, find the balance between the time you have and what you want to get out of it, and then set your schedule.
ENJOY THE RIDE
Once you have your schedule set, add little bits in between that you enjoy to enhance the experience. Wear clothes that make you feel good, light up candles that put you in the mood, write on a beautiful journal or play some music.
It’s scientifically proven that practicing morning routines have many psychological and physical benefits: it prepares you for the rest of your day, increases your productivity, makes you feel more in control, lowers stress, develops healthy habits, boosts your energy levels, and improves your confidence, amongst others.
So, give it a try, only you know what you want to implement and most importantly what you need at the moment, so have fun with it, use the blueprint and this structure as a reference and make it your OWN.
See you in the AM!
