How do you begin each day? Is it a flurry of getting everyone up and out the door?
Do you have any time for yourself, or to get a headstart on the day before the kids are your only priority?
Starting the day at full speed places a lot of pressure on you every morning, not to mention the massive amount of stress that it probably adds to your day.
Read on to find out how getting up earlier and adding a self care routine to your morning can help add more calm to your day.
If you’ve been trying to get up earlier so you can have greater focus during your day, then you probably know that one of the key parts of getting there is by having a solid morning ritual.
When you create a morning routine, you’re more likely to have quiet reflective time to yourself, giving you time for a bit of headspace and self care before the day begins.
How to Start a Self Care Morning Routine
How do you start your day? If you leap out of bed to a blaring alarm, rush in the shower and dash through the rest of your morning, you are setting yourself up for a manic and stressful day.
If you can find time to have a more relaxed start to the day you can make time for yourself first thing and start the day more centred, and more calmly.
Read on to find out how...
1. Self Care Starts in Bed
When you wake up, there’s no reason to jump up and start doing things immediately.
Some health professionals are fairly vocal that such instant activity could harshly shock the system.
That means that some light activity to help increase blood flow would be preferable, and even recommended.
Give your body a chance to begin by stretching then moving in to some light yoga or Pilates moves.
In actual fact, a good morning starts the night before, so make sure you get to bed early enough for a good night's sleep.
Here are some healthy sleep tips which will help:
2. Start Tech Free
When you first wake up in the morning, as a tech connected person, probably the first thing that you think about is what might be going on in the digital world.
Unfortunately, studies have begun to look at how the constant connection that people have with technology is starting to affect people and the information doesn’t look great.
The amount of stress that people experience as a result of this continuous unbroken contact is kept at a consistent level at all times.
Disconnecting can help break you away from that stress and give you time to think without the constant noise.
You can then relax, reflect and process your thoughts.
To do this, keep your phone turned off and not anywhere near you when you’re sleeping.
Wake up with an analog alarm clock instead of a phone alarm, and don’t check your phone until you have completed the rest of your morning routine.
3. Enjoy Fresh Morning Air
Even though you are breathing in and out every day of your life, breathing correctly still takes focused and deliberate effort until it becomes natural.
It’s easy to forget about the rewards that you can gain from simply increasing the efficiency of one or more physiological systems.
Take some time to breathe slowly and consciously.
Breathe in the scent of a (imaginary) flower and blow out a (imaginary) candle is the perfect start to more conscious breathwork.
Walk around your garden or local park if you can, or at the very least stand on the doorstep and take some deep breaths.
Your body and mind will thank you!
4. Beauty and Pampering
One of the greatest things about having more time to take care of yourself, is that you get to spend time doing proper skincare.
That’s a lot more comforting than tumbling out of bed, rolling your hair into a bun and trying to put on eyeliner while running full speed down a hallway to your car.
Moisturising your skin and conditioning your hair does more than make you look and feel good, it can also help protect you from genetic damage caused by sun exposure and pollution.
5. Read a Few Pages of Your Book
Find a book that is inspirational and helps motivate you for the day.
Read just a few pages or a whole chapter, depending on how much free time you have.
This could be while you are having your morning coffee, or when having a quick but healthy breakfast.
Take advantage of these quiet moments and become absorbed in your favorite book.
6. Have a Quiet Time
Whether you drink coffee or tea in the morning, you can make this part of your self care ritual.
Try to have your first cup of coffee in the morning all alone and in silence.
You can read a paper, write in your journal, or sit on your patio and listen to the birds singing as the sun comes up.
This is another great reason to wake up a little earlier than everyone else in your household.
You will be amazed at how much better you feel with just a few minutes to yourself.
7. Practice Meditation
Morning is the ideal time to meditate and repeat mantras.
Mantras are sayings or words that help to centre your focus and make it easier to meditate.
You can also try breathing exercises or traditional meditation.
Although it can be as simple as taking a walk in nature in the morning, as that can also help you to meditate.
8. Keep it Simple and Flexible
Ultimately, what really matters is how you feel. Ask yourself if you feel good, if the items you add to your morning routine are working for you.
There’s no reason why there have to be an arbitrary number of things that you have to do to make this experience complete.
This is simply a guide that gives you options of things that you can try, so give some a go and see what works for you.
If you want to pay more attention to yourself and practice self care, it helps to start by working on your morning routine.
If you are just hopping out of bed, grabbing breakfast, and running out the door, you are probably already stressed by the time you get into your car.
A healthier option is to start a better morning routine with these tips, so just start!
Add what resonates for you and see how you get on.
More morning tips to make your day better:
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