AlissaWhat do your mornings look like? Do you have a quiet, morning practice? Do you take time for yourself before you face the day?
I know it’s often difficult to find time for ourselves. Life can be busy and hectic, right? We’re pulled in so many different directions that it’s easy to put things like a “morning routine” on the back burner. However, I don’t think we can afford not to take this time for ourselves, especially now.
With our current state of the world, we need our protective, peaceful armor more than ever before. If you’re feeling more mentally stable, calm, and collected, you’re able to be a guiding light for others. If you step into your day with peace, you’ll inspire others to do the same.
This week, I’m going to give you a challenge. For just one week, try implementing this morning routine into your life. It isn’t complicated, long, or intense. It’s simple and attainable and can be modified however you wish.
Regardless of what comes my way after my morning practice, I feel confident in my ability to handle it because I know I’ve taken the time to center myself first. Getting grounded and still is my way of putting on an invisible armor for the day. It’s how I protect myself from the stress, anxiety, and panic coming from the world around me.
Before I break down the practice, let’s set you up for success.
If you want to successfully implement a morning practice into your life, I’d suggest having a realistic idea of how much time you can allot for it. At a minimum, give yourself 30 minutes to complete this practice. And if the minimum amount of time is all you can do, that’s fine! In fact, it’s better than fine. It’s awesome you’re doing anything at all!
Once you’ve determined how much time you can allocate to your morning practice, decide how much earlier you’ll need to wake up. Maybe you don’t need to wake up any earlier at all because you usually spend your morning doing something different.
Lastly, find a quiet space to complete your morning practice without interruption. This might be your living room couch before the rest of the family wakes up, your spare bedroom, the kitchen table. Pro tip? Make this spot feel even more special by lighting candles, laying out decorative pillows, or having a cozy blanket.
1. Write your morning pages (10 minutes)
First things first? Morning pages. As soon as you wake up in the morning, grab a journal or a notebook of any kind and settle into your quiet space. If you like to begin your day with some tea or coffee, pour yourself a cup and enjoy!
Here’s how morning pages work:
Every morning, you’ll write three pages of whatever comes to your mind. Some days your morning pages may be filled with your current worries, dreams, fears. Other days, your morning pages will be a recap of your previous day’s activities and how they made you feel. Sometimes your morning pages will just be a rant of how angry you feel about everything.
I adopted the idea of morning pages from the famous book, The Artist’s Way, by Julia Child. I loved what she had to say about them.
All of that angry, whiny, petty stuff that you write down in the morning stands between you and your creativity. Worrying about the job, the laundry, the funny knock in the car, the weird look in your lover’s eye — this stuff eddies through our subconscious and muddies our days. Get it on the page.
Julia Child, The Artist’s Way.
Essentially, morning pages are a brain dump. They’re a way of clearing the excess clutter from your mind so you can be more clearheaded as you enter into your day. There’s truly no right or wrong way to do them. I think that’s where people often get hung up. They say, “I’m not a good writer.” You don’t have to be! You aren’t writing these to show anyone or even to re-read yourself. They’re simply a tool for gaining clarity around what’s circling around in your mind.
2. Meditate (5-15+ minutes)
After you’ve completed your morning pages, it’s time for meditation. I know meditation isn’t a regular practice for many folks, thus making it intimidating. But, I’ve found meditating to be an essential part of “building my armor” for a peaceful day so I’d encourage you to try it. Plus, it’s scientifically proven to help reduce stress.
Practicing meditation lessens the inflammatory response in people exposed to psychological stressors, particularly for long-term meditators. According to neuroscience research, mindfulness practices dampen activity in our amygdala and increase the connections between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Both of these parts of the brain help us to be less reactive to stressors and to recover better from stress when we experience it.
https://www.mindful.org/10-things-we-know-about-the-science-of-meditation/
If you’re brand new to meditation, begin with five minutes every morning and see how that feels. My favorite meditation app is called Insight Timer which has thousands of free meditations for you to choose from. If you want to learn more about meditation, check out this in-depth post I wrote.
The reason I love meditating in the morning is because it gives me time to connect to myself and feel more centered before I step into the day. I like meditating after I’ve written my morning pages because my mind feels clearer; more prepared to be still for a while.
If you give meditation a try and really don’t like it, feel free to replace this time with something else. Maybe you feel more comfortable praying, reading a morning devotional, or spending quiet time in your garden. The purpose of this time slot is mental stillness and self-reflection; building your shield of peace.
After you’ve completed your meditative activity, set your intention for the day. Maybe your intention is: “I will be at peace no matter what occurs.” or “I will spread love to everyone today.” As you move through your day, you’ll be able to return to your intention and remember to embody it.
3. Move your body (15-30+ minutes)
Finally, we’re going to move our bodies. This could look like going for a walk (outside or on your treadmill), yoga, lifting weights, simply stretching. Just move, in some way, every morning.
I’ll be honest, being physically active in the morning is new for me. I began implementing it recently and now that I’ve started being active in the morning, I love it! I feel like moving my body after self-reflection is a way to integrate the practice I’d done prior. Like, I’m physically grounding myself in the experience.
Another reason why it’s great to work out in the morning? Because exercise gives you a rush of endorphins, which makes you feel happier. That high. happy feeling will carry on throughout your day. Plus, it feels amazing to know you started your day off doing something positive for yourself.
Finally, practice being mindful and fully present while moving your body. Focus on your breath and the way your muscles feel when you stretch. Feel the ground beneath your toes and the sweat beading on your forehead. Bask in the feeling of doing something good for yourself.
Remember, your morning practice is your time to be completely “selfish”. It’s a well-deserved, essential time to focus solely on yourself. When you take good care of yourself, you’re able to take better care of others. You’re able to be a leader to those around you; a pillar of resiliency, strength, and peace.
I’m sending you so much love, light, and good health during this difficult time. I also want to remind you that it’s okay to have hard times; to not handle things “perfectly”. I’m right there with you.
With love,
Alissa
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