Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves.
Thich Nhat Hanh
Mornings. How do they work for you? A jarring alarm sound, a jolt out of bed in a blurry panic, screen light within moments, bewildering your brain from the outset? Although this may sound familiar and fairly standard to many with demanding jobs and lives, the payload of a stress-hormone rush does not set the tone for a productive and powerful day.
For an effective day, the way you begin matters. How do you spend those moments when the veil between sleeping, dreaming and wakefulness is thin?
Keep it simple
Deep breathing, quiet time and movement are three simple pillars which are proven to reduce or mitigate stress, improve mood and offer us the opportunity to reset and shift state. We all have our own rhythms and cycles and needs. It’s about finding the one that fits with what your mind and body (and family and job!) need.
Your morning routine
You don’t have to copy and paste someone else’s routine. You may be an early riser who’s most productive first thing, or you may need time to settle into the day and weave your best work later on. Design and create your own effective start to each day. Let it reflect and support who you are becoming and support your goals. You write the script so consider what are the most important components to your ideal start. If you feel there’s not enough time to tend to your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, consider how you can create more space? Keep it simple, keep it supportive.
When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.
Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor 161 – 180 AD
Myriad life elements are out of our control, so the parts of living that we can curate are especially important. Primarily how we spend our time, what we focus on and who we spend time with.
Each breath, each moment, we have the opportunity to begin anew. It is often only our own view of our selves and our perceived patterns and limits that hold us back. With the darkness of each night and the light of the dawn, whatever has come before, opportunity for growth lies ahead and the right routines layer up the habits to help us create that growth.