Your morning routine can set the stage for your entire day. Getting you into a positive mindset, energizing your actions, and even helping you to reflect and focus. Ever noticed if you miss a day of that routine that you feel a little off? It may even throw off your entire day.
To be honest, I’ve had a number of routines over the last few years. These were my regular routines during the pandemic years:
- Morning yoga – I would follow some YouTube yoga routines each morning. I did this each day for almost a year. YOGATX videos were my favorite.
- I read a scripture each morning – Psalms 91. The words calmed me and helped me to feel protected.
- Daily journaling. For months I focused each day on being grateful and wrote each morning in my gratitude journal.
I’m not sure why I stopped these daily routines. It started with me missing a day here or there, and then before I realized it, I had stopped the habit all together. I recently read that routines during the pandemic helped us feel a sense of control and calm – but now that times have changed our routines have also changed.
But there are a couple of things that I do on a regular basis each morning and I don’t see myself stopping those anytime soon:
- Daily prayer – When my feet hit the floor, I stop, and I pray. Giving thanks for all the blessings my family and I have and asking for protection as we go through the day.
- A hot cup of tea – I’ve never been a coffee drinker, but my morning tea is a go-to for me. I love holding the warm cup in my hand and feeling that warmth as I drink. Green tea with honey and now I also add some sea moss gel.
Why do morning routines help us feel better? An effective routine can help reduce stress, which can lead to better mental health, more time to relax and less anxiety.
If you don’t already have a morning routine, here are some tips for getting started:
- Try one thing at a time. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself, so take it slow. Do not feel like you need to change your enter lifestyle all at once. It may be more about incorporating healthier habits into what you already do so that you can live a better life for yourself and for those around you.
- Make a plan. Envision what you’d like to accomplish with your morning routine. Keeping these images at the forefront can help you be more consistent.