Greeting the Day

posted in: Mindfulness | 1

Each morning is a new opportunity. We can create a day that nourishes us, or we can meet it with anxiety or dread. The choice is yours.

When we first awaken, that moment when we first open our eyes for the day, sets our day in motion. It can lay the groundwork for the entire day until you go back to bed. And while mornings can be a busy time for many, taking those first moments will help you be more productive, less anxious, and more calm throughout the day.

So what does the beginning of your day look like? What happens when you first open your eyes? How do you spend the first hour or so of your morning? Do you spend it checking your phone, answering text messages and emails?

Even on those days when you wake up on the “wrong side of the bed” – perhaps you didn’t sleep well, or you had a bad dream, or you dreading a task you have to tackle today – your morning rituals will help to turn that around. Take this morning for instance.

While my sleep has improved over the past several months, thanks to the Stellar sleep app, I still have sleepless nights on occasion, and last night was one of them. I tossed and turned and finally decided it was time to get up. Not the best way to enter the day. And I have a ritual that usually sets me back on course. It involves stretching and tea and greeting the daylight and spending a few moments with my cats, and I can usually count on it to bring me right.

There are many ways to work morning rituals into your routine. Here are a few to get you started:

Begin with the breath
Start before you even get out of bed. As soon as you open your eyes, or something before you rise, take a few nice, deep, cleansing breaths. There is much information available about the power of intentional breathing. It can energize you, reduce stress and increase your focus. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy, just breathe in deeply through your nose and out completely through your nose or mouth.

Set an intention for the day
You can even do this the night before as you are drifting off to sleep, and then just repeat it in the morning. Setting you intention gives you focus and helps you to achieve your goals.

Delay technology
If you start looking at emails or text messages, that often leads you down a rabbit hole and disrupts your plans. Give it an hour or so before you begin logging screen time.

Drink a glass of room temperature water
Your body needs replenishing after 8+ hours without water. Begin that rehydration process immediately.

Prepare some tea
I find the process of preparing my morning tea a ritual in itself. The process repeated every morning brings order to my day. When it’s done, I get to relax in front of a big picture window to greet the morning.

Move gently
Yoga or stretching helps get the body going in a gentle way. Try Sun Salutation yoga in any variation to help with flexibility, mobility, strength and balance.

Meditate/pray
Nourish your spirit. You don’t need to spend a great amount of time on this. Even five minutes helps start your day.

Read or listen to music
If you choose wisely, both music and books reduce anxiety and enhance mental alertness and memory.

Find an outside sitspot
Morning light wakes up your body and sets your body in motion for a better night’s sleep. If the weather won’t allow it, sit in front of a large window to greet the sun. Use this time to just sit in quiet.

Plan your day
Set goals and block out your time. That can help prevent those interruptions or distractions from hijacking your day. Be sure to build in some time for self-care.

Just setting aside a half hour to an hour to start your day will help start your day on the right foot. What are some of your morning rituals?

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