What do your mornings look like? Do you wake up stressed, thinking about your to-do list, and immediately reach for your phone? If so, you are definitely not alone and these simple morning practice tips will help! This is common practice these days in our incredibly busy lives. This cycle of not enough sleep, too much to do, and not enough emotional support makes it pretty tough to get up extra early and spend the time on a dedicated morning routine.
But there is this magic pocket of time that exists in the morning—this window of opportunity that when taken advantage of can create a ripple effect of positive change. The ironic thing about not having the time or energy for a morning practice is that it’s the very thing that helps solve those problems.
I have been doing some version of a morning practice consistently for almost 10 years, and my clients all know how obsessed I am about the benefits of this! This is because I know that it works. I have tried a lot of different things over the years and am constantly making adjustments to my process to see what works best for me. There isn’t a one-size-fits all approach, and you don’t have to spend an hour every day to benefit. Meditation, writing and visualization are key parts of my practice, but if you’re not quite ready for that yet, here are 5 morning practice tips that take almost no time at all that will make an immediate difference in how you feel. (If you're ready to dive in more fully and learn about creating a morning practice for yourself, you can check out my e-course, Mindful Mornings.)
1. Decide the Night Before
What your morning is going to look and feel like has to be decided the night before. If you want to get up early to meditate or go for a run, that decision needs to be firmly made before you go to sleep. If not, it will be SO easy to talk yourself out of it when you wake up. You will come up with perfectly valid reasons to stay in bed rather than getting up and doing the thing that you felt so inspired to do the night before.
In addition to making that important decision, what you do before and while you are falling asleep is equally important. What content are you taking in before bed? Are you watching true crime or other cortisol and adrenaline spiking shows? What are you thinking about as you are falling asleep? All of these things impact what you will be thinking and feeling when you wake up the next day. What you fall asleep with on your mind is what you wake up with on your mind, so an excellent practice to do when you get in bed is to think about 3 good things that happened that day so you can shift your focus to appreciation. If you are someone who has a hard time getting your mind to slow down when you go to bed, try repeating a Sanskrit mantra like 'om shanti ananda' or anything that feels good to you.
2. The First Thing You Say to Yourself Matters
What are the very first thoughts on your mind when you wake up? There is a brief moment when you wake up where your mind is blank, just before the thoughts of all the things you have to do that day kick in. This very brief moment is one you want to grab hold of and be intentional with. Whether you realize it or not, when you wake up and start thinking thoughts that make you feel overwhelmed, anxious or frustrated, you are setting an intention for the day. The energy that you are broadcasting out is what you receive back, so what if the first thoughts were of gratitude? Or an affirmation that resonates with you that helps you set a positive intention for the day? This may seem insignificant, but this small shift begins to interrupt an old pattern, an old way of being, therefore allowing for the possibility of new perspectives and potentials to be realized.
3. Stay Off Your Phone
This is hands-down the most important one, and the one that people are the most resistant to. If you are someone who already struggles with anxiety, this one change will make a difference. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT lay in bed in the morning scrolling on your phone. (Like my wife does. She quite literally does the exact opposite of everything I suggest 🤦♀️😅) As you are moving from being asleep to being fully awake and alert, there is a progression of brain wave states that, ideally, you are meant to move through gradually. When you reach for your phone right away, you are asking your brain to be fully alert too quickly. Not to mention that most of what you are taking in are probably fearful headlines and people ranting on social media. Not exactly a chill start to the day. It’s really important to have tended to your own energy and find your own centre before being thrown into the fear and the chaos of the world. You know it’s there, why engage before you’ve even gotten out of bed? For the first hour of your day: no emails, news, messages, social media. I know you just lost your mind at the thought of a whole hour! But just try it. I promise that the only thing you have to lose is anxiety.
4. Drink Water
This one is pretty self explanatory and simple! When you wake up, you are dehydrated. So drink water. Before coffee. Always water before coffee. If you’re into it, lemon water is a great gentle way to help cleanse the liver and kick-start digestion. Throw a pinch of cayenne in there if you’re feeling spicy.
5. Intentional Focus
I always encourage people to spend at least a few minutes (5-10mins; more if you can) with themselves in the morning. If you have to get up a few extra minutes early so you can have this time, then do that. I promise it will be worth it. What you do with this time is up to you, but I suggest journaling, meditating or doing a visualization practice. If you’ve got a vision board or anything like that, this is an ideal time to spend a few minutes feeling into that life vision you have. Your energy creates your reality, so being intentional about where you are focusing your energy allows you to create your life on purpose, not just by default. (This piece about creating your life on purpose is a big part of my coaching and astrological work. More on that here.)
That may all sound like a lot of changes, but they actually take very little time. Start with one and then incorporate the others in as you go. If the energy you focus on in the morning sets the tone for your day, imagine how that can impact your life over time.
For more on creating a powerful morning routine, check out my e-course, Mindful Mornings.
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