A powerful morning routine is one that nurtures the body, mind, and spirit. I called mine, “A Mindful Morning.” As you know, I’m on a mission, bringing together the spiritual practices I’ve studied and implemented for years with principles of neuroscience that I’m researching right now.
Many experts, successful entrepreneurs, and business owners agree on the subject and advocate the benefits of a solid morning routine. To tell you the truth, last year, after all the challenging experiences I went through recovering from third-degree burns, dealing with a divorce, and other family challenges, I totally fell off the wagon.
But you know what they say, it’s not about the fall but about the rise. So encouraged by one of my mentors, I’ve set the goal to commit to a daily morning routine. Although, I know the facts, seeing the results first hand has been a game changer. I am more focused, my energy levels are more consistent throughout the day and I am more productive. Al of this has allowed me to shorten my work days considerably as well.
For that reason, I want to invite you to establish or go back to following a morning routine. I’m sharing mine but, please, design one that resonates with you and fits your particular needs.
At a glance, my morning routine includes:
- Mindfulness (being in the present moment, experiencing what is without judgment)
- Movement
- Journaling/goal-setting
- Mindful Eating.
The order and length of time may change from day to day depending on my choice for movement. The days I don’t go to a hot yoga class (a 90-minute class,) I simply do mindful movement at home for 10 to 15 minutes. This usually happens on the days my son is at home and I need to help him get ready for school. On these days, I only dedicate 20 to 30 minutes to my morning routine because that’s as much as I can fit in.
For gratitude journaling and goal setting, I have a neat template my mentor kindly shared with me and I’d be happy to forward to you (with his permission) if you’d like to integrate it in your morning routine. Research studies in the field of Positive Psychology suggest that we would benefit from focusing our attention on our little achievements rather than focusing on what we didn’t accomplish. Reflecting on people and things that we’re grateful for improves mood, well-being, and brain performance.
There is a lot more I need to cover regarding mindful movement and eating but I will share it next week along with some neuroscience facts so you can keep going with your day.
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