Good Morning
Throughout the summer I became obsessed with creating a morning routine that made me feel happy, connected and prepared for the day ahead. After reading the 'Miracle Morning' and many trial and errors, I have finally fallen in love with my waking up ways. The greatest thing I realised was the importance of engaging in what your true soul wants you to do rather than what your mind feels you must do.
While not everyone is a morning person, (I once was most definitely not one), the good things that come with waking up early and having rituals set in place are endless. This routine isn't for everyone and maybe you have other things that you would prefer to do such as reading, working or maybe even going straight back to sleep! Comment below some activities that you like to do every morning.
Mind Over Mattress
I set my alarm for 6:45 every morning and usually check my phone for a while. If I still am not up, another alarm goes off at 6:55 when I get out of bed no matter what. It took me a while to start doing this until one day I read a technique called '3, 2, 1' which has been scientifically proven to override your thinking brain. Simply count down from three and just do it, lift your body out of bed, before your mind has time to engage and come up with excuses as to why you should sleep longer.
Gratitude
'Begin each day with a grateful heart'. The second my alarm goes off, (in my very sleepy and drowsy state), I bring to mind three things I am grateful for. It doesn't have to be anything huge, it can be something as simple as 'I am grateful for the bed I sleep on', 'I am grateful for my bleary eyes of which I get to witness this morning through', 'I am grateful for my loving family and friends'. This helps start my day on a positive and grounding note while giving out positive vibes to the universe. The more things you are grateful for, the more things the universe will give you to be grateful for; the law of attraction. To learn a bit more about how you can express gratitude you can read my blogpost 'An Attitude of Gratitude'.
Yoga
Each night before I go to sleep, I roll out my yoga mat and prepare my outfit for the next day. I step out of bed and onto my mat, facing out my window overlooking the beautiful sunrise and my handmade Buddha head (more often than not it's grey and rainy but it is still as beautiful!). The day yoga becomes a form of exercise for me is the day I know I will have to stop. For me yoga allows me to ground myself for the day ahead and mindfully tune in with my body and breath. The days I have yoga class in the evening I notice I feel more anxious and just not that great until I go to class. I do a twenty to thirty minute practice every morning but if you even connect with your inner yogi for five minutes I promise you will feel the benefits! I click shuffle on my morning yoga youtube playlist or turn on Spotify and go freestyle. Here is a great short tutorial for beginners if you would like to explore this beautiful form of relaxation and invigoration. Comment or message me if you would like see a blogpost on my yoga journey and how I believe it can help you to heal and grow.
Journaling
The days I have yoga class in the evening, I try not to do yoga in the morning so as not to overwork myself. Instead I sit in my 'cosy corner' (in my picture above) and journal. I recently read an article about a new self growth 'trend' called morning pages. Through practicing this, one writes three pages full of their overflowing inner dialogue and thoughts which are thought to be at their purest and most naturally unfiltered, (as the ego has yet to awaken), the minute you wake up. I tried this once and it amazed me beyond words, I gained insights into thoughts that I never knew I had ever even harboured. I haven't done it since but if you want to try something new and change things up I would definitely recommend it.
Affirmations
A kind lady I once met made me a beautiful list of positive affirmations which I framed and placed on my bathroom sink. Every morning when I brush my teeth and wash my face, I pick an affirmation at random and repeat it to myself. To be quite honest I don't really know if this does anything for me but so many teachers talk about the astounding advantages of daily affirmations, I guess it doesn't hurt to try!
Compassion Meditation
Self compassion is personally one of my biggest obstacles and something which I have been told I need to work on each day. Every morning I do a simple 3 minute guided compassion focused meditation before I leave the house. It helps keep me grounded before a busy day of school or work and reminds me not to be too hard on myself. It also helps foster self kindness and self love. I use an app called Aura which has different variations of meditations depending on your needs; if you want to quickly destress or a need shot of morning motivation then this app is for you.
Motivation
Usually while I am getting ready (especially on Mondays), I like to listen to podcasts or Ted Talks on youtube. My favourite speakers to listen to are Abraham Hicks, Gary Vaynerchuk, Brené Brown and also good ol' Oprah heheh. It gives me an extra bit of motivation, hope and determination to try and make each day the best day!
Usually while I am getting ready (especially on Mondays), I like to listen to podcasts or Ted Talks on youtube. My favourite speakers to listen to are Abraham Hicks, Gary Vaynerchuk, Brené Brown and also good ol' Oprah heheh. It gives me an extra bit of motivation, hope and determination to try and make each day the best day!
I hope you find something here that you can incorporate into your daily life. Please comment if you tried any of these or some morning rituals you practice to make your day! I hope you enjoyed this post, please leave any suggestions or questions below or anonymously in the 'ASK' section of my blog. Click here to subscribe to my newsletter for updates on new blog posts. Thank you so much for reading!
lots of love & peace & happiness
Lauren x
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