I’ve recently decided to make some changes to my morning routine. Inspired by my friend Rachel who recently cancelled her FB account because she was tired of being a slave to it, I began to think about how social media in general plays a role in my daily life. My typical weekday morning routine would usually go something like this…Brian’s alarm goes off and he gets out of bed, makes us coffee and then brings Frank and coffee to bed for a morning snuggle. All of this is great and I wouldn’t change a thing but once Brian gets up to take a shower I would invariably find myself finishing my coffee while scrolling through Facebook, instagram & CNN (the last one isn’t bad) on my phone. It dawned on me that spending this precious early morning time focusing on everybody else’s world instead of spending it in my own head space was creating a very unfocused, drained and unsettled energy in me. I really think this early morning time before you step out into the buzz of the world is sacred. I go through phases where I have had a healthier morning routine and I always notice such a difference in my life when I do.
There are three different tools I have used in the past that have always helped me connect and get centered with myself at the start of each day. There was a period I wrote “morning pages” everyday with my coffee. The basic concept is to write three longhand, stream of consciousness pages every day, first thing in the morning, no matter what. Writing these pages requires you to be honest with yourself. It’s challenging to write every day about the things that are bothering you and what’s going on. You recognize the truth about what’s working or not working in your life.
The next is reading my “I am so happy and grateful” list each morning. This list is a list of things I want to manifest in my life which I write from the present tense every few months as if they have already happened.
“I am so happy and grateful that _________”
In doing so I let myself imagine and experience these things being a reality. Writing this list also helps me get very clear about what I want my world to look and feel like rather than just letting life happen to me.
Lastly, reading a list of affirmations every morning. My current list….
nothing can upset my peace of mind unless I allow it
I am healthy, happy and hopeful with every person I meet
Everyone who comes in contact with me today will feel that there is something good and beautiful in them
I see the benefit in everything. No obstacles just opportunities
I think only about creating value
I am just as happy about the success of others as I am about my own
A “from this moment onward…” spirit in all that I do today
I give so much time to my own improvement that I have no time to criticize others
I am too strong for fear, too kind for anger, and too happy for worry
Everything changes
I’m going to aim to do all three exercises every morning but I know that If I do at least one that I will feel the difference. So I am saying goodbye to social media in the mornings and I am going to instead spend some quiet time with my head.
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What are some of your morning routines? Tools for a better head space? I’d love to hear!
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