Making time for some quiet solitude in the morning can be so energizing, especially for an introvert like me. Maybe this post will inspire you to create your own nourishing morning routine.
I’m just getting back to my early morning ritual and it’s so good.
Even if you think you’re not a morning person it can be worth a try to get up before everyone else in the family and gift yourself some time just by yourself. I went through phases when staying in bed and cuddling with my babies was much more important than getting up (and I still love it!).
However, a few weeks ago I felt that I wanted a few extra hours for myself because I had all these new ideas and plans hatching inside me that needed a bit of solitude to be able to develop.
So I started getting up at 6 am. That gives me about 1 1/2 hours before everyone else wakes up.
What do you want your morning to look and feel like?
What would you do with this precious extra time? Here are some suggestions:
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Yoga.
Journalling.
Meditation.
Exercise.
Sitting and watching the sun rise.
Reading.
Drinking a quiet cup of coffee.
Listening to Music.
Getting some important things done.
Making a plan for the day/week.
Dreaming about the things you’d like to do.
Thinking about the things you already have, right now.
Knitting, sewing, drawing, doodling, doing whatever would give you a boost of energy for that day.
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I started with walking. Just a simple 30 min walk with our dog Rusty.
Now I walk for 45 min and I added writing morning pages. These are the two most important things for my morning time right now. I want to keep it simple and make it happen as often as possible because it gives me so much joy and energy for my day ahead.
Preparing Your Morning Routine
I’m not very good at making decisions right after waking up. So I find that it helps tremendously if I prepare a few simple things the evening before.
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I put water in the kettle.
I lay out my exercise clothes.
And I place my journal and a pen on the table.
I also try to go to sleep around 10pm and set my alarm for 6 am.
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What are the steps you could take to make it easier for you to dive right into your morning activities?
my morning routine part 1 – writing
When my alarm goes off in the kitchen I hop out of bed to turn it off, shake off the tempting thought to crawl back into bed and start my routine on autopilot.
First I switch the kettle on and then I get dressed in my exercise clothes.
By the time I come out of the bathroom the water is boiled and I pour myself a cup of hot water. Sometimes I add some lemon juice or if I feel brave a dash of apple cider vinegar.
First I get to write Morning Pages for about half an hour. I sit down, sip my hot lemon water and open up my journal. Then I pour myself out. I write without stopping for three pages.
I’ve used Morning Pages many times before and they often made me more productive later in the day.
Even if I write complete crap in my morning pages they usually get my creative juices flowing for later in the day. It’s like working my way through the mess in my brain to hopefully find a few gems somewhere.
Maybe there won’t be any gems today and that’s ok too.
Morning Pages are like a playground for my mind. Like a wild kind of nature playground with no rules and just a few boundaries. I can go anywhere to play and have adventures or relax on the swing until my time is up.
Even if I’m sleepy in the beginning and not in the mood to play I often end up somewhere new and surprising at some stage during writing.
However, there are no expectations to have great ideas or adventures, that’s part of my gift to me.
No expectations.
I can moan and complain or write “blablabla” for three pages if I want.
My morning routine part 2 – walking
Then after finishing my morning brain dump I put on my runners or walking boots and follow our excited dog out the door to hit the road.
The second gift for me is a nice long walk or sometimes a light run.
I usually walk for 45 min and often listen to an inspiring podcast or audio book along the way.
Occasionally I just walk with no distractions. I just listen to the wind and the birds trying to be present.
But I also enjoy to lose myself in thoughts and plans for the day, plotting and getting excited about the new day ahead of us.
These two practises, writing and walking, are so deeply nourishing and grounding for me.
When I come back from my walk I’m ready for the day.
I usually have a coffee and a chat with my partner and my daughter before they head off to work and school. Then I start making breakfast and wait for my boys to wake up and we’ll dive together into a new day of exploring and learning.
It’s not always easy to crawl out of my warm bed if I don’t really HAVE to do it but I see getting up early as a gift to myself.
How about you? Do you have a morning ritual? Or would you like to try it? What would you do with 1 to 2 extra hours for yourself?
try my 30 day self-care planner with a magical morning routine
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