Mornings - can they be…calm?

Not a morning person? What if you could become one?

I get it. Waking up can suck especially if you have to go to work (am I right?). But what if your morning doesn’t have to be so drag-your-feet, where’s the coffee, do I have to? kinda thing. What if your morning is slow, calming, and intentional. Yup, intentional. We often hear that word but what does it actually mean? In its simplest form - it means putting thought into what you’re doing. So let’s apply that to mornings.

First, close your eyes and imagine what you would like your mornings to be. Nice and slow? Coffee and music? Movement? Once you figure this out, we are well on our way to be well intentioned.

Tip two: Evaluate how you’re actually waking up. Is it frantic because your alarm clock is loud and making your heart jump out of your chest? Or are you a snoozer? You’ll want to change this. Have an alarm that slowly gets louder and if it’s your phone, keep it away from your bedside - so yes you’ll have to get up. If that’s not an option, RESIST the temptation of looking at your phone right when you get up. Seriously, you’ll gain 30 minutes of your morning and your brain won’t start off overstimulated before it was ever ready to be. You might want to slowly start to wake up 10 minutes earlier every day until your desired wake up time. Nice and slowly wins the race - eventually your body will catch on and a habit will be formed.

Tip three: Pee, water, breathe, then coffee. Listen, I love coffee. I could probably drink it all day long if I didn’t stop myself. But here’s the thing. Your body just spent 6-8 hours in a resting state not taking in any nutrients and….. water. You’re probably starting your day off dehydrated. Do yourself a favour, drink the water as your coffee is brewing.

Tip three: Stretch. I know, I know you might not want to. But trust me 5 minutes of stretching will go alongggg way. Pair it with your music or podcast. You’ll feel refreshed and be able to tackle the day. If you’re into movement then go ahead do some yoga, running, or hit a swimming pool. And remember, we’re not looking for hours of movement. We’re talking 5 minutes.

Tip four: Make.your.bed! Chaotic room = chaotic mind.

Tip five: Begin thinking about your day BUT do not check those emails. Work boundaries please. Write down a list of tasks you want to accomplish for the day. This can be as simple as five important tasks. Be specific and place intention behind your words. Don’t just write down a task without context. Instead, make sure you put a time frame for how long it should last and what time the task should start. For example, if you have a presentation due for work the following day, one of your tasks could be to spend two hours from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. to finish up your project.

Tip six: Motivation. The feeling we crave. Sometimes, dreading getting out of bed can be a sign you’re lacking motivation. Without purpose, there may not be much of an incentive to wake up for your morning routine. Finding a motivating factor will vary for each person but think about your intent for mornings. Use that to start you off. And remember, motivation doesn’t just show up. We when “do” motivation increases.

Now I can’t promise you that this will be easy but I will say that consistently performing healthy behaviors might be the key not only to a calmer morning, but to improved mental health throughout your day. Hope this helps to make those mornings a little less painful!