Yawn, Stretch, Creak | My Morning Routine
Mornings, I’ve both hated them and loved them. Even in this wishy-washy journey, or perhaps because of this wishy-washy state, I’ve grown to see the value of morning routines. While I’ve worked on figuring out my own, it seems there are books upon books about how to start your day. I’ve read some articles, had some great one on one discussions with my network of women. This is what I’ve found.
Back in my teens, mornings were one of my greatest enemies. I could have slept all day. Then, in college, I began to enjoy the peace of the morning. Watching the sunrise from my dorm window or the hood of my car looking over the mountain range was my solace and refuge. Now that I am a small business owner with the flexibility to control my schedule, I’ve flip flopped around in what works best for me. This whole routine thing can be a bit rough but, I think I’m finally figuring it out.
I had to ease my way into this morning routine. I’m used to waking up between 8am and 9am, spending time cuddling my puppies and getting ready for the day. After struggling with some depression that wants to hang around, I knew I needed to do more than just cuddle my pups to start the day off on a good note. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely adore my puppy cuddles. They just don’t aide my motivation to get out of my comfy bed and start the day.
For now, I’ve found that waking up and starting with breathing exercises and stretches between 5:30am and 6am is a peaceful awakening to the day. After that, I do a small yoga workout - with the small exception on the days of early morning portrait sessions. Then, I make sure to hydrate with water and enjoy a form of lemon water or tea, and on special occasions lavender honey and milk while I journal and cuddle my pups - a great boost for the rest of the day!
In all of this exploration, I’ve learned a fair amount of lessons. My top take aways are :
1. Listen to your body. It was created to tell us when something is working or not working.
2. Activity in the morning boosts your mental capacity to focus and keep motivated.
3. Sticking with a routine is good for your health - mental and physical.
4. Adapting your routine is okay!
5. Do things that fit your lifestyle but don’t let lifestyle be an excuse.
What I’ve tried…
Works For Me
- Journaling
- Yoga (This stays here because I think I can work this into the schedule in a more efficient way)
- Milk & Honey
- Devotions
- Bed Stretches
- Puppy Cuddles
- Goal/Intention Setting
Not My Cup of Tea
- Walks (Not in the Winter… no, nope, negative)
- Apple Cider Vinegar Shot (No…. just… no)
- Meditation (I swear this is just a way to sneak in an extra hour of sleep)
- Hot Tea