There is a phrase that I love, “get back to basics”.
For me, the routine that I do every morning is precisely that, going back to basics. This helps me manage the stress and avoid getting caught in the chaotic feeling of “I have to do so much today”, then getting so overwhelmed that I end up not doing a single one of them.
My morning routine helps to ground me so as not to get lost, to be clear about my goals at the beginning of the day, to move my energy with a positive mindset and start the day with enthusiasm.
What I find important in the routine is to:
- Keep it simple: it is easier to be consistent when we start small and work up if there is energy and space for it.
- Keep it practical/useful: choose something that helps you select how your day is going to be, to focus your energy towards those goals that are most important.
- Keep it calm: choose something that supports a peaceful mind, with tools that help you cultivate that part that you have inside that manages things without activating stress mechanisms.
Everyone has their own ritual, there is no one perfect for everyone, nothing is perfect for everyone, each and every one of us is perfectly different in many aspects and that is the beauty of life! Don’t you think?
So now I am going to walk you through my morning routine! I hope reading about my rituals will help you think about which ones might be perfect for you, and hopefully inspire you to start building your ideal morning routine.
Ok, here are my steps! Generally it can last an hour and a half, but a couple of days a week I might shorten everything a bit because it’s impossible for me to do everything.
FIRST STEP:
I wake up and put on the meditation for a perfect morning by Joe Dispenza (you can find it on Spotify). During winter I usually meditate next to my infrared light but during summer I don’t usually do it. There is no specific reason why I only do it during winter days, but I notice that during summer, as I have many more hours of light, I don’t need it as much. The body speaks its needs, we just have to listen. The meditation lasts about 30 minutes, so on days when I have less time, I usually stop after 15 minutes. I’m already in a state of relaxation and with the parasympathetic nervous system activated! Ready to start the day!
Very important to note: I have a battery-powered alarm clock on my bedside table so I can leave my cell phone out of the room and avoid the temptation of touching it at night or just after waking up in the morning, which is what I used to do before. When you pick up your phone you are immediately bombarded with
other people’s lives, the stress of emails, messages. This can instantly trigger the sympathetic nervous system, which essentially disturbs our peace, and we have less say over our emotional state and mindset as we start our day.
SECOND STEP:
I go to the kitchen, I prepare an adrenal cocktail with ashwagandha and rhodiola or if I don’t feel like I need it, I drink a big glass of warm water with lemon juice and I take my dogs and we go for a walk! It is usually early in the day with sunrise.
I take the opportunity to absorb all the infrared light from the sun.
Early morning sun is so beneficial to help prepare the body for all the hormones that it will need during the day, and to restore our circadian rhythm, which in the long run helps with deeper sleep and better energy. Did you know that if you expose yourself to the first rays of the morning sun, when they are absorbed by the retina, it stimulates the stem cells of nails, skin and hair so that they grow more and healthier? So if you want to have great hair, and glowing skin and nails, try going for an early morning walk!
During the walk I still don’t touch my cell phone, no messages, no emails, no calls, I usually choose a podcast and walk quietly with my dogs that always bring me moments of happiness. As animals always live in the present, I take advantage and pay attention to their behavior and try to do the same and not think about the future or what awaits me during the day. Every time I notice that my mind is thinking about something other than the present, I pause, breathe and bring myself back to the NOW.
Another important note: If you wear contacts or glasses, take them off for the early morning sun to allow direct sunlight into the eyes. I take mine out during parts of my walk because if not I can’t see anything. This walk usually lasts between 30-40 minutes every morning.
THIRD STEP:
I grab a notebook and start writing. I write down things I’m thankful for, then I start writing down what the goals for the day are and how I want my day to flow.
Writing my goals helps me not to get lost among the many tasks I have to do. I write down all the ones I have and then I decide which are the 3 most important points of the day and I dedicate my first hours to them so that they are not pending for the next day.
Writing down the things for which I am grateful for, helps me to remember how lucky I am to be alive, and to be able to enjoy a full and privileged life. I feel grateful that I am in a position where I can contribute to the world, supporting my own happiness as well as the health and happiness of others.
Life may seem hard at times, or that it is only giving you negative experiences, but when you write down the reasons why you are grateful, you begin to see the positive part and do not focus only on the negative. That makes your energy expand and the positivity that you emanate is so great that you attract even more to be grateful for.
FOURTH STEP:
Dry brushing to move the lymphatic system, and shower that starts normally and ends with cold water. I use dry brushing to finish mobilizing the lymph, which is the liquid that circulates the toxins that we no longer need, but since it does not have its own movement, it needs the body to have movement so that it can cleanse itself well. With my walking routine I’m already moving it but when I finish with the dry brushing it definitely helps me to move it.
The cold water shower activates my immune system to be prepared to be resilient against the stressors that will come during the day and thus be able to have good control over malignant cells, pathogens that can affect me and also give me extra energy that will be great to start the day!
You can do this last step as you wish, it can be so fast that in 5 minutes you are out, or you can take it easy and spend about 10-15 minutes quietly, it all depends on the time you have that day.
And you, are you ready to start?