What's Your Morning Routine?

“Smile in the mirror. Do that every morning and you’ll start to see a big difference in your life.” — Yoko Ono

What does your morning routine look like? Do you meditate? Do you exercise? Or do you roll over, grab your phone, and start scrolling?

I never knew how important a morning routine was pre-Covid. Everything seems to be either "pre-Covid", "then Covid hit", or "due to Covid", right? But it's true. Prior to Covid, I just woke up and did whatever felt right. Sometimes I would pray, rarely would I exercise, and then the other times I would get my scroll on. However, when the world was forced to slow down, I slowed down too. My thoughts weren't scattered and my schedule wasn't packed with busyness so a morning routine was much easier to implement.

So how do you get started?

1. Let peace be your foundation. Praying early in the morning, when it's just you and God, will set the tone for your day. I'm not saying you won't encounter aggravating folks or disruptions from unforeseen circumstances. However, what I am saying is that starting your day by welcoming peace into your space feels amazing. And if you are intentional about it, you can carry that peace on your shoulders and hopefully infect others with it.

2. Let movement be your medicine. Exercising early in the morning has tons of benefits. You'll experience increase alertness, better focus, better mood, and overall energy. Frankly, it's a great way to get it out of the way and make sure it gets done. Movement is medicine. Movement heals. Visit our video library for a low-intensity Barre workout (COMING SOON) or go for an early morning walk. Don't complicate it! If you're into high-intensity workouts, YouTube will have you burning calories in your living room forever. Just move and let movement heal your mind and body.

3. Let your mind take a breather. Social media messages, emails, text messages, and notifications. Need I say more? If you're like me, your phone doubles as your alarm clock which is not the best idea. When the alarm sounds, I roll over to turn it off but sometimes I find myself taking a "quick" look at an email or whatever I feel like I missed on Instagram overnight. Our brains are taking in information ALL DAY LONG. Think about that. It wouldn't hurt to let those messages or notifications stay unread for a few hours. The key is moderation and waiting until 9 am or so to check your emails is a great start.

How you start your day matters spiritually, physically, and mentally. The practical ideas I've shared are a part of my morning routine but yours may look totally different and that's okay. Smile in the mirror, speak affirmations, and/or drink a hot cup of coffee in silence. Tailor your routine to what you need and what brings you peace.

So tell me, what are 3 things that are a part of your morning routine that bring you peace?