Mindful Morning Routine: Starting the Day Right

Hi everyone! Are you ready for your mornings to get a whole lot calmer and more productive? (In a different way than you might think)? Let’s do this!

As some of you know, I am a huge advocate of mindfulness… hence my blog tagline. If you want to know why it’s so important to me, you can check out my post 3 Reasons Why ‘Live Mindfully’ is My Life Mantra. The next mindfulness theme I want to chat about is how we can be mindful from the moment our day begins in order to set ourselves up for success.

Up until a few weeks ago, I didn’t have much structure in my morning routine. I would wake up and look at my phone right away, checking my notifications, social media, or the news for a few minutes before getting up. Then I’d get ready, quickly eat something, and head out the door. Sound familiar? It’s easy to want to sleep until the last second possible, especially when our bed feels so cozy and warm. Unfortunately, doing this can mean we have to rush into the day instead of easing into it, which often leaves us feeling a bit stressed. If we take the time to slow down, be mindful, appreciate the little things, and set intentions for the day, everything seems less daunting and it becomes easier to appreciate life.

I recently switched up my AM ritual and I’ve already noticed a big difference… not only in my outlook on the day ahead but also in the actual outcome of what I accomplish that day. I’m still working on implementing the things I’m about to share – they can be hard to stick to since they differ so greatly from my old habits! But, I will say that on the days when I follow this routine, I am much more productive and in such a better mood.

So! Here’s what my mornings typically look like now…

I Give Myself Time

I used to wake up with only the exact amount of time I needed to get ready. Now, I try to give myself an extra 30-40 minutes, and I go to bed slightly earlier to make up for it. I wouldn’t recommend trying this right away – ease into it! Start by setting your alarm just 5 minutes earlier than usual and gradually push it back.

This is so difficult for me… I love pushing snooze. But whenever I get up earlier, I never ever regret it. It gives me the time I need for this routine and keeps me from scrambling to get ready.

3 Deep Breaths & Some Thankfulness

Once my alarm goes off, the very first thing I do (as I mentioned on Instagram), is take a few deep breaths and think of three things I’m thankful for. They can even be things that seem small and insignificant. I do this to try to prevent my brain from racing right away as it can do so easily, especially when it’s gonna be a busy day.

I refrain from touching my phone. So many things on social media or the news can be discouraging, and I don’t want to risk being affected by them first thing. It is SO hard, but I really try to wait to look at my phone until I’m done with this morning routine. (I’m horrible at this… breaking habits can seem impossible)!

Some Form of Meditation

After making a coffee and sitting on the couch, I choose one of my favorite guided meditation books, pictured above. I’ll link them at the end of the post! They all offer short little mediation exercises that only take 5-10 minutes. I know a lot of people like apps like Headspace, but I just know I’d get distracted if I used my phone.

Meditation and mindfulness are so closely related and so good for us – they keep us grounded and are calming for our mind. They help us see things more clearly as well as feel more peaceful, motivated, alive, and aware.

Most times I’ll also read the short message for that particular day in My Utmost for His Highest, a devotional I’ve had for a long time. It is so encouraging and comforting, and feels sort of like an additional meditation!

A Little Bit of Journaling

It’s so normal to wake up feeling overwhelmed and intimidated by the day in front of us. I’ve started journaling in the mornings as a way of getting all of my feelings out on paper… I think it prevents them from controlling my thoughts. It’s like I write all my stresses down and then I’m done with them and can move on. I try to write two pages a day – it happens pretty fast when I’m just jotting down all the things that come to mind!

I Take Care of My Body

Fueling our bodies and preparing them for the day is one of the best things we can do for ourselves in the morning!

So rewinding a little – I drink a full glass of water shortly after getting up each day. Doing this awhile before eating breakfast is supposed to be so good for you! It jumpstarts your metabolism, rehydrates your body after 8ish hours with no water, helps to stabilize your mood, flushes out toxins, and more.

Next, on some mornings, if I have time, I’ll go to hot yoga or do a quick workout before coming back to finish my morning routine. If not in the morning then I do my best to exercise at night – we all know how important it is to stay healthy physically so I don’t need to get into that one right now!

When it comes to breakfast, I typically make one of these few options:

An omelette and toast (one egg yolk, egg whites, power greens, cheese, sometimes other veggies)
Overnight oatmeal (steel cut oats, raw nuts, almond milk, chia seeds, frozen berries, almond butter, organic raw honey, stevia)
Greek yogurt (Greek yogurt, granola, frozen berries, stevia, chia seeds)

It is sooo crucial not to skip breakfast. It’s easy to just grab something fast like a bar, but our body is so much happier and can function so much better when we feed it nutritional value and substance.

With my food I also take these few vitamins: probiotic, B12, D3, and green tea extract.

& Finally, I Set Intentions

The last thing I do before doing everything else I need to do (blog stuff, packing a lunch, showering/getting ready, etc.) is set intentions for the day. I think about the kind of person I want to be… how do I want others to feel when they’re around me? What do I need/want to get done, and how can I make sure it happens? These are the types of questions I really think about. Sometimes I’ll even write down reminders or a to-do list so I can stay on track throughout the day!

A lot of times I’ll think about this in my car on the way to work – while listening to a podcast I’ve been enjoying.

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Once I started implementing these few things into my morning routine I started to feel so much happier and more peaceful. Of course I still have those mornings when I feel overwhelmed, but this routine helps keep me on track with the vision I have for myself and my life. It adds elements of structure, calmness, intention, and health to my day right from the start.

Do you have tips on what makes a successful morning? Tell me in a comment below! And please let me know if you have any questions (about my breakfasts, the books, etc.).

Thanks for reading – it means so much to have the time and effort I put into my posts appreciated!

XO Sorelle

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