How you start the day matters and having an intentional morning ritual is key. We believe that taking some time first thing in the morning to be intentional about the day ahead can completely change the flow and texture of your experience. And although we are part of a culture that “optimizes” everything to death, it can be useful to have a look at how our current morning routine might not be setting us up for success. With a few simple tweaks, you might better align your goals and values with your actions – and carry that spirit through the rest of the day! Read on for our tips on how to build a morning ritual with meaning and intention…Before You
Open Your Eyes With an Intentional Morning Ritual
How often do we start the day with scarcity? If you are anything like me, most days, I wake up thinking “shoot, I’ve overslept. I’m already late. There isn’t enough time for all the stuff I need to do today.” Before I’m even out of bed, I don’t have enough. I’m anxious. I’m on the back foot.
A simple tweak in our routine might involve giving ourselves a more loving, gentle start. It could sound like this “Aw, hey. I know we are tired today! I bet we can find time today for something sweet. If I get my work done, I’ll make time to have a manicure.” Fill in the blank to make it suit your circumstances. The main point is, go easy on yourself. Talk nicely. And don’t let your day begin with a mad inventory of how little time and energy you have.
Plug Into Something Bigger
Most 12-step fellowships advise a morning prayer and meditation practice as their choice for a morning ritual. (Wondering how to begin a meditation practice? Read how here.) If you are a believer, this might be pretty straightforward. If you are just getting started and want to try this out, I promise, it can be life-changing. It doesn’t need to be big and dramatic and take an hour. Most importantly, you are building a habit that can sustain you and one you can hopefully stick with.
When I was first sobering up, I was religious about my morning ritual of cigarette and coffee. I wouldn’t do a single thing before I had that simple morning ritual. Well, they say the surest way to build a habit is to tack it onto another habit, so I used my morning coffee and smoke to read some spiritual literature, say a few prayers, and sit quietly for five minutes. It worked! It got me in the game every morning and is now a part of my routine.
Now that I’ve got two young kids, the mornings often take off at the starting gun. Gone are the days of a leisurely coffee and smoke. Often, the most I can do is smile at the ceiling in a nod to my higher power and try to take a few deep breaths and feel my body before I get into the race. Even so, that is enough. From the moment I open my eyes, I try to remember that I am part of something bigger, guidance and intuition are available to me, and life is friendly. It changes the tone of my day.
Connect With Something Meaningful
When I remember to do this in my morning ritual, the results are measurable. While it is easy to hustle through the day reactively, and just put out whatever fire is in front of me, my tasks take on new importance when I find time to connect with my values first thing in my morning ritual. Read our article on the importance of slowing down here.
Most of us sleepwalk through our responsibilities and rarely reflect on why we are doing these things in the first place. When I wake up in the morning, I try to pause and remember what is important to me. I set an intention to lead with a value – like presence or mindfulness. Sometimes, I task myself with just being a very good breather that day. The chances are, I will show up to my life with a deeper reverence, patience, and view of the big picture. This is due to my morning ritual practices.
Now, it is worth saying that I do all of this very imperfectly. Often, the best I can do is stumble to the coffeemaker and check my phone. But when I make time for connection first thing, I tend to have a much kinder day. I feel part of the flow, and I’m a better worker, partner, mother and friend to those in my path. Simple, yet not totally easy. Worth trying though, I promise.