The Power of an Intentional Morning
What does your morning look like? Do you jump out of bed and race around to get ready for work? Do you hit snooze multiple times and then jump out of bed and race around to get ready for work? Do you check your phone first thing in the morning? Do you get sucked into the news and social media while eating breakfast?
Do you ever allow yourself a few minutes to check in with yourself in the morning?
When you wake up and go straight into the day, you set yourself up to react to what the day throws at you. This is playing the victim – I didn’t have time, I couldn’t wake up – notice how disempowering that language is.
When you choose how you spend the time in your morning, you set yourself up to respond well to situations and circumstances throughout the day. You have set the precedent for the day that you are in control and you get to choose how your day goes and how you show up for it.
I’ve shared before the importance of taking the first few minutes of being awake to actively visualize your day – how you want it to go, how you want to feel throughout the day, and how you want to feel at the end of the day when you review the day.
Today, I want to add to that.
I started being intentional about my mornings about 15 years ago. I was working at a job I didn’t enjoy and I wanted to claim time for myself BEFORE I went to work and gave my time to someone else. My practice has continued to evolve as I’ve discovered more and more the importance of intentional time connecting with myself.
In addition to the few minutes of visualization and gratitude, I also spend time in physical activity followed by meditation. This doesn’t have to be complicated – keep it simple, especially if you are new to it and are trying out implementing a morning practice.
Here are the 3 key elements of a powerful morning:
- Three minutes of visualization and gratitude. Picture your day, the activities you will engage in, how you desire to feel, how you want to show up, and give thanks for everything you can think of – warm water, clean water, a house, work, family, health, a fun event, etc.
- Five (or more) minutes of physical activity – stretching, walking, yoga, dance, etc. to wake up your body after its hibernation.
- Five (or more) minutes of a mindfulness practice – listen to a guided meditation, do a walking meditation, read something inspiring, write in a journal – something that allows you to quiet the mind and check in with yourself.
Start with this and then adjust as you start to experiment with what works for you. Commit to this for a week and see how you feel. When you notice you feel better when you have control over your morning and your day, you will want to keep claiming time for yourself each morning. You can then start to add more time to your physical activity and mindfulness practice if you so desire.
The key is to create a practice that works for you so that it becomes non-negotiable and it is just what you do each morning. Make it yours.
I’d love to hear from you. What do your mornings look like? Do you have a morning practice? What is your biggest barrier to starting one? What one thing can you do tomorrow morning to claim control of your morning?
Remember, everything we do is a choice. Our choices are what create our days, weeks, and years.
Choose well, my friend.
Sending you marvelous mornings,
Kori