Design Your Morning Ritual to Supercharge your Day
How we begin and end our days has an immense impact on how we feel emotionally, mentally and physically.
Bringing in moments of space throughout our day to feel grounded and balanced has a profound effect on our wellbeing – and this is amplified if we are able to top and tail our waking hours in a positive way.
In fact I believe that it is life-changing.
But I have to admit, it took me a little bit of trial and error to get there. For years, the idea of a morning routine seemed just like another thing to do – an unnecessary addition to an already busy schedule. As a mum running my own business (two businesses actually), there were plenty of excuses not to do anything for myself in the morning. Every day I seemed to be running pillar to post: rushing to get everyone washed, dressed, fed and out the door, there just wasn’t time for anything else. At least that was what I told myself.
Every now and then I would go through a phase of trying to do a few practices regularly, then would invariably end up complaining about doing them, or just giving up on them entirely. Quickly I would slip back into the unhelpful habit of checking my phone before I had even got out of bed, finding I had lost half an hour to social media and felt on the back foot for the rest of the day.
The key for me was to take the pressure off myself to create the perfect routine or ritual and instead to simply play with trying different, super-easy practices until I found a combination that suited the demands of my morning and that I really enjoyed. As I started doing these consistently they became as natural a part of my routine as brushing my teeth and getting dressed.
I finally realised that I had been doing myself a disservice not having a morning ritual. It dawned on me that whether I had a family and a business or not, it was my decision how I started my day.
I still have days when everything goes out of the window, but when I do honour my morning my days are noticeably more easeful, positive, focused and productive. It’s hard to point to anything that makes a bigger difference in my quality of life.
My invitation to you is to create a special morning ritual around the things that have meaning to you and bring you joy as you start your day. Here are just a few of my favourites to get you started.
If something doesn’t feel good after you’ve tried it a few times, try something else. Be compassionate with yourself, but don’t give up. Believe me; you’ll agree it’s worth it when you’ve found the sweet spot of practices that work for you. I’d love to hear how your morning ritual looks x
Design Your Morning Ritual
If this is new to you, I recommend starting with a commitment to just five minutes for your morning ritual. Start with something you know would like to do and that you can easily do.
Idea #1: Start Small
You don’t have to find an hour to do all the suggestions below. Simply cherry-pick a couple and build up from there. If you take on too much all at once you’re unlikely to keep it up so you won’t feel the full benefit.
Idea #2: Before your feet hit the floor
Quick question: when was the last time you joyfully bounded out of bed?
Swat away the rush of busy thoughts and to-do’s and allow your mind to start with a positive mindset.
Bring to mind 5 things that you are grateful for.
Then ask yourself “how can this day be any more amazing?” and your subconscious will begin looking for things to feel more positive about.
Idea #3: Rehydrate
Drink a large glass of water before anything else touches your lips.
Our bodies are extremely dehydrated when we wake – in fact according to research 75% of us are deeply and chronically dehydrated throughout the day, leading to fatigue, headaches, and far worse. Glugging 1 to 3 glasses of water first thing gives the body a much-needed hydration boost. You can learn more about all the benefits of drinking water in the morning here.
The benefits of adding lemon to your water is well documented – it’s proven to boost the immune system, help support liver function and improve digestion amongst other things, but fresh lemon erodes tooth enamel. I add a drop of doTERRA* essential oil instead, which gives me all the benefits of fresh lemon, without damaging my teeth.
Idea #4: Phone Free Zone
It’s so easy to get instantly sucked into the screen. And, once that happens, you can kiss your morning routine goodbye. If your phone is your alarm clock perhaps invest in an actual alarm clock and leave your phone outside your bedroom. If you’re tempted to still go on your phone, go to Idea #6 instead…
Go one step further: Don’t check your socials until you have completed one hour of productive work - do this for a week and see how much more you get done.
Idea #5 Uplift Your Senses
Essential oils are an easy and powerful way to boost your mood and focus. As a general rule of thumb, citrus and mint oils are great for uplifting one’s mood and energy. Easy ways to use them are:
Add 3-5 drops to a diffuser so others in your home can also benefit!
Pop a drop of essential oil in the palm of your hand, dilute with carrier oil (sweet almond or fractionated coconut oil), massage into your shoulders, across your chest and breathe in the aroma
Add 4 drops to the shower tub – the steam will enhance the aroma as you take an invigorating shower
I only work with doTerra oils as they are the most pure, tested oils out there (sadly, most essential oils are adulterated or contaminated). I have curated a set of five Morning Ritual Oils which you can find at the link below.
* Please only use doTERRA essential oils if you’re taking internally. They are the only oils that are tested rigorously enough to be safe, and only some are to be used in food/drinks. You can’t get these oils through Amazon, only through Wellness Advocates like myself. When you buy doTerra oils with me I personally guide you in how to use the oils effectively and safely. Please reach out to me for more info.
Idea #6 Do your Morning Pages
Free-writing (allowing thoughts to flow unedited onto the page) first thing in the morning is a powerful mental decluttering tool and helps you to start your day with a clear mind.
Once the busyness of the mind is on the page, it is far easier to be focused and less distracted by the mental chatter. Don’t worry if nothing makes sense, this is not to be read by anyone, but you may find that it becomes a creative and cathartic exercise.
Idea #7 Make Your Bed
It may be obvious, but the act of airing and then making your bed before you leave the house or begin work is an easy and satisfying way to feel as though you have already made progress in your day.
As Admiral William H. McRaven explained in a speech that would go viral – “If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride. And it will encourage you to do another task...”
Idea #8 Breathe Outside
Taking a moment to pause and breathe deeply outside not only clears out stale air from your lungs, but can recharge your system within seconds. It can boost your mood, increase your energy levels, lower your heart rate and even improve digestion. Nature is an incredible healer.
As Florence Nightingale said: “It is the unqualified result of all my experience with the sick, that second only to their need of fresh air is their need of light.”
Idea #9 Meditation and Mindfulness
There is a reason why mindfulness and meditation has been practised by different cultures for thousands of years. It has been scientifically proven to reduce stress and help counter the effects of anxiety and depression. It lowers blood pressure, strengthens the immune system and improves memory, and helps regulate mood and improves sleep.
If meditation is new to you and you don’t know where to start, there are free guided meditations online and on apps such as Insight Timer. There’s no special ‘trick’, just sit or lie in a quiet space, listen and relax.
Here’s a free 14 minute Mindfulness Body Scan Meditation to Calm Body and Mind I recorded on Insight Timer: the body scan is a simple mindfulness practice that is worth doing daily.
Idea #10 Move Your Body
Moving your body in the morning has many benefits, from increasing blood flow and oxygen to the body after a lying still overnight, to releasing endorphins which will make you feel more alert and ready to focus. Choose whatever feels good to you - whether that’s yoga, tai chi, running, swimming, dancing or simply stretching. I love mixing up a bit of qi-gong, dancing and stretching.
Idea #11 Refresh Your Body
Wim Hof, a Dutch breathwork and cold therapy pioneer, is a huge advocate for the benefits of taking cold showers (and for diving into frozen lakes and sitting in ice baths). He suggests that it can improve mood, ease symptoms of depression, reduce muscle soreness and pain, and aid metabolism. It certainly is a way to get the circulation going and to wake up!
Idea #12 Set an Intention
Setting an intention for the day ahead is something I love to do. I ask myself either while writing my morning pages or while meditation ‘how do I want to feel today’ or ‘what quality to I want to bring into my day’, the intuitive answer can sometimes be surprising, but go with it.
Set this as an intention on your phone so you are reminded of it during the day. See if you can bring that intention into whatever you’re doing at that moment.
If you enjoy these and would like some suggestions on how to bring more balance into the rest of your day you can grab my free PAUSE ON PURPOSE Guide below.