Ok, let’s hop to it...life is different right now.
When I first decided to write on the topic of Mastering a Morning Routine, I was going to center the entire idea around how to be a high-functioning badass working woman who can do all things. ALL of them - she is “perfectly” balancing her career, home, relationships, gym routine, and book list all while looking fabulous and perfectly put together.
And then the world quite literally stopped in its tracks. My perfect little morning routine centered around being glamorous seemed so terribly ornate and unimportant. I could have continued to buck the system and press forward even harder pretending that “success”, production, and maintaining my perfectly put-together look was important, but thankfully I choose to (for once in my life) sit the fck down.
There is clearly a message here that is way higher and way bigger than me and if I had ignorantly kept pressing forward in my own strength I would have missed it. We are all being asked to go inside, slow down, sit with ourselves, take a look internally at just “who” exactly we are. We are so conditioned to run at high speeds, mindlessly check off boxes, jump from project to project - success to success.
We forgot we are not bigger than mother nature, we are not mightier than the will of God. We forgot who and what is important but little by little, it’s slowly coming back to us. We are reconnecting with family and friends on a deeper level - it’s not just the typical “What’s up - you’re good? Me too. Cool cool.” conversations. Now we ask how people are really doing. We are taking time to rest and restore our bodies. We are finally allowing ourselves the time to read, cook, do that household project.
My new and improved Tips for Mastering your Morning Routine are much more thoughtful and I’m certain will have a far greater impact on you than any shallow advice I had to offer before.
Get Spiritual
They say that "we must give in order to receive." Immediately after I wake up, before doing anything else, I give my time and attention to God. For how can I receive all the gifts He has in store for me throughout the day if I have not first given? This is universal law and it’s been made pretty evident in the past few weeks we can no longer buck the universe.
Please feel free to give in any way you personally see fit for yourself, but I’m going to walk you through how I give.
I use the “Bible” app to begin my day with a preselected devotional. Right now I’m working through the Un|Offendable” 10-Day Devotion. Going through these devotionals helps me feel as though the Bible isn’t so cumbersome to go through and understand on my own. I also use The Everyday Bible with commentary from Joyce Meyer. I really like the way she breaks down passages to make them easier to understand.
I hold this time and space sacred between God and myself. I do not allow anything to enter the space, as I want all my focus to be on receiving the messages I need to know. I do not answer any texts, calls, DMs - anything during this time. I focus solely on the word and on praying about any messages I need to see. If you live in a home with others, I suggest waking up at least an hour before everyone else so that you may allow yourself to experience this sacred and peaceful space.
Put Pen to Paper
I use journaling for two different reasons. First, I use it to release any incessant worry or troublesome thoughts circling my mind. It almost feels like once it’s out on paper, it’s no longer mine to carry and obsess over. And when I see it written out in plain ink, it loses a lot of the hold it had on me; I can see it’s either just an illusion or not really all that scary after all.
I also use journaling to manifest and meditate on ideas I want to bring to life, people I want to meet, the love I want, the levels I want to take my business to, etc. Seeing my hopes and dreams written down in ink really solidifies them and suddenly, they become very very real to me. I know in my heart, that I wouldn’t have conceived those ideas if I wasn’t capable of achieving them. When it comes to manifesting - the bigger the better! We have all been taught to “be realistic” and I challenge you to ask yourself, wholeheartedly, whose version of “reality” are you submitting yourself to and why? We all pick up little pieces from others along the way that form our beliefs about the world and who we are within that world.
But I ask why are you submitting yourself to a reality formed on the insecurities of others as opposed to creating a reality where you are the exact woman YOU want to be?
For me, I see myself as an incredibly loving and kind woman, who is the CEO of a very expansive business. She’s financially secure and receives unlimited amounts of love from her family and friends. I see a lot more, but you get the picture. When I write these things out as if they are already happening, I move into a state of feeling them and, oh baby, that’s where all the manifesting magic happens. Once you are able feel it and truly believe it’s real it will be brought into your world because - Like Attracts Like!
What does the woman you want to be look like? Get your pen out and let’s bring her to life! Remember - think BIG, no wish it too grand.
Meditate, Meditate, Meditate
If you know me, you know I don’t go a single day without meditating. I started toying around with meditating about three years ago to find a way to soothe the anxiety I was feeling caused by the outside world. I found that I was, in fact, causing my own anxiety because of the internal thoughts and ideas I had about the outside world. The more I focused on meditating, breathing, and focusing my attention inward, the more I came to understand just how much power and energy I had within myself.
Meditation absorbs you into the present moment. Mindful awareness comes naturally to us when we meditate, and we reach a ‘flow’ state where our mind is in complete harmony with itself. Even after I’m done meditating I notice I go through my day very infused in whatever moment I find myself in, which increases my ability to focus.
Through meditating I have learned to cultivate a presence of peace, stillness, and inspiration through conscious alignment with the universe. Want to supercharge the requests you made on paper about becoming your dream woman? Meditate and you will find yourself aligning with your desires and attracting all the goodness to you.
Please understand that meditating is much like learning to ride a bike. You’re not just going to “get it” immediately. Be patient because it takes practice. You will have intrusive thoughts, you will feel like you’re not doing it right, and it will be hard to sit still for 10-15 minutes. But rest assured, the meditating practice is like a fine wine! It only gets better with time. The important part is that you show up and try.
Recently, I came across an app called Insight Timer that I’ve found helpful. I highly highly recommend beginning with the course “Create a Conscious Morning Ritual.” I also recommend creating a meditation space that’s quiet, comfortable, and makes you feel good. I use a prayer rug, I light a candle, I burn sage or palo santo, I lay out some crystals I feel drawn to that day, and I use some essential oil that makes me feel happy. I cannot stress this part enough - It does not matter what you choose to bring into your meditation space. There is no right or wrong way to meditate. Simply choose things that are symbolic to you personally and that illicit joy within your soul.
Move
After I’ve spent my time with God and I have meditated, I get my workout or yoga in. Personally, I’m a huge advocate for A.M. activity because I don’t like going through my day with a P.M. workout hanging over my head. It gives me the chance to already feel accomplished before I start moving through my workday. I find that there are way fewer distractions in the morning and I get to continue operating in my peaceful/intentional bubble before everyone else has woken up.
If I begin my day by moving my body and increasing my heart rate I get to reap the benefits the rest of the day of having laser-like focus as mass amounts of oxygen have been carried to my brain. I feel energized and am all around in a better mood off the endorphins that were released during my workout.
Two ways I’m staying in shape while at home are:
- Tuning into my physical trainer’s virtual sessions. Check out her website here for more details.
- Participating in virtual yoga sessions here.
Drink Up!
I’m going to dedicate this simple, short, and sweet section to Cameron Diaz. I read her book The Body Book years ago (highly recommend) and now it’s ingrained in my mind just how important it is to begin your day with a glass of room temperature water. When we sleep our bodies lose a lot of water. It’s important to replenish our organs immediately after waking up to begin the day revitalized.
I hope these tips are helpful in crafting your own morning routine - feel free to share in the comments some of your fave morning rituals.
I love this so much. This really inspired me to try some of these things. I have bad anxiety and medication doesn’t help, I think meditating might help solve the overthinking going on in my head. Thank you for sharing 😍