I did NOT want to get up this morning! I’m really not a fan of the cold, dark, rainy mornings. I am designed for warmer, sunnier climates! I did it though. I was up at 5am, I did a 4.5k run, 30 minutes of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation and got myself ready for the day. By the time I woke the boys up, I was happy, breezy, positive and patient. I have done this now for 9 days straight which I’m so proud of.
When I wrote my book, my morning routine was so structured. It was solid! This last year and a bit, it’s been a bit hit and miss, especially as I’d injured my ankle and couldn’t run. I’ve dabbled in other exercises but nothing stuck like the running. I’ve realised my whole morning routine centres around the running. Running is simple and takes the least amount of thinking and effort. I find that it’s the best way to start the day - it’s mentally and physically challenging so I start the day feeling proud that I’ve achieved something; it gets my blood pumping and allows me space to listen to audiobooks and podcasts to feed my mind.
It got me thinking about how important it is for me to start the day positively. Here are some tips to help you to create your own magical mornings…
🌟 Give yourself time – Get up early enough so that you are not rushing around. I get up at 5am so that I have 1 ½ hours to do my thing before the boys get up. You should create enough time to get yourself set up for the day, in a calm manner. It can take a few days to adjust your sleep cycle so try setting your alarm 10 minutes earlier each day for a week to see how that feels. Make sure you’re not burning the candle at both ends, so if you’re getting up earlier, make sure you are going to bed a little earlier. After a week or two, your body will adjust (I promise!). I know if can feel tough to start with but persevere! I wake up just before my alarm now, just before 5am. I always thought that we needed 8 hours sleep to feel great. The truth is, it is so individual and more about the quality rather than the quantity. 6 ½ to 7 hours a night is definitely my sweet spot. A brilliant book to read is 5am Club by Robin Sharma.
🌟 Just get up! – Once your alarm goes off, DO NOT ROLL OVER! The trick is to jump out of bed as soon as it goes off. If you give yourself even a few seconds, the voice in your head will kick in and tell you all the reasons why you don’t need to get up. It’ll convince you that you’ll exercise later, which you know you won’t. Mel Robbins, author of the ‘5 Second Rule’ talks about how counting down from 54321 can help you to get up and start the day.
🌟 Limit the obstacles and the amount of decisions you need to make – This is why I love running as I can literally roll out of bed and within a few minutes, I’m on the road before my mind has had chance to wake up properly. Getting in the car to drive to the gym just feels like too much for me first thing. There’s too many steps to consider and things to remember. I get my running clothes ready the night before and sometimes sleep in them so I can LITERALLY roll out of bed and get going! All it takes is a minor setback like not being able to find my running bra and that’s it, the voice has kicked in telling me it’s too cold and listing the million reasons why I don’t need to go. Make sure you’ve get everything sorted the night before to eliminate the obstacles.
🌟 Move – Running is my thing but it might not be yours. Make sure you are doing something physical. Ideally you’d do something that gets your blood pumping first thing but doing some lovely yoga or stretching in the morning is just as good. Just do something! Start off small. Maybe as your waiting for the kettle to boil, do 10 squats and 10 star jumps. Dr Rangan Chatterjee, author of ‘The 5 Pillar Plan’ and ‘The Stress Solution’, recommends doing a small workout in your kitchen, while you’re wearing your pjs to limit the time and equipment you need.
🌟 Meditate – I hear a lot of people saying that they can’t meditate and it’s not for them. The truth is anyone can meditate, you just need to find what works. Meditation doesn’t have to be sitting in silence, cross legged. You could just simply sit still and mindfully listen to a song, picking out the different instruments you can hear or repeating a simple mantra to yourself, like ‘I am calm’ or just counting your breaths. Again, you don’t need to do it for long, just do it 60 seconds to start with and then gradually build it up. This is exercise for your brain! Just practice bringing your mind back to the present moment rather than the job list or thing you have to do in the future. I love to meditate after I come back from my run as it just fits and feels right.
🌟 Eliminate the micro-stresses – To start your day off as positively as possible, try to think ahead and eliminate as many little stresses as possible. For example, getting your clothes ready the night before, making your lunch, nipping to the shop to get some milk for your morning cereal rather than rushing to get it in the morning or even worse, going without your breakfast. Dr Rangan Chatterjee talks about how all of these micro stresses quickly add up throughout the day. The calmer your morning, the calmer you day, as you’ll have more space in your brain to deal with the challenges as they arise.
🌟 Fuel your body with the good stuff – I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know here but it’s always good to be reminded. Your body has been fasting all night and has used a lot of energy while you sleep. It’s important that you hydrate and refuel. Try drinking a pint of water before you do anything else in the morning. Anthony William, the Medical Medium, advocates drinking lemon water first thing as it’s great to shift toxins, followed by a big glass of celery juice. I LOVE a morning celery juice. Celery was the only veg that I didn’t like until I did my first detox - it’s still not my favourite thing to drink but it’s so refreshing. I feel like I am filling my body with pure goodness! Even if you do no other than have breakfast and a small drink, make sure you have something. Your body can’t run on empty, the same as your car couldn’t run without fuel.
🌟 Fill your mind – use this time to fill your mind with the good stuff. Listen to podcasts, read something uplifting. Use this time for good rather than going straight on your phone and checking your social media or emails. They can wait. Get yourself sorted first and everything else will fall into place.
I think it’s important that you create your own routine – something that works for you and fits in around your family and commitments.
🤔What would you need to include in your morning to make it magical? 🤔
If you need help…
…getting yourself back on track
…putting yourself first
…building and maintaining healthy habits
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Have fun creating your own healthy routines and sparkly, magical mornings 😊
Have a magical week, you beautiful people 🌈💜🎉
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