Happy Tuesday, friends!
It is beautiful here in Minnesota. We have had a little heat wave of 50’s and 60’s the last few days and I am loving it! However, I’m not loving all of the mud and ice in the yard. Today we’re supposed to reach the upper 60’s and I can promise you I’ll be opening all of the windows this afternoon. If I had a clothesline outside, I would be washing the bedding and hanging it out to dry. I need to talk to my hubby about this…
Before I jump into the second part of my daily routine posts, I want to take a moment and thank all of you that stopped by my Twitch stream yesterday. I haven’t streamed consistently in about 10 months. I was surprised at how many of you stopped by and welcomed me back. All the love and support was truly amazing. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
This week, I’m going to be sharing my morning routine along with some resources I’ve used to help me along the way. I am by no means a professional at this stuff. I’m hoping my struggles and changes will inspire others.
Growing up it was always, get up, get dressed, and eat breakfast. I carried that habit through my adult life too…if I’m hungry or not. I’m eating out of habit, not because I need to. I know I need to break that loop. Mindless and emotional eating are my worst enemies. For me, it takes a lot of preparation and mental awareness to work on changing these habits. Here’s what I’m doing to make those changes. I hope it will inspire you to look at your morning routine and maybe even make a few little changes that can make a world of difference.
Tools I Use: A notebook planner. Yes, the paper kind. Yes, I know I have my phone, BUT it’s staying off the screens in the mornings that help start my day off right. I bought mine on Amazon. You can find it here.
There is a fantastic article on verywellmind.com about “Benefits of a Morning Routine”. It talks about reasons to set a routine, physical and emotional benefits, helpful strategies and creating your routine. I have based my routine on a lot of the info in that article. Most of the changes are small, but honestly, they are making a huge difference in how I physically feel, my mood and how productive I am through the day.
-verywellmind.com
“Creating a morning routine is not focused on who can accomplish the most or check off more boxes than everyone else. Instead, it is about allowing yourself to begin your day with confidence, peace, and a positive attitude.”
That article brought me to another, “Tips for Reducing Morning Anxiety.” That article is what prompted me to look at my evening routine and start making some changes and now here we are.
For many years, my morning routine was staying in bed, often on my phone scrolling through emails, Discord and social media. Then I would get out of bed, get dressed and head out to the kitchen and go into automatic pilot mode = fix coffee, breakfast and hop on my computer. Most of my days I always felt like I was trying to catch up and could never seem to get what I wanted done. I always chalked it up to my depression and anxiety being the main problem. While it can make things more difficult, I now believe my routine, or lack thereof, has been the biggest issue.
I’ve come up with a routine that works great for me. I didn’t get it 100% right off the start. I’ve made adjustments, added a few new things and removed others. Here’s what my mornings look like now.
My husband’s alarm goes off at 6am.
Practice Stillness
When I wake up, the first thing I do is the 5-minute breathing exercise with my Fitbit.
This is how I practice stillness. It is amazing how much these first 5 minutes impact my entire day. It helps me feel focused and calm. If I start off with scrolling social media and trying to take on several tasks first thing, I am a scattered mess the entire day.
Wake Up
Before I do anything else, I drink a bottle of lemon water. It’s not fancy. I add a few drops of doTerra Lemon Oil to a bottle of water and leave it on my nightstand when I go to bed. After my water, I get dressed then do a few minutes of simple stretches. Now this one might make some of you go, “No way am I doing that!” I make the bed. I have never been one to make my bed, but I added it to my routine for a few reasons. It helps me with starting my day out calm and focused and has helped with feeling calm and relaxed when I go to bed. If you’ve never been someone that makes their bed on a regular basis, I dare you…add it to your morning routine and see if you notice a difference.
The Morning Tasks
Now it’s time for my other morning tasks. Getting ready for the day! I brush my teeth and usually put my hair up in a ponytail. Ta-da! I’m good to go! Then I head out to the kitchen and give Jaina and Bella their dental chews. You have no idea how excited they get every morning when I come out of the bedroom. It’s so adorable!
This is when I would go into automatic pilot mode and fix a cup of coffee and a bowl of Cheerios. Then a bit later I would remember to drink my Super Greens and fiber. This is where the next couple of small changes will happen.
Next up, if I need to make my husband’s lunch and coffee to help him get out the door, I do that. Then, I make my glass of Super Greens and fiber. That is followed by taking my blood pressure medication, supplements and another glass of lemon water. Through all of this, I have yet to even unlock my phone. That’s right. I haven’t looked at Twitter or Instagram. I haven’t looked at emails or Discord. Doing all that first thing was setting me up for a scattered, stressed out day.
Review My Day
This is my favorite time of the morning. The house is quiet. Jaina and Bella are getting sleepy. I make a cup of coffee and sit down with my planner to review my day. I look at what crochet projects I can finish that day and what orders need to be completed. I make a quick note about how I’m feeling and what I’m looking forward to for that day. Writing something down that is positive has done wonders for my mindset. After what 2020 threw at us, so many of us have fallen into a constant doom and gloom attitude. Finding one little positive thing each day can turn that around. Now that the weather is warming up, mine will soon be sitting outside with Jaina, Bella, a crochet project, and our garden.
Pray
This is something I do because of my faith. I take time to pray for friends, family, my church, community, the teens in my small group, my husband, my son, and my own challenges. I thank God for the many blessings in our lives as well as strength and guidance for our struggles.
Time For Breakfast
After I get through my little routine, then it’s time to get fueled up for the day. Most mornings I have a bowl of Cheerios and a little cup of yogurt, or I have oatmeal with some raisins. Once summer is in full swing and I’m back to sitting outside with Jaina and Bella I’ll probably go back to a smoothie with protein powder and frozen strawberries. The important part is, I don’t go into automatic pilot mode and eat first thing in the morning. I have found that don’t get hit with the afternoon crash or want to snack on something to stay awake. It’s a huge win in breaking that loop.
That is my morning routine!
Once 8AM rolls around, I will check my emails and check in on the Discord servers I moderate as well as my own server. I usually hop on Twitch to listen to a few of my favorite streamers while I work on crochet projects. I’m always lurking somewhere! I’ll check in on social media, but I limit myself to about 20 minutes total for Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. If I cruise through quick, I don’t get pulled in. Even when I make posts, I don’t linger. I also did a purge of who and what I follow. I was getting hauled down by too much negativity. Now I keep it simple!
I really hope this post inspires you to look at your morning routine and think about what little changes you can make.
In my next post, I’ll be sharing what other things I make time for during my week such as chores, being creative (outside of commissions and orders) and learning! Until then….
Love to you all,
-Sota
- Do you have a morning routine?
- If not, do you think you will try one?
- What is one thing you’re looking forward to today?
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