Slow Down Your Morning Routine

This is the 4th post in my Beautiful Change Challenge Series! For the past few weeks I’ve been writing 1 post per week about how you can make beautiful changes in your life. Check out the past articles:

Beautiful Change: Diet
Beautiful Change: Beauty Routine
Beautiful Change: Your Home

This one is about creating beautiful change in your mind & spirit!

One of the biggest obstacles to a peaceful, relaxed mind is stress — and how you start your day is a big contributor to the overall level of stress you’ll feel. Do you normally start your day by jumping into the shower, grabbing a coffee/breakfast on the go, and rushing to get to work? If so, this probably leads to feeling a bit frantic throughout the day.

The feeling of go-go-go can leave you stressed, depleted, and in serious need of some serenity. If you make a point to slow down a bit in the morning and create an enjoyable start to your day, it can make a huge difference in your daily happiness.

Starting your day with a peaceful mindset can lead to more positive interactions with people throughout the day, more clarity and calmness in your work activities, and an overall sense of more ease.

When I was working at a 9-5 corporate job, my peaceful morning routine was my favorite part of the day. I called it my “happy hour.” If I didn’t take that time for myself in the morning, my day felt so much more hectic! So I can really vouch for the importance of not scrambling through the morning.

Here are a few things to consider adding to your morning routine to give you a nice dose of calm. Pick and choose based on what inspires you:

• Make a cup of tea (or lemon water, coffee, whatever you like) and sit quietly as you drink it slowly, thinking positive thoughts about the day ahead
• Write in your journal (2-3 pages in the morning is usually enough for a good “brain drain” of your messy thoughts!)
• Go for a short jog or walk outside, breathe in the fresh morning air
• Do 15 minutes of your favorite yoga poses
• Make yourself breakfast and eat it while sitting down, truly take the time to enjoy it
• Write a gratitude list of all the reasons you have to be happy in your life
• Jot down a list of things you’d love to accomplish that day (make sure to include some self-care!)
• Meditate for 10 mins (set your phone alarm for 10 mins and sit quietly, focusing on your breath)
• Put on music that makes you feel good and do some gentle stretching
• Read one chapter in an inspirational book

Those are just a few ideas – feel free to incorporate your own. Yes, I understand this might mean waking up 30 mins (or more) earlier than you’re used to, but if you normally feel easily stressed out, taking time in the morning to give yourself some love is so worth it.

My challenge for you this week – pick one thing to try in the morning to slow down your routine and nourish your mind and spirit. Notice how it affects your mindset throughout the day.

What do you do in the morning to get you centered and ready for the day ahead?

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Disclosure: Compensation was provided by AVEENO® via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of AVEENO®