Stay Centered and Intentional Throughout the Day With These Helpful Morning Rituals!

Let’s face it, sometimes we can wake up on the wrong side of the bed.

There’s those days with not enough sleep, too much sleep, that one shirt you really wanted to wear seems to be missing. The world is already chaotic and it’s only 7am!

Morning rituals are a great way to help you wake up and start your day right, no matter what side of the bed you're on.

You feel a sense of accomplishment by taking actionable steps to improve your overall mental health. When your morning is filled with calm, the rest of the day could create some amazing results.

Rituals

Here are some morning rituals that really help me start the day right. I don’t always remember to do them, but when I do, I feel a sense of peace and productivity. Having that daily routine helps ease your thoughts and clears your head for the day to come.

Make the bed

Popularized in books like Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life and William H. McRaven’s Make Your Bed, making your bed first thing in the morning is a positive task that helps lock in a small and simple habit of tidiness. According to McRaven, “…If by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made.” Plus, crawling into a bed that’s made just feels better. I’m sure there’s some sort of scientific research out there to back this claim.

Morning Pages

In Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way (a book that I’ve gifted more times than any other), she suggests starting each morning by doing stream of consciousness writing for 3 pages. Don’t actively think, just write what comes to you. You might surprise yourself with the things that pop up once you read them again.

Meditate

Sit down quietly and take 5 to 10 minutes to yourself. You deserve to wake up with calm thoughts and set your day that way. With meditation, there are so many different methods and techniques to make it your own. You can begin with an affirmation or an intention and then sit quietly or even sit and think deeply about something. A guided meditation like UCLA’s recordings is also a great way to keep from getting distracted while trying to quiet your mind. The meditation possibilities are endless!

Tidy up!

I’m going to take a page out of your mom’s book here. Taking 5 to 10 minutes out of your morning to pick up is a habit that SERIOUSLY adds up. Leaving your stuff everywhere certainly seems to add up quickly, right? Negating the amount of stuff that’s not in the right place will help you clear your psyche.

Exercise

Getting the blood pumping is a lovely way to start the day. Setting goals like 20 pushups or running a mile will make you feel like the strong badass you are. Exercise also combats depression and anxiety. It releases all the feel good hormones to keep you in a great mood. Once you repeat these movements enough times, it will become habit and your body will crave it upon waking.

Morning rituals also work best if you have enough time to do them. Sorry late sleepers, this means waking up earlier to fit them in. You want to make sure you have plenty of time before running out the door to ease your mind completely. Mix it up and see how many you can fit in and assess how you feel afterwards. Reap the benefits of focus and stillness throughout the rest of the day.

I wish you a good morning!