Morning Rituals
Setting the tone for your day ahead can make the difference between a successful day, whatever that means for you, and an unsuccessful one. The best way to set the tone is to establish morning rituals.
Having a ritual is different than having a routine. You complete a routine to achieve something, but a ritual has a whole meaning to it.
The attitude you take towards completing certain actions is what differentiates them from being a routine or a purposeful ritual. Strictly speaking, a ritual doesn’t necessarily need to be spiritual, it could be, but most importantly it has to be meaningful to YOU. I’ve put thought into all this and personally believe that if your routine is meaningful to you, it’s valid to consider it a ritual -just like The Hair Routine.
How to create your own morning rituals?
- Determine the action. Scan and find an activity that would serve your purpose and that’s meaningful to you.
- Reserve the time. Determine how much time it will take you to complete the ritual and commit to it. You’ll probably need to wake up earlier to fit it into your day.
- Try it out and see how you feel. Maybe you’ll need to do some fixes and try out different times, but once you find the perfect fit, you’ll have a ritual for the long term.
- Consistency. If the purpose of the ritual is strong enough, then you’ll have no problem committing to it and being consistent. The most important thing is that you’re comfortable with it.
Once you realize you just CAN’T go on with your day without doing those little things you’ll know you’ve successfully created a morning ritual, and it will be precious to you.
Examples of morning rituals
Opening the curtains and windows. This is such a simple and easy task, yet it’s so energizing. Letting the sunlight and fresh air come in can “help regulate neurotransmitters that have strong effects on mood and behavior.” (PureWow, 2019).
Brushing your teeth and cleaning your tongue. Wash away all the toxins that your body released while you were sleeping.
Drink water. Some like to boil ginger tea with lemon, others like to have a glass of water with apple cider vinegar to cleanse their gut. Oxygenate your brain by drinking a large glass of water as you wake up. Both your head and your body will feel so much better.
Meditate, breathe, stretch. Do one or all of these, it’s up to you (after all this is your personal ritual). Take the time to set up the intentions for the day, connect with yourself, and be thankful for being alive. Don’t take your life for granted and you’ll notice a difference of attitude right away.
Make your bed. Accomplish something as simple as this and your mindset will unconsciously be ready to tackle the bigger challenges that await. If in the end, your day wasn’t that great, at least you’ll have a clean crisp bed to comfort you.
Brush your hair, clean your face, or prep for your day. Even if you work from home, taking that extra time to clean up and refresh yourself sends a positive message to your brain: “I LOVE MYSELF”.
