My Morning Self-Care Routine (That Sets Me Up for Success)

“When you arise in the morning,
think of what a privilege it is to be alive-
to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”
-Marcus Aurelius

Having a morning routine for myself is what helps me get my day off to a good start. I’m still playing around with what I do in the morning to accomplish this, so it is a work in progress right now. However, there are a few tasks that will need to stick because they are just that important to me. I adopted this routine by piecing together things that help me start my day off on the right foot and that’s so important to me and my goals. My life has been very chaotic the past few years, until very recently, and I was never able to set up a morning ritual that benefited me during that time. So this past summer, I started thinking about what kind of things that I could do after first waking up each day that would make me feel good and more positive and more centered.

#1: Reading my Bible. Admittedly, I don’t do this as often as I should. However, I try to remember to do it every morning and when I accomplish this, it helps me get into a better mental space. It sets the tone for the rest of the day as it helps me spend time with God and get centered with the right priorities. Right now I’m working on a “read the Bible in a year” plan that I picked up from church which doubles as a bookmark, helping me keep my place. I’ve fallen behind already but I am determined to do my best to keep up and am already noticing the difference it makes for me each day. Reading the Bible each morning reminds me that God always has a plan and is always with me.

#2: Making a to-do list or daily plan. This usually happens the night before, but sometimes won’t happen until the morning of. Either way I do it, I can still consider it a part of my “morning routine” because it is a task that helps me see all the things I need to do each day, in one organized place, which in turn helps me get more things done.

#3: Coffee! Caffeine is necessary for me most mornings in order to get me going. It helps me wake up and is just a tasty, feel good morning drink. My favorite way to drink it is with some creamer that I find delicious such as hazelnut, peppermint mocha, or anything with chocolate as I’m a total chocoholic. Coffee, coupled with a satisfying yet healthy breakfast, can also set the tone for the rest of the day. If I do it right, it makes me feel successful, healthy, and content. Some of my favorite breakfasts lately are oatmeal with banana diced and mixed in, a small cinnamon raisin bagel with a banana or oranges on the side, or Special K Protein Plus cereal. I like to make sure I get some kind of good protein and/or fiber in my breakfast because it contributes to the satisfied feeling. If I were to allow myself to eat whatever I wanted for breakfast and it wasn’t healthy, it would leave me feeling icky and cause my whole day to be off nutritionally, and I can’t have that!

#4: Watching an uplifting show/movie or browsing online for uplifting and positive posts. It helps me wake up more and set my mind up to feel positive throughout the day. If I’m careful about avoiding negative messages that may appear, this can be an invaluable tool in my morning routine. It sets the stage for a positive mindset. For example, when I’m on Facebook I focus on funny posts, Bible verses or other positive spiritual posts, and maybe even leaving positive comments on friends’ posts if I can.

#5: Exercise. This is one that is a hit or miss kind of thing for me right now, as far as mornings go, but I definitely want to work on it as I move forward. I know that when I do get a walk or something else active in during the first hour or two after I wake up, it helps me to feel refreshed and on top of my life.

#6: Writing. Since I am a writer through and through, with a lot of my working from home involving writing of some sort, getting it in soon after I get up and moving is beneficial all around. It helps me get started and feel more productive as the day begins. I need to be able to write my blogs and book(s), make notes to plan blog posts and other projects, and much more. It can be a great way to stretch my writing muscles, which is just as beneficial to me as stretching my actual muscles, each morning.

“You’ll never change your life
until you change something you do daily.
The secret of your success
is found in your daily routine.”
-John C. Maxwell

Even though I’m still working on making this into a more steady routine, it is proving good for me so far. Whenever I’m not able to perform this routine, I am more likely to be grumpy and simply feel off. It is my morning me time and is very valuable to me for that reason as well. Without it, sometimes I will feel loss and less in control. Therefore, it’s good for me all around to keep up with most, if not all, of these morning tasks.

What is your favorite part of your morning routine, or the part you can’t do without?

 

~Bonnie~

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