A ritual is a set of actions performed in a predetermined order and manner, often thought to have symbolic value. Rituals are predictable and they give our lives order and structure. In addition, well thought out rituals can help us ingrain positive habits and systemize the actions which will help us lead our best life. Having a morning ritual can help us create a beneficial start to our day. Below you will find a buffet of morning activities from which you can pick and choose in order to create a morning ritual that works for you.
Get Enough Sleep. A great morning begins with getting adequate sleep the night before. Therefore, a prerequisite to planning an effective morning ritual is to take the necessary steps to get the sleep you need to function optimally. If you’re not satisfied with the quality of your sleep, read my post Sleep Extravaganza: 40 Tools, Tidbits, & Resources to Help You Conquer Sleep for ideas and recommendations. As a general rule of thumb you should go to sleep when you’re tired and wake up at roughly the same time every morning.
Don’t Hit the Snooze Button. Some people suggest that as soon as you wake up in the morning you jump out of bed as if someone had thrown a bucket of cold water on you. While that’s certainly one approach, another suggestion is that you wake up gently by giving yourself a massage as soon as you wake up. Experts do agree on the fact that should wake up as soon as the alarm goes off and refrain from having a wrestling match with the snooze button.
Get Some Light. Draw back the curtains, open the windows, and turn on the lights. Go outside if you can and turn your face toward the sun. Light will trigger your natural circadian rhythm and help get your mind going
Breakfast Of Champions. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day since it’s the first time you’ll be eating anything for a long period of time. In addition, it’s an important source of energy for your body and will give you the fuel necessary to carry out your morning activities. Healthy breakfast foods, like eggs, fruit, or bran cereal are a good source of many of the vitamins and minerals a person needs during the day. A lot of people also enjoy fruit smoothies, such as a Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie; consider adding whey protein powder to your fruit smoothie.
Coffee or Tea. You also have your choice between coffee–French Vanilla coffee, espresso, cappuccino, and so on–, and tea. Those who prefer tea have a wide array to choose from, including green tea, Early Grey Tea (black tea), and white tea, among others. Many people also enjoy drinking orange juice with their breakfast.
Meditation Practice. The morning hours are the perfect time to spend ten or fifteen minutes in silent contemplation. You can meditate, do breathing exercises, write in a journal, practice Tai Chi or QiGong, or practice yoga. In addition, sitting outside on the porch quietly with a cup of coffee can also be considered a form of meditation. Another option is taking a few minutes to read something inspirational or silently repeating to yourself a list of positive affirmations.
Exercise. If you exercise first thing in the morning you’ll be able to shake off any remaining sleepiness and you’ll get your metabolism going early in the day. In addition, it allows you to check off “exercise” on your to-do list first thing in the morning. Take your dog for a walk or step on the treadmill and jog for forty minutes. You can also go for a bike ride or for a nice, long swim. Consider doing push ups and abdominals, and remember to stretch.
Go Over Your Life Vision, Your Goals, and Your To Do List. When planning your day you need to start with the big picture in mind: you should have a written statement of what your ideal or ultimate life looks like. You should also have milestones or long-term, mid-term, and short-term goals that will allow you to move toward creating that ideal life. In addition, your short-term goals should be broken up into the smallest chunks you can think of and those small chunks should be scheduled into your day planner.
In the morning, review your vision for your ideal life, your milestones, and the schedule you have prepared for that day. Visualize yourself living your ideal life, achieving each of your goals, and going through your day successfully completing each item on your schedule.
Get in Touch with the World. Read the newspaper, scan the CNN website for the news of the day, or watch the news on television. You can even finish off reading the newspaper by going through the funnies and doing the crossword puzzle.
Music. Do you enjoy listening to music in the morning? Maybe you like to start your day by dancing around the room in your underwear with the music blaring. Instead of music, you can listen to an audio book or a podcast.
Take Vitamins. Taking a multivitamin in the morning is one way to ensure your body is getting all of the nutrients it needs.
Weigh In. A lot of people consider weighing themselves once a week to be sufficient. Those who struggle with their weight may prefer to weigh themselves every day so that they can take corrective action quickly in case the pounds are starting to creep up.
Grooming. Jump in the shower, brush your teeth, shave (men), apply body and face creams, fix your hair, apply make-up (ladies), and get dressed. You’re all set!
(“Morning Ritual”; courtesy of Spencer in Ann Arbor)
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