Getting out of bed and ready for the day can be draining, especially if you don’t have anything you look forward to. When that happens, the way you feel leaches into the rest of your day, which is why morning rituals are so important. In this article, we’ll learn how morning rituals can make your day start better, and a few different morning rituals that you can dive right into.
What Are Morning Rituals?
A morning ritual is any meaningful activity you do in the morning that helps you get started with your day. It isn’t a necessity like brushing your teeth or eating breakfast, but it makes your day better. These easy-to-do practices can even help reduce stress in the long run, as evidenced by articles on TheLiven, which can have lasting health benefits. Engaging in these little rituals can help you experience a sense of fulfillment, satisfaction, or enjoyment.
Are Morning Rituals Really That Important?
Having consistent morning rituals actually carry many benefits for you:
- They help you feel in control of your day, because you started with an activity that brings you joy and peace.
- You will feel more positive, energized, and focused.
- Certain kinds of morning rituals can help calm yourself down and reduce stress, making them even more important on the days where you have big events coming up.
- It can enhance your mental clarity. Some morning rituals will help quieten the noise in your head, which can help you concentrate and make smarter decisions throughout the day because you won’t be burdened by mental clutter.
- Following through with morning rituals can help reduce cortisol, which can then help you regulate your emotions better and handle stressful situations without panicking.
- Taking a few minutes during your morning ritual to set intentions or decide what your priorities for the day are can help you be more productive and effective with the time you have. It can also help you reduce procrastination.
How You Can Create A Morning Ritual For Yourself
Before we look into what kinds of morning rituals you can do, let’s take a look at the basics to starting a good day and how you can make your morning rituals stick:
Prioritize sleep
It’ll be pretty hard to have a good morning if you wake up sleep-deprived. If you wanna have a good start to your morning, do yourself the favor of fixing your sleep quality. You can achieve this by:
- Turning off screens an hour before bed
- Not exercising too late at night
- Dimming the lights in your home
- Establish a consistent sleep schedule
- Avoid large meals, alcohol, and caffeine close to bedtime.
Pick rituals suitable for you
A morning ritual that works for someone else doesn’t necessarily have to work for you, and vice versa. Try to design a ritual that’s meaningful to you while being practical to your timeframe. You need to curate a routine and ritual that feels good and makes sense to you.
Be consistent
Making a habit of your morning ritual can be the most difficult part of the process. This is why it’s important to start slow. If you feel like you can’t commit to your ritual every morning, try to do it for 2 or 3 days each week and build it up from there. This discipline and consistency will help you establish a meaningful morning routine that will enhance your day.
Ideas For Morning Rituals
Now that you know how to start your day right and how you can stick to morning rituals, let’s learn about a few different morning rituals you might enjoy:
Mindful Meditation
This is a type of meditation in which you’ll focus on being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the present moment, without interpretation or judgment. You can do just about any practice mindfully, but for your morning routine, it’s best to incorporate mindfulness into traditional meditation:
- Sit somewhere comfortable. This can be on the floor, on a couch, a chair, or even in bed.
- Try to focus on your breathing. Breathe slow and deep, while focusing on the sensation of air moving in and out of your body. Notice your chest rising and falling, and the change in temperature of the air you exhale.
- Notice your thoughts, but don’t cling to them. While you meditate, you will have random thoughts. Don’t ignore or suppress them. Simply observe them, acknowledge them, and let them pass on by.
- Redirect your focus: If you find yourself getting distracted, that’s okay. Observe where your mind went without judgment, and refocus on your breathing.
Journaling
Journaling is a great way to start your day. Write about dreams you’ve had, go over your goals for the day, write some gratitudes or affirmations, or simply even write anything that comes to mind. Doing this as soon as you’ve woken up lets you tap into what you’d been thinking about through the night, and helps you clear your mind for the day ahead. Remember not to judge what you’re writing, because the goal is to just clear your head and make room for new thoughts. It’s meant to be like active meditation, so use it as an opportunity to unwind and relax with no pressure about performing.
Affirmations
Taking the time to mentally repeat some affirmations or even write them down is a good way to start your day. By using positive statements that reinforce beliefs and change negative thoughts, you can improve your self-esteem, manage anxiety, and boost your motivation.
Tea At Your Balcony
Taking the time to wake up early in the day just to sit outside with some coffee or tea will do wonders for your mental state. If done mindfully, you’ll have a newfound appreciation for the world around you, and it might even become one of your most favorite parts of the day.
Yoga
Yoga improves your strength, balance, and flexibility. It’s the kind of physical exercise that isn’t too demanding, so you can do it right after you wake up. It will bring your body and mind together, and will help you start your day with renewed vigor.
Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises can be done in bed as soon as you wake up, and they’ll give you the boost you need in the morning. They also help reduce anxiety and stress, can improve your lung capacity, and can even help regulate your nervous system. Find a comfortable spot to sit, and take a few deep breaths. Focus on your breathing, and try to be consistent for results.
Conclusion
Your morning sets the stage for the rest of your day, so why take a chance? Morning rituals are the easiest way to start your day calm, collected, and relaxed, and none of these rituals take more than 5 minutes. Try sticking to a few of them for a few weeks, and you’ll wonder how you ever got through the day before.