How to Reclaim Your Morning
October 6, 2021
A little shake up to the morning routine to ensure you are starting your day with the right mindset and movements!
Author: Hannah Hokarari - Social Ambassador for Snaffle. Click here to follow her on Instagram for more fascinating stories.
How long do you wait before looking at your phone in the morning? For most of us, not that long maybe 5minutes… Although, for many of us, an information overloaded screen is the very first thing to greet us in the morning! This is problematic for many reasons, given the first the few moments after we wake, our brains are very receptive to what they are exposed to. If we bombard them with tragic news stories or a worrisome email or text message, we are programming our brains to be fearful, anxious, and reactive throughout the day. These are no doubt very familiar feelings, right? So, ideally grace yourself at least 15 minutes or more, before looking at your phone or a screen in the morning. Just in case you are wondering what on earth will I do?! Here are some other ways to use those precious waking minutes to your best advantage and regain ownership of your morning and day!
Gifting yourself a phone free start to the day will undoubtably have you jumping for joy as well!
• Gratitude Starting the day by thinking or writing down 3-5 things you are grateful for is a powerful way to set a positive and appreciative mindset to your day. As the old saying goes, “where our attention goes our energy flows”. If we have brought to our attention all there is to be thankful for from the beginning of the day, we are more likely to perceive situations and encounters that arise through those same grateful glasses. Allowing you to move with greater ease throughout your day, and ‘transform obstacles into opportunities’.
Moments of gratitude are all around us simply waiting to bring a smile to our face or a tear of relief!
• Rehydrating We dehydrate considerably throughout the night, given we have ideally been asleep for the recommended 7-8 hours. So, rehydrating first thing is paramount to setting your body up for success. Warm water is best as it helps flush out toxins from the body and improves your blood circulation. These hydrating mugs of water can also help keep your bowels regular and ensure that morning movement gets underway before leaving the house.
Putting the saucepan onto boil for the morning hydration is the first thing we do on the road!
• Mindful Movement The morning is a poignant time to check-in with your body, notice how you are feeling, and be present to the physical and emotional needs of your body. This can be done in many ways, such as a meditation, yoga, breathing practice, or taking a walk - the key component being, to maintain your awareness in the body. Returning this focus to your body provides less attention to fuel your racing thoughts, and naturally calms down the mind. A practice you can then take with you into the day to encourage a more peaceful and productive presence.
My mindful morning movement is yoga, helping me ground in my body and calm the mind.
Hopefully some of the above has sparked an interest or intention to shake up your morning in the best way possible. Remembering our autopilot habits have been well practised over the lifetime, so try not to overwhelm yourself with too many changes. Try choosing one of the above activities to start your day with and see how that goes. It can be helpful to set an intention for your new morning routine and give yourself the best opportunity to progress by leaving that phone out of reach, preferably out of the bedroom! Wishing you all the very best embracing these magical waking moments and snaffling the challenge to reclaim your mornings :)
When we quieten our minds, the messages from our bodies are more easily reflected to us!