One thing I’ve learned is that routine is important. If I wake up without a plan, or daily routine, I overthink everything and then do nothing! There were a few years where my routine was wake up late, get the kids ready, take them to school, rush home, get myself ready and rush to work. This is not good for anyone, much less someone on the verge of losing it.
I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts lately and reading self care books. Across the board, they all mention a morning routine. I decided to come up with just a few steps in the morning that I would stick to no matter what, especially if I was running late. Knowing I was going to do these seven simple tasks, kept me from stressing out.
- Pick up my hair
- Brush my teeth
- Skin care (wash my face, exfoliate, tone and moisturize)
- Pamper and protect my (aging) skin with a light oil and sunscreen
- Go to the kitchen and make a morning cocktail (Ice, Water, Lemon, Pink Himalayan Sea Salt)
- Make my bed while I drink my cocktail
- Take my vitamins and my chill pills
After that, all hell breaks loose, but at least I did a few things to take care of myself, pamper myself and take care of my space. When I do these things first, instead of grabbing my phone, or staying in bed until the kids come to get me, or drinking coffee, or eating, I feel more calm and focused. I start the day doing something good for myself, something calming and cleansing. I avoid obsessing about what I should be doing, “I should get up, I should workout, I should take a shower…” or becoming anxious about not doing anything at all. I wake up with a positive plan and get started without thinking. Thinking is bad.
I read a book called “Own the day, own your life” by Aubrey Marcus that was pretty inspiring. I stole his “Morning Mineral Cocktail” and a few other tips. If your mind is overwhelmed and you need a different start to your day, check out his book. I think it’s especially great for men! https://www.onnit.com/own-the-day/
If you have something you do in the morning that works, please let me know! I still want to add some exercise, or meditation to my morning. I also need to start working on an evening routine! If you have something that works, share it!
