I’m a not quite early bird…
I have never been a morning person. When I worked a “regular” job, I was forced to be a morning person, but since then I have gone back to my natural rhythm. When I wake up, I am not ready to go. I need some time to get going before I can have a conversation. Until recently my morning routine included making coffee, flipping through my phone and shuffling around the kitchen. Not exactly the most productive start to my day.
I recently had a conversation with a friend, the Confetti Coach, about her morning routine. She inspired me to re-think how I started my mornings. So I sat down and thought of things I wanted to do and how I wanted to feel in the morning. I recently learned the word “hygge”, pronounced hoo-ga. It is a Danish word for a sense of wellbeing, absence of frustration and savoring the present moment. This is what I wanted to feel.
Hygge
I knew I needed a relaxing routine. As much as I love to exercise, I am NOT a morning exerciser. I needed something slower….that included coffee. Here is the list I ended up with:
Coffee and then some more coffee
Get a little sunshine
Read a chapter in whichever art or business book I am reading
Stroll around my yard and garden
Journal my morning pages
Listen to a podcast or audiobook
Update my planner with my top 3 tasks
Catch any ideas or to-do’s in my Catch-all book (just a Moleskine where I keep lists)
Since I wanted this to be a relaxing routine, I allow myself to modify or reduce this list depending on what else I have going on that day. I also aim for doing this four mornings a week. I usually do more, but I didn’t want this to feel like a chore to check off a list. The purpose of the routine is to relax and enjoy my morning time.
I also make the time special. When weather allows, I do my morning routine outside on my patio. Right now I use my patio table, but I have plans to convert my son’s unused treehouse into a morning retreat. I see a comfy chair, little table and a few decorations.
So, has a new morning routine changed anything for me?
It has. I feel relaxed but also like I have accomplished something right away in the morning. It is a slow, but focused start to my day. I also feel like has a relaxed mind has allowed for more creative space in my head during the day.
Do you have a morning routine?
What do you do?