3 Ways to set Yourself up for a Peaceful Day
When I was living in Bali, I was working closely with a Traditional Chinese Medical practitioner, he was helping me to regulate my nervous system and clear out anxiety and panic attacks.
I remember in one of our sessions, I was telling him how despite the work we were doing, and my diligence in my evening routine and food, I was still feeling a lot of anxiety during the day. I was getting anxiety over the anxiety…mostly with the re-occurring thought of, “Will this ever get better?” I was practically in tears telling him about my recent struggles when he asked…
“How’s your morning routine?”
I paused and thought about it … at the time I didn’t have much of a morning routine like I’d had in past years. I woke up when I wanted to, piddled around the house mostly, and wound up watching YouTube or quickly jumping into work right after a coffee…
He said, “Well there’s your problem, you don’t have a nourishing morning routine to set your mind for the day.”
We discussed my options and I went home to begin a more nourishing morning routine. I knew myself well enough and had been working for myself long enough to KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that…
If I wasn’t nourishing myself mind, body, and spirit first thing in the morning, then my day would be extra and unnecessarily tense. It took this meeting with the TCM practitioner to remind me that my morning routine had slipped through the cracks and it was showing.
It occurred to me that I hadn’t been practicing my morning yoga that I’d done for over 10 years, nor my morning reading, or anything really past sitting on the porch without my phone.
Is your current morning routine nourishing you mind, body, & spirit?
Does it support you throughout your day?
Mine most certainly was not!
So I got back into some things I knew I enjoyed and tried a few more that have lasted the past few years … here are THREE of my top “Go-To’s” for a solid morning.
First, brushing your teeth as soon as you get out of bed, is a surprisingly nourishing morning routine! You can read more about it in this blog post, however, as a reminder here…your body detoxes throughout the night. Many of those toxins go into the mouth, when you brush your teeth first thing you do is remove the toxins.
However, if you brush your teeth after eating, exercising, etc. then you are recirculating the old toxins back into the body to be re-absorbed for a 2nd time; which will cause more stress and anxiety throughout the day.
Second, meditation combined with deep breathing. Breathing deeply helps to open the airways more, letting more oxygen into the lungs, awakening the body, calming the nervous system, getting the digestion going, and calming the mind … the benefits of slow, deep breathing are endless.
When combined with a meditation of sorts it will work wonders for your mind and body as you go about your day.
Meditation can be anything that feels good for you; sitting on the porch watching birds, standing in the yard barefoot to ground, listening to a guided meditation, or just closing your eyes and focusing on your breath.
Third, movement! Getting some type of movement is so helpful for the mind and body … You’re opening up the vessels for more blood to flow, removing stagnant energy, draining the lymph nodes, and promoting happy endorphins in the body.
Your movement is what you make it. It may be a routine class or cardio, jumping on the trampoline, walking, yoga, dancing, etc. Move! Have fun with it and allow it to release tension from the body.
Bonus 4th way to provide yourself with a more peaceful day …
Mantra or decision in your mind.
The mind goes on repeat with what it knows. If you wake up daily expecting to be stressed, then that’s what the mind will go to automatically throughout your day. However, if you wake up and choose, “I’m going to make the best of the day today.” or “I’m choosing to be happy today”.
Whatever phrase works for you, choose it as soon as your eyes open. OWN IT! Let a smile cross your face as you repeat it to yourself while doing everything listed above. You’d be surprised how much different your days will be just by the end of the week.
Explore what can work for you, perhaps my suggestions or something else entirely.
Wake up a little bit early in order to make some of these or other options happen as many days in a row as you can, consistency is key when shifting the energy in your body.
Give your mind, body, & spirit the best nourishment that you can every day, allow yourself to cater just to you during this time. Remember there is no “right way” to have a nourishing routine, it will be what works best for you. The only “wrong way” is to do nothing at all.
Early morning secret:
Coffee or caffeine first thing in the morning will disrupt anything else you do, increasing anxiety … try to keep caffeine at a minimum or at the very least after your morning routine and after food.
Have fun creating a morning routine that works for you!
Want to share your favourite thing to do? Let us know in the comments below.