I’ve always been extremely curious about other people’s morning routines; I’m an anthropologist at heart. So, when Alexander Franzen’s piece dropped into my email sharing her own routine, I read, digested, and got to reflecting on my own practices.
I tend to be hard on myself and don’t often acknowledge what is already in place. I compare and look for the things I’m not doing which culminates in feeling like a messy failure. How crazy is that! But it’s human nature, so I work hard to remain aware of my thinking and behavior. I try not to look outside myself for validation, grasping at the barrage of messages that drop every minute of every day like acid raindrops on my brain. (In a step toward quitting social media entirely, I’ve moved my Insta icon to the back page, so it’s not in my face when I check my phone. It’s been effective in slowing down my usage.)
So here is a hard and honest look at my routine:
- I love my coffee. I buy organic and use filtered water. I buy organic whole fat, grass-fed milk. And I’m so done beating myself up for not: delaying an hour, drinking a glass of lemon water or getting protein in first. For God’s Sake, the health advice is never ending!!!
- I feed my body a delicious, nutritious, freshly cooked breakfast. Often, it’s steel cut oats or a zucchini, onion and egg scramble.
- Filling a large container of water is top priority no matter where I’m going or what I’m doing.
- I don’t make my bed right away. We’ve all heard about the importance of this habit. Again, I no longer choose to waste precious energy berating myself and actually believe it’s healthier to let the bed air out.
- I get out for movement and enjoy a daily rotation of tennis, yoga, Pilates and weightlifting.
- Meditation is a lofty goal. I’ve tried to make it a daily habit for years but can’t seem to stick the landing. So instead, I take meditation classes at Olli, use the Wellness Pod at Planet Fitness, practice yoga, and try to sit at different times of the day using Reiki as my vehicle into stillness.
I’d love to hear about your morning routines! What have you found is working in your favor? What are you working toward tweaking?
Connection and belonging are crucial for our well-being! We are all simply a work in progress, so let’s share with one another.
With Love, Patty