Let’s  be real, as the mom of  three the idea of a morning ritual even on a good morning is well, just not realistic!

But, knowing the importance of a good start these are the things that help me start my day with gratitude, intention, and purpose.

It’s not always perfect, and truly its less of a ‘ritual’ than just an organic way my morning flows and habits I have to start my day with the right intentions. These habits not only impact my day, but my week, my month and my overall lifestyle goals. I teach my clients the same, the wellness, and lifestyle goals we want all start with small intentional habits.

It effects the way I show up and who I am being during my days.

And, you know what, starting every day off with things I like to do just generally makes me a happier, more authentically well and carries over in other areas of my life. Only when I take care of me and my goals can I then best go out and help others with theirs!

Here’ s a little overview of what works for me to get my day off to a good start, on a good day.

1.  GRATITUDE

I have trained my brain to immediately think of at least 3 things I am grateful for before I even open my eyes. You could call it meditation or prayer, this loose sleepy state you could even say I just take a long time to wake up. But, I lie there in silence for several minutes connecting to my Creator and myself and the very first conscious thought I try to have is gratitude. I do the same as I close my eyes at night, and I thank God for it all. I started by consciously writing the things I was grateful for down each day during when I led a little #growingratitude campaign in my wellness group last year, and it just kinda stuck!

I just used these images and practiced growing in gratitude each day by writing down new things I was grateful for, big or small!  I do recommend finding a journal you can compile your gratitude list in day to day. And know, the act of writing it down is super important! More about the benefits of an Attitude of Gratitude in this post here.

2. REFRESH

Once I am up and going I splash my face with cold water and if I’m particularly puffy that morning draw over it with a piece of ice. It’s rejuvenating, try it! You can also use a face roller- try keeping it in the fridge or freezer, along your favorite serum. I love getting the blood flowing in my face first thing.  I typically shower at night, but you can certainly refresh however works best for you.

3. SIT & BE STILL

Usually with a cup of iced coffee or hot matcha tea or lemon water. The stillness for me helps transition my mind and body from sleep to wake and because I am such an internal processor- I need this time to think. Depending what is going on some mornings I need more time than others, some mornings I don’t get this time much at all. For others the morning is a perfect time to meditate or pray and really connect to the ultimate source for inspiration, energy, peace or whatever your spirit needs.

4. INTENTIONS

Each of my mornings looks different in terms of what I need to do and where I need to be, thanks to a flexible work and kids’ schedule, but I typically start with setting clear intentions for my day. Different than a to-do list, my intentions also remain flexible. I’ve considered working and living with some more structure in my day or my life, but for now this works best for me.

I simply ask myself a couple thought provoking Qs:

• What do I want from life & what are the priorities for me to move towards that today?
• How can I best serve others/my purpose today?
• In what areas can I grow today (and how)?

The thing is, this doesn’t need to be a ‘big to-do’ in your day, the more you do it, connect with questions like this on a regular basis, the more naturally and attune you are to the answers. I have found clear intentions for my day around what is truly important to me and my values has an impact on not only how I start my day but how my day goes.

And of course, I review what immediate needs or desires have priority? Ei: appointments, school/work tasks, etc. From these questions I find one clear intention for my day, it can be as simple as a single word or a stream of thoughts but it helps me to write it down!

Then, I also add in a daily reminder that either is just something I need to remind myself of, typically an affirmation I am working to imprint, or a scripture that resonates with my day. I am such a visual person, and believe it or not you are too (your brain loves visuals!) and so writing these things down are an important part of the morning ritual that really shouldn’t be overlooked.

5. AFFIRMATIONS

In line with the daily reminder, reviewing affirmations is an important part of my morning ritual and I share more about the power of affirmations here another blog post here.

But, essentially its the daily and consistent ritual of affirmations help further imprint the things you want into your subconscious as beliefs. They are simply positive statements in the present tense that relate to what it is you want to be, do, or have and they are an important part of my personal mindset work. I just keep these written out on little notecards right next to my bed or sitting area in my room and thumb through them.

Save and download this list of affirmations you can also use as a wallpaper on your phone to look at regularly.

6. NUTRITIONAL BOOST

After my morning cup of pick-me-up, taking all my extra nutritional boosts as part of my morning ritual helps me have more energy and stamina for the day ahead. Every morning I pop 2 fruit, 2 veggie, and 2 berry concentrated capsules and chug at least 8oz water, these are and have been a staple in my life for the last 6 years. Recently I also added in a handful of tinctures and just  add them to my water cup to sip on throughout the morning.
I use Ionic Zinc, Vitamin D+K, Maca, and a variety of others designed that help keep certain vibrational paths flowing. But, more on the many benefits of those another time! For me, supporting my body nutritionally has always been important and doing so first thing in the morning is one way to make sure that I do so before the day gets away from me.

And, I have found for myself and for my clients- when you prioritize one way to nourish your body well it naturally leads to making other nourishing decisions.

 

 

7. MOVE YOUR BODY

I usually don’t get a workout in until later in the morning, whether I am teaching a class or working out with my boys.  But I do recommend some type of exercise for at least 20 minutes to get your blood pumping: yoga, sun salutations, weight-training, cardio, a long walk outside, or even dancing if that’s your thing! Getting your body moving in a purposeful way is so important, but choose something that you love and chose it because you love your body. If it’s something you enjoy doing you will also double the good-for-you endorphins while you work!

 

I’d love to hear, what morning rituals or habits help you start your day?

xo, Jacqi