3 Ways to Create a Morning Routine That Works For You!
Mornings tend to set the tone for the day. While a new decision, and next course of action can always be one muscle movement or a thought away, the way we start the day tends to have a profound impact on how things go from there. We as humans enjoy consistency, whether you self-identify as a creature of habit, or find comfort in routine and rituals you are not alone. Our therapists in DC can help.
Our therapists in DC have seen lots of different morning routines!
You’re also not alone if you currently start your day pressing snooze for the seventh time after making haphazard attempts to fall back asleep for even a few extra minutes, and scramble out of your home reaching for an on-the-go breakfast bar, while reaching for the quickest jolt of caffeine you can find. Have you considered how this frenetic and pressured energy impacts how the day unfolds?
Whether you work from home, have inconsistent hours professionally, or have no real routine and rhythm throughout the day there still can be a profound benefit to creating some consistency with your mornings. Spending those sacred morning hours going to work for you before you go to work for someone else can permeate into almost every facet of your life. So how do you go about creating this elusive morning routine that can offer some consistency as you weave through the week?
Here are three ways to create some calm where there only seems to be morning chaos, directly from our DC therapists.
Step 1: Identify What You Value About Your Mornings!
Does sleep take precedence over all else? If so, you may have a tough time forcing yourself to get up at five a.m. if you don’t need to be out of the door until nine. Does a morning walk help ground you for the day? Then, perhaps carve that time to prioritize getting those steps in before the stressors of the day take hold. Spend some time outlining what it is you value about your mornings, and schedule them in. When creating new routines it can be easier, initially, to add things in rather than take them away. Dedicate a few moments to think through how you’d spend your morning if you were setting yourself up for a wonderful day.
Not sure where to start? Consider how you spend a morning on the weekend or on vacation, what are some things you leisurely enjoy that you tend to save for special occasions. Other ideas include: journaling, breathwork, stretching, cold showers, hot showers, a meditation practice, prayer, strength training, a morning run, yoga, crossword puzzles, Wordle, reading, drawing, meal prepping, making a fresh pot of coffee or a hot cup of tea. These can all be quick and calming ways to bring a practice you value into the way you start the day.
Think first about what you value about your mornings, and how to incorporate more of what’s working for you as you consider an adaptive morning routine.
Step 2: Highlight What’s No Longer Serving You
Perhaps it’s the gut-wrenching sound of your alarm clock, or the pillows you’ve had for over ten years. Maybe it’s the sheets which make you a bit itchy, or the sun that comes beaming in too brightly in the morning. What’s no longer working for you as you ease into the day? Are you reaching directly for your phone and spending your first few conscious minutes consumed by social media, or perhaps you’re getting the cortisol rush from news stories that broke overnight?
Take a moment to consider what’s no longer serving to create a sense of peace, serenity, and calm as you begin the day. If you’re having trouble identifying what’s not quite working, think about how you spent your first ten or fifteen minutes this morning. Would you want or allow a child you love and care for to spend their first few waking moments the same way? If you wouldn’t want a toddler spending time on social media, or consuming fear-inducing news stories in their first few minutes upon waking, ask yourself why it would not be okay for them, but it is for you? Start to consider how to treat yourself like you’re someone you love in the morning.
Step 3: Give It Time
These steps may be simple, but they are not always easy. While you are considering how to optimize your time in the morning, understand that it will take time, flexibility, patience, and some grace toward yourself. If you do not feel radically different after two days of limiting screen time in the morning, that’s okay, that’s to be expected. Give yourself time to implement a morning routine that works for you, and give these habits some time to get off the ground and create lasting changes that stick.
Perfection can be the enemy of progress and getting started. There is no “perfect” way to start the day. One person may benefit greatly from a day that begins in the wee small hours of the morning. For another, anything that’s attempted before eight a.m. may be a completely fruitless endeavor. Start small, and with gradual one-degree shifts in the direction you want to go. In a world replete with constant change and flux, creating stability and consistency in the morning can be a way to anchor yourself in the day ahead.
Find what works for you, and go gently. If and when the inevitable curve ball gets thrown into the routine that’s been working so well for you, it’s okay. You can start again tomorrow. Repetition is the motherhood of habit, repeat what’s working for you, and challenge what’s no longer serving. Give yourself the gift of time, patience, and flexibility as you curate and personalize a morning routine that works for you!
Want more support? Therapists in DC can help.
The self-discovery and identity therapists at our therapy practice in Washington, DC can help you gain insight into yourself and discover what is truly important to you when establishing new routines. We are here to help guide you on this journey of self-discovery as you develop healthy routines and habits to support your mental health. Let’s get started with these steps.
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Other Therapy Services in DC
Creating new routines can make you feel anxious, and our therapists get that. So, we offer a multitude of services to support you. Our individual services include therapy for self-esteem, support for relationship challenges, and exploring identities as well as executive function support. We also offer couples therapy for those that are looking to grow in their relationships. We would love to chat with you today about the ways we can support your growth at our counseling practice serving the Washington, DC area!
