Hi Listeer! Today post is going to talk about the morning routine, and how to build an intentional one for yourself.
When it comes to how productive and effective your day would be, this depends on those morning routines you have or observed frequently.
As the energy, we have when we first wake up remains with us until we make a conscious effort to change it and that is where a morning routine comes in!
A morning routine assists you in implementing practices that fulfil, nourish and empower you rather than drain you.
I start working on my morning routine intentionally 2 years ago, before establishing a morning ritual, my days felt completely uncertain, unsure with little to no focus. This girl got up quite early, between 5 to 7 AM, before I start chores and whenever my mind could remember.
Am not the king of being of setting alarms as a Muslim, it is important to wake up before 6 AM to perform fajr, as you can see my problem was not waking late but more waking up and having no idea when to start from, it did not seem like a problem as I have a to-do list written down the previous night.
Becoming more intentional about my life, make me realize that most of my morning is spent worrying about other people’s tasks rather than my own, which I had to stop as I couldn’t separate myself from other people’s tasks like I experienced real burnout, couldn’t think about my life, but others, and now I couldn’t imagine myself without a morning ritual as it has transformed my life, and I can’t imagine my day without it.
In 2018, I completed my NYSC, and because it was difficult to find work and my mental health was suffering, I returned to my parents to rely on them to pay my bills while cutting off all things that I believe were foolish of me to ask them to fund.
Between that, most of my mornings were spent trying to take care of the house or pretending to, while having little time for myself or the simple pleasures of life until the afternoon, by which time I was exhausted by them, and the night was never an option in a Nigerian home.
At that time I was living under their roof rent-free, so my life was not mine at the time, so I had convinced myself that my health, self-care, and overall wellness could wait because there were chores to be done and people to take care of.
Fast forward to 2019, when I discover Morning Routine on one of my adventurous YouTube journeys and begin to strategize and implement some examples of morning routines, from attempting to play a vocabulary game on my phone to sitting outside slowly sipping water despite the stare of my mother’s eyes on my back.
Head over to my Instagram page Novellisteer, cause I share my morning routine on the stories and when am not lazy as a reel.
At first, it was to see if I could find peace and tune in to the voice in my head by having some me-time, but the more intentional I was about how I spent my mornings, the more I realized my needs and what I could do to meet them. This also benefits my mental health and allows me to find peace within myself.
One thing I realized is that having a routine creates more space for you to do the things you enjoy and as someone that is still struggling to pay her bill, the morning routine allows me to wholeheartedly put myself first.
Type of Morning Routine
Energy Focused Routine
Every day, our energy shifts, and we work around that by showing up exactly as we are. Creating a morning ritual focused on your current energy level allows you to show up for yourself regardless of how you are feeling.
On days when I have a lot of energy, I might do write for 15-minute on my page, but on days when I don’t, I’ll do a 5-minute of writing. Something that had helped is figuring out which action I love to spend most of my energy on in the morning.
Having a morning routine in your life, it another tip that can help you level up. Check out this post on how to level up in 2022
The Little One Count Rule Routine
The little one count is also known as “The 5-minute and it is ideal for those who have little to no time. This rule works by allocating 5 minutes each to habits that will have the greatest impact on your growth.
There is no predetermined number of individual actions that must be completed as long as they are beneficial to your growth or development.
For me, the little one count rule is mostly used on days when I’m tired from a straight hour of sleep; this would be like 5 minutes of Yoga, Reading, Youtube, and Journaling.
As you get into a rhythm, you can gradually increase the time increments as you see fit. Practising this every morning may transform your day in ways you never believed possible, while also making self-care less of a job.
The Multi-passionate Routine
This routine is designed for multi-passionate beings, and I use it frequently because my brain is wired to be hyperactive. When you wake up, spend a few minutes breathing and focusing your energy on creating a mental roadmap of your day.
When implementing this kind of framework, focus on joining actions that do not require too much focus at once, such as listening to a podcast or Audio (Music or Book) while exercising or cleaning the house, as you can see the former requires much more energy than the latter.
The important thing to remember is that even if you are wearing multiple hats, there are still ways to feed your mind, body, and soul.
Reminder when it comes to Morning Routine.
You must understand that being busy does not excuse you from neglecting yourself.
As Nigerians, we were hardly taught how to take care of ourselves, for that reason and more; it will be extremely difficult to put ourselves first.
Remember to tell yourself that you deserve to love, spend that currency, and appreciate yourself every day!
Morning routines are not about perfection, but rather about progress! So, be gentle with yourself as you work on discovering what feels right for you.
Let Chat
- How focus are you in making the best of your morning?
- What your morning routine like?
- Has having a morning routine change or improve your life?
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