Good Morning!

Do you have a morning routine? Is it easier said than done?

If you dip your toe into any online content about lifestyle, physical, mental or spiritual health or even good business practice, you will very soon come across well-meaning folk advocating the value of a regular morning routine. They invariably recommend getting up very early and spending time meditating, exercising (preferably outdoors), journaling, setting intentions for the day and, as a bonus, getting a load of laundry on and cleaning the bathroom.

While we’re busy raising a family, running a business or going out to work, following this sort of morning routine is a luxury that barely fits around the needs of the average household: dogs need walking, children need breakfast, teenagers won’t get out of bed, homework is lost and there's a rush for the school bus before diving into the car for the drive to work, hoping there’s enough fuel in the tank (yours and the car’s). Inevitably you will be munching a cereal bar en route and seeking a drive-thru for a triple-shot latte. Again.

Finding a quiet moment to yourself in the midst of all this, let alone a twenty minute meditation session, sounds like Nirvana itself.

Now retired and living alone I am revisiting the idea of a calm morning routine. My ‘fantasy self’ wakes daily with the sun, stretches like a cat and thanks her bed for the good night’s sleep before rising serenely and moving seamlessly into twenty minutes of mindful meditation. Next, sipping a glass of green tea or lemon water, she settles down to write her Morning Pages *, a flowing stream of consciousness which connects her to an infinite well of creativity. She then goes outside, takes deep breaths and completes her orientally-themed morning exercises, barefoot in the grass, grounding herself to the earth while simultaneously receiving energy from the sky.

Her breakfast is waiting in the fridge because she has planned ahead and prepared a small Kilner jar of organic overnight oats bursting with the goodness of fruits, nuts and seeds. But wait – she can’t eat yet because she is (of course) on an intermittent fasting regime which helps maintain her radiant health. As it is only seven o’clock she still has four hours left of her fasting window. Using this gift of time wisely, she takes out her journal and writes out her intentions for the day like an affirmation. She spends time on one of her many productive hobbies then reads and responds to all her emails.

So now let’s get real: although I might occasionally manage one or two elements of this idealised start to the day, my usual morning routine involves hitting the snooze button multiple times before carefully easing my creaky joints out of bed and assembling them in some sort of moveable order, then making my way downstairs to the Nespresso machine for a caffeine shot and a ginger nut. Oops… I was going to try intermittent fasting. Maybe tomorrow. Sigh. I peer into the dishwasher (did I run it last night?) to find my breakfast bowl. Yesterday’s laundry load glares accusingly at me through the door of the washing machine. I pause to reflect here that a good morning routine is dependent on establishing an evening routine of sorts.

In my defence, on a good day I do eat a healthy breakfast, I manage to write in my journal, I try to get outside for fresh air and I have even been known to perform a Salute to the Sun before it is too high in the sky, stiff joints permitting.

There’s no question that routines are valuable. Imagine the degree of dental distress we would suffer if we didn’t routinely brush our teeth night and morning. Does anyone ever think “I must find time to brush my teeth today, but I’m so busy – when will I fit that in, and twice as well?” Do we ever add it to our To Do list or put a reminder on our phone? No, because the routine has become a habit and we no longer have to spend mental energy on it; we literally do it without thinking. The more tasks we can get established as routines and habits, the more time we will free up for the rest of our busy lives, or better still for some of that mindful meditation and gratitude journaling.

So before going to bed tonight I will empty and shine the kitchen sink and set the breakfast table. Oats and chia seeds will be plumping up overnight in the fridge and lemons will be sliced ready to infuse my citrus water. The alarm clock will be strategically placed so the snooze button is out of reach but my pen and journal will be close by. My workout gear will be hanging on the back of the bedroom door and positive affirmations on Post It notes will smile back at me from the bathroom mirror. Oh, and the washing machine will be loaded.

Nothing about this routine is guaranteed, but one thing at least is sure: the sun will rise in the morning.

What are your tips for a great morning routine? Please share!

* Morning Pages is a daily inspiration tool created by Julia Cameron in her 1992 book The Artist’s Way.

It is widely used in the creative and business worlds.