Morning ROutine

The Power of Self-Care & Routine

The benefits of self-care are as wide as the techniques, practices and healing traditions we individually choose to use and incorporate.  Regardless of the specific tools, self-care helps to:

  • Improve and maintain physical health by reversing the ill effects of stress.
  • Boost emotional health through action that showcases that you value yourself.
  • Increase self-awareness of how you feel and what you really need.
  • Improve your energy and how you show up in the world.
  • Raise and reinforce your self-esteem.
  • Soothe your soul!

Self-care is individualistic. Everyone’s approaches self-care differently because everyone’s needs are unique.  That’s why self-care and creating a routine requires a holistic approach to support our internal needs.   All self-care routines and practices in their holistic endeavor should focus on bringing into balance our mind, body and spirit.

Creating a Self-Care Routine

If you don’t already have a routine or you need to revamp your current one, here are 4 essential tips:

Tip #1 – Keep it Simple

Think about your needs and simple ways you can enhance your health.  Remember to include the simple essentials like brushing your teeth and washing your face – yes this counts as self-care!

Tip #2 – Take it One Step at a Time

Don’t try to be Wonder Woman.  Pick one or two things at most to start with – instead of devising an entirely new routine. This will give you a chance to incorporate them into your day-to-day with success.

Tip #3 – Be Consistent

Choose self-care acts you know you can consistently practice each and every day.  This is the key to creating a lasting routine that sticks.

Tip #4. Schedule Yourself In

Get your calendar out and schedule yourself in!  Rule is, you aren’t allowed to cancel on yourself so be realistic with the time you have.

Suggestions for a Morning Self-Care Routine

 

For Your BODY

  • Rise Early & Get Moving – After a long sleep, we can feel sluggish.  That’s why starting your day with yoga or a walk can be energizing. I suggest starting with some gentle yoga to warm up and stretch your body.  Gentle yoga helps increase blood flow to the vital organs and systems.  Or you can go for a morning walk and enjoy the start of the day while connecting with nature.

 

  • Tongue Scraping – Try tongue scraping to reduce toxins from being reabsorbed when you eat or drink. Tongue scraping helps to unearth taste buds and awakening the GI tract.

 

  • Activate Your GI – In the morning, try drinking a glass of warm ginger-lemon water with some honey. The warm water stimulates the gastrointestinal system and helps keep things moving.   Lemons help remove toxins from the gut and help detoxify the liver.  Or try a glass of warm water mixed with apple cider and a splash of cinnamon to support good gut flora and stabilize blood sugars.

 

For Your MIND

  • Pranayama– To help connect inward before moving outward, practice pranayama or breath work to ground and connect with yourself. Breath work is calming to the nervous system and gives us a chance to connect with our Self before we get caught up in our day and all of its demands.

 

  • Meditate – Meditation is a great way to practice mental hygiene. The morning is an auspicious time of the day.  And it’s a perfect time to meditate before your mind begins to race with thoughts and items on your to-do list.

 

  • Mantra Chanting – Consider adding chanting to your morning routine. Mantra is the yogic practice of chanting sacred Sanskrit sounds and words with the intention of releasing empowering energy.  Studies have found that chanting for as little as 10 minutes calms your mind and body and decreases anxiety and stress.

 

For Your SPIRIT

  • Set an Intention – State your intentions for the day as part of your morning routine. You can write them down in a journal or say them out loud while you make your morning tea.

 

  • Get Inspired – Read a motivational quote, a poem or listen to a song that has meaning to you and nurtures your soul. We get inundated with information from all kinds of sources throughout our day and a lot of it is negative and uninspiring. Start your day with inspiration!

 

Creating an extensive morning routine is challenging and takes time!  Remember tip #2 and take it one step at a time.  There’s no need to overhaul your whole routine.  Instead, incorporate changes slowly.  And don’t think you have to find loads of time in the morning to benefit from self-care.  You can get a lot of benefit in just 10 or 15 minutes a day incorporating any of these suggestions!

 

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Joanne Smith (a.k.a. Joanne Freeborn) is a Transformational Wellness Leader who supports women realign their mental, physical and spiritual lives.  She educates and coaches using immersive self-healing techniques that align and transform health and wellness, while paving the path to a deeper connection with Self.

 For more information, visit: www.alignedhealingarts.ca

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