4 Simple Ways to Have a Mindful Morning
Someone famous would have undoubtedly said the famous phrase; “There’s no time like the present”. Well, whoever they were, it was one thing they got absolutely right.
Opening your eyes each morning stressing about yesterday’s problems or contemplating how you’ll tackle tomorrow’s is a horrendous cycle to be trapped in.
It’s time to explore the art of mindfulness and how anyone can improve their lives with a few minor changes.
Introduce a night routine for a more refreshed wake-up
Preparing to hit the hay at the same time every night instils an automatic reminder in your brain to do it through a routine.
Get into a habit of working through bedtime tasks in a similar fashion and order each night. For example, brushing your teeth, laying out tomorrow’s outfit, and showering might be your regime.
Also, decide when you need to wake up, factoring in a solid eight hours to your night schedule. A great sleep provides you with the best possible start to your morning.
Stop burning daylight
Start with becoming an early bird and arrange for yourself to be up and at ‘em as soon as the sun rises. If you’re used to being a night owl, begin by waking up just 15-30 mins earlier every morning until you reach your desired time.
Not only does it give you extra hours of productivity, but it provides you with a revitalised feeling you can put towards practising mindfulness.
Devise a morning regime you’ll actually enjoy
Similar to your nightly wind-down, how you begin your mornings can influence the rest of your day. Put together a plan and schedule your morning into blocks of activity – and try to include things that you want to do as well as need to.
For example, your routine might look something like this:
• Wake up with a coffee – 6.00am
• Meditate – 6.30am
• Read the paper with breakfast – 7.00am
• Take a walk around the block – 7.30am
• Take a shower – 8.00am
• Leave for work – 8.30am
Allowing plenty of time for each element of your day ensures you’re totally present and mindful about the task at hand instead of worrying about rushing into the next activity.
Take a time-out to practise mindfulness.
With the above three tips rehearsed and mastered, it’s time to learn how to focus on genuinely being mindful.
The idea is to combine each step together; adopting a consistent bedtime, waking up early, energised and practising your ability to live out what’s happening right here and now without any mental disruption.
Based on our example routine, while taking your morning walk at 7.30am, concentrate on the footpath ahead, enjoying each and every contact with your senses. The goal is to think of nothing but what’s unfolding in front of you.
Thirty minutes of mindful focus may seem impossible initially; however, constant integration of these four tips will have you viewing life from a different perspective soon enough.