The Power of Routines
I’m sure you have heard all about routines - morning and evening routines have always been a thing, but to be honest with you, I think it skyrocketed in popularity after Hal Elrod published his book The Miracle Morning in 2012. The Miracle Morning dives deeply into the power of a morning routine and the massive shift (miracle, if you will) the author experienced in his life as he incorporated a daily routine with 6 components into his life.
The 6 components Elrod includes, and recommends including, into a morning routine are silence, affirmations, visualization, exercise, reading, and scribing. While I agree with each of these, my personal morning routine does not include every one of these aspects. But that’s the beauty of routines - you get to create what’s right for you.
My Routine Story
In January 2020, I decided I was going to start a morning routine so that I would have more time to myself and my business before going to a 9-5 and being completely bombarded with customers and work. My morning routine included just three things:
Journal for approximately 20 minutes (I actually ended up publishing my own gratitude journal in April of 2020 because I was tired of rewriting the structure for my daily journaling)
Read for 20 minutes (or more sometimes)
Meditate
Let me tell you something - as a woman working in a customer-based, sales position, who was also pursuing her business on the side, and a full-blown bodybuilder - it became very easy for me to lose myself and self care. This morning routine changed all of that for me. I am Type A, Enneagram 1 (w3), and by incorporating this simple routine into my day, an hour to myself in peace and quiet, my performance skyrocketed and my temper, well, mellowed. Instead of being high strung, I was able to stay “chill” A LOT longer than I usually did. My work was more efficient, productive, and resulted in more sales aka more pay.
Was it the journaling? Reading? Meditation? Silence? Routine? Self-Care of it all?
To be honest with you, I say it was a combination of all three. But the routine is the overarching umbrella of it all. I had designed a morning routine that worked for me, I did it DAILY without fail and boy did it help me become a significantly better (and richer!) version of myself.
Creating Your Routine
We all know that self-care is important, busy moms need it, entrepreneurs need it, 9-5-ers need it, CEOs, mid-level managers, literally EVERYONE needs it, but the problem is, we don’t always do it. People are busy. And there’s a tendency, especially for women, to put our needs on the back burner to put out fires for other people or help others, or raise kids.
But I want to say one thing about this: just as you must prioritize your health, you have to prioritize self-care. Self-care IS taking care of your health by filling your cup so you can fill others. And self-care doesn’t have to be a full blown spa day, self-care CAN be a morning routine. It could be 10 minutes, 30 minutes, or an hour - the key is figuring out what works for you and prioritizing this time, however large or small, so that you can feel ready to take on your day. There is no right or wrong answer as to what to include in your routine either, the key is that you select a few things that you love, that help you, and that are sustainable with your life.
Here are some great elements you could incorporate into a morning routine:
Washing your face (this is a great way to connect with yourself on a physical level by touching your skin)
Brushing your teeth
Taking a shower
Going on a walk
Doing 10 minutes of a yoga flow
Stretching
Journaling
Meditating
The key here is that you want to avoid doing things that will bombard you mentally first thing in the morning - you are waking up for the day, get your mind ready to take on what you know will come, but literally focusing only on yourself and what brings you joy in the moment.
The ritual you create for yourself is sacred, unique to you and your needs, which is exactly why it works. If you try to follow someone else’s, you may not be as connected to the meaning of it. And having a routine gives your brain a break. We are so overloaded with stimulus on a daily basis that having this time is extremely beneficial for your mental health too, a mental break, where you don’t have to tap into your limited amount of willpower and decision-making energy for the day, and simply do.
There is no doubt about the power of routines - whether morning, evening, midday, or working out, routines provide a sort of ritualistic approach to what we are doing. This is actually good for the brain - there’s a sense of stability, normalcy, and for many, self-care, and having a routine not only helps with your mental health, but can contribute to massive success.
If you need help with your journaling and gratitude, check out the Daily Love Gratitude Journal. I designed the Daily Love gratitude journal because I wanted a tool that would help me tap into gratitude, my affirmations, manifestations, help me remember daily positives and leave me space to journal. This journal will change your life - you boost your gratitude while freeing your mind of any and all thoughts - positive or negative, so that your mind is free and ready to take on the day!
