Try this CALMING Morning Routine to Have a Zen Start To Your Day

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

As an introvert, I find that most "Miracle Morning" instructions leave me feeling frazzled. They require a long checklist of things to do.

Here’s a simple 4-step Morning Routine that gets my day started calmly and soothingly so I can handle all that comes at me.

Feeling grounded gives me the strength to handle all the different stressors I have to deal with during the day. I can draw on my inner strength to be calm and think rationally. 

Unfortunately, many people focus on "getting stuff done" instead of building an inner strength that nourishes them during the day. Starting the morning in a calm zone feeds me better.

You need to feed yourself before you can feed others.

Maybe this is why many people struggle to have the perfect morning routine. They try what other people have suggested, but it leaves them feeling malnourished.

• They aren't listening and tuned in to their own needs

• They follow the advice of people who are different from them, perhaps extroverted or Type-A's.

• They don't realize that piling on a big list of To-Do first thing in the morning compounds their stress.

• They are constantly looking for the perfect solution and not realizing the answer is within them and not in someone else.

Try these 4 simple steps and see if you don't develop a new sense of calm in the morning that carries through the day.

Step 1: As soon as you wake up, SMILE.

I mean literally -- put a big smile on your face and hold it for a count of 20.

These small steps release positive hormones in your brain, so you feel like smiling after 20 seconds!

As soon as I wake up, I put on a big smile and hold it. I've noticed that a smile appears on my lips several times during the day, bringing back that refreshing feeling of joy.

Step 2: Massage your stomach.

Go to the bathroom first! 

Then lie down and start on your right side in your lower pelvic region.

Working in small circular motions, move up your right side, across the top (below your ribs), and down the other side. Start wide and move inward toward your belly button.

Done regularly, your stomach will loosen up, and you will begin to feel your intestines. You can feel where things get stuck. Massage these parts gently to encourage movement.

Since I started doing regular stomach massages, my overall constitution has improved with a more regular flow. 

Step 3: Meditate.

Every miracle morning routine includes some sort of meditation. Meditation is so good for you. It helps you to calm your mind.

If you don't already have a practice, I encourage you to start one. A simple way is to use Insight Timer. That app offers lots of free guided meditations, and if you have an active mind, this will help you to focus on something. As B.J. Fogg recommends, when building new habits, start small. Try 5 minutes. If that seems hard, try 2 minutes. Add a bit more time each week until you can sit calmly for 20 minutes.

Here's the ugly truth: the more challenging it is for you to sit calmly and focus, the MORE YOU NEED IT! Focus your energy on building this grounding meditation practice.

Even succeeding at 2 minutes in the beginning will make a difference for you.

Step 4: Savor a leisurely cup of tea while gazing at nature.

Photo by Tiard Schulz on Unsplash

Whatever your morning delight, enjoy the ritual of making it and sipping it while looking out at nature. If you don’t have trees to look at, you can look at a picture of trees. The goal is to change your focal point from near to distance, and trees are especially grounding. 

From there, you can get on with your day feeling nourished with a new sense of renewal. 

Start a new trend!