Just got back from 7 fabulous days in Portland, OR. It’s always so nice to get away for trainings to expand my knowledge. But it’s also awesome to come home and get back into my own bed & routine.
While in Portland, I really had to maximize the little bit of time I had between waking up and leaving to walk to the training venue for a full day of class since that short time was about all I had for self-care until late in the evening.
So, out of necessity, I developed a new morning routine over my stay. But some elements of that temporary morning routine came back with me to be incorporated into my regular morning routine because they made great additions.
For this week’s edition of #twothingstuesday, I’m sharing two things you can add to your morning routine (or use to create a morning routine if you don’t already have one) that’ll help make your whole day better.
(1) Sit quietly for a few minutes. Call it meditation or just sitting in silence — what you call it doesn’t matter. Just sit and breathe for 3-5 minutes while your coffee is brewing. Listen to your breath. Notice how it feels inside your body — it’s fullness, texture, quality. And understand that the goal isn’t to not get distracted (as long you have a brain in your head and you’re alive, it’s gonna happen). The goal is to follow the feeling and flow of your breath and notice all the times that your brain wanders off to start thinking — then just gently guide your brain back to its focus on your breath. Super simple.
(2) Create 3 priorities for the day. I heard a quote once that changed my life: “If you have more than 3 priorities, you have no priorities.” And it’s so true, we have a tendency to spread ourselves too thin and then can’t prioritize because we think everything is equally important to us … but it’s not. So after you’ve cleared your head by sitting quietly, sit down with your coffee or breakfast for 5 minutes and consider what are your 3 priorities for the day. Write them down so that you can come back to them any time you feel like you’re not sure what truly needs your time & attention resources throughout your day.
Do you have a morning routine? Tell me about it below!