The idea of waking up 20 minutes before you normally do might make you want to vomit, but what if I told you your morning routine could have the power to change your life… For the better?
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It’s Monday.
You wake up, rubbing the sleep out of your eye as you shut off your alarm. You glance at your phone, seeing the date. It’s the day of the huge presentation your team is giving – the one you’re leading.
Your nerves feel like ice in your body, freezing into an uncomfortable ball in the pit of your stomach. You grab your phone to try and distract yourself by scrolling through social media, but before you know it, you’ve spent half an hour obsessing over what other people are doing with their lives.
READ MORE: 9 Things You’re Doing In Your Sleep That Signal A Bigger Health Problem
Rushing to get ready for work, you throw on whatever you can find that looks clean, and burn yourself with boiling coffee as you try to rush it down your throat. You’re so worked up by the time you get to the office, that you realise you forgot your notes at home and you’ll have to wing your presentation – which starts in 20 minutes.
Great way to start your day, hey. A day that could have a huge impact on your future. Where you could shine, showing your CEO what a bad-ass boss babe you truly are.
What if there was a way you could easily have a say in the way your day goes?
It’s called a morning routine.
And it’s one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself. Every successful person on the planet has one – from Tony Robbins, to Gabby Bernstein and Oprah. If you want to live a good life, you’ve got to have a good morning.
First of all, don’t worry. You don’t need to get up at 4:00am and meditate for an hour straight, nor do you have to do anything that you don’t enjoy. The whole point of an a.m. ritual is to get you feeling good, so you can carry that energy into whatever you’ve got coming.
READ MORE: Can You Make Yourself A Morning Person?
Morning rituals give you time to be with yourself (and not on social media), to get clear on your own goals and the kind of day you want to have, before you go out into the world and give your energy to everyone else.
Things to include in your badass morning routine:
1/ A gratitude practice
List out the things, people and experiences that you’re grateful to have in your life.
“I am grateful for a good sleep!”
“I am grateful for my friends who make me laugh!”
“I am grateful for my car, because it helps me get to work!”
There are always things to be grateful for, and starting your day with this practice helps you to feel happier about your life, without changing a thing.
2/ Affirmations
Affirmations are a great way to train your brain – they help you to craft new beliefs, which help you live a more empowered life. These bad boys help to thwart negative thoughts, like, I’m not good enough… I’m not pretty enough… I’m not experienced enough.
Using affirmations is like feeding yourself better thoughts, which will help you to feel happier. The best affirmations are positive, and are filled with feel-good words.
READ MORE: How To Create A Morning Routine You’ll Actually Stick To
“I am worthy and deserving of all that I desire.”
“Today is a good day, and this is a good morning!”
“I expect miracles!”
“I am blessed in every way!”
“I was born good enough!”
“I am open to receive!”
By writing down two to three affirmations as part of your morning ritual, and repeating them throughout your day, you’ll notice yourself starting to believe them more and more!
3/ Write your to-do list in a high-vibe way
Here’s where you get to be creative. Traditional to-do lists often bring feelings of stress into your life, and that’s not what we’re here for.
Use the following prompt to easily create a new kind of list. It’s important to always add why you want to do something, to give yourself the motivation you might lack later on.
“Today would be amazing if I got to ________, because_______”
- Finish my report, so I’ve got heaps of free time this weekend.
- Book the dog for her check-up, so I can focus on other stuff.
- Smash my workout, so I can feel amazing!
This is an easy way to create a to-do list, but in a way that actually feels good.
READ MORE: “I Asked My Therapist What The Heck Self-Love Actually Means”
4/ Move your body, baby
Moving your body as part of your a.m. ritual is one of the best things you can do to create an epic day. You don’t have to run 5km or even leave the house, though. My fave thing to do is put on whatever song I’m feeling at the moment and dance! It might feel weird at first, but allowing yourself a safe space to whip out all of your fave moves can be magic. It leaves you feeling good, full of energy, and like you’re ready to face whatever comes.
5/ Step away from the phone…
The most important thing about your morning though, is to make sure you leave your phone alone. Challenge yourself – for just 20 minutes, every morning – to go without it. Social media, WhatsApp, emails and texts won’t go anywhere… But your good energy will.
If you take the time to put yourself first in the morning, just imagine where else in your life you could do this too? If a few minutes of focused time every morning could help you live a better life… isn’t it worth at least trying?
Jacqui Sive is a South African entrepreneur who travels the world full-time, running her personal development business from anywhere with good WiFi.
