You’re likely way more familiar with the concept of an early morning routine. Well, this isn’t a blog post encouraging you to wake up at 5 a.m. and complete a laundry list of tasks before conquering your day. For one, I don’t even wake up before the sun rises so I’m not going to suggest you try. However, I am familiar with what a slow morning looks like and want to share a few of my best tips for establishing a slow morning routine.
The first thing you need to do before you even begin considering what your slow morning routine is going to consist of is determine how you want your routine to help you create the life you want to live.
Our mornings set the tone for the day and that is why it is important to be intentional when designing a slow morning routine for yourself.
START WITH YOUR GOALS
How are you going to make the most of your mornings each day? It’s important to be mindful of what you are adding to your routine. There needs to be purpose because it will make your routine more valuable. Is your goal to spend more time alone reflecting in your journal? Maybe you want to grow with God and connect with on a more spiritual level. Have you thought more about practicing yoga, and need to make more time for it? Whatever your goal is an easy way to make sure you accomplish it is by dedicating extra time for it first thing in the morning.
spend time with jesus
LMaking time for God first thing in the morning is the most important thing I can do as a Christian. I first start by praying and thanking Him for allowing me to see another day. Sometimes I’ll spend these quite moments with a cup of coffee I made using my Keurig machine. Then I’ll grab my Daily Jesus Calling Devotional and bible. Both were gifts given to me by very special women and I keep them next to my bed. I’ll read the devotion, follow the scripture before finally writing about how what I read made me feel or ask God for understanding if it’s something I don’t fully comprehend. The bible can be confusing, and it is okay to ask God for help!
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
James 1:5
GET INSPIRED
Start your mornings off right with some inspiration. Consider creating a morning playlist as you shower. Something that will lift your spirts and get your day going as you fix your breakfast and morning cup of coffee (or drink of choice). Similarly, listening to a podcast or TED talk is great for inspiration. Anything to keep you from reaching for your phone to scroll through social media and emails. Waking up and comparing yourself to what other people are doing or jumping straight into work email is not a healthy way to start the day and is not going to motivate or inspire you.
PLAN YOUR DAY
Some people like to plan for their day the night before. If you operate that way then use your morning as an opportunity to revisit the plan you’ve created for yourself the previous night. If not, the morning is the perfect chance to collect your thoughts and think up your master plan for the day. I’ve created a free planner you can access here. Included within, is a space for your top three priorities, a section for notes to recap the day and a little space for you to record your meals. This is a bad habit of mine, but I’ll get so wrapped up into working that I’ll forget that I didn’t eat lunch. Having this by my side reminds me that I need to take a break and eat.
I hope these three tips help you start your day off on the right foot!
