Morning Routine - How my morning routine helps ease my anxiety
A morning routine has been something that I have tried to implement in my life for a long time. Mostly because for me a routine means my anxiety is not trying to suffocate me as soon as I wake up. Routine keeps my anxiety on tight reins. I feel centred and more in control of my life when I carve out time for myself in those wee hours of the day.
And when I don’t. Well. My mind pays for it. Big time. I am a mess. I am unorganised. I am unhappy. I am unmotivated and unproductive. Normally during holidays or times of stress and unhappiness, I let my morning routine fall to the wayside. And then I get caught in an unhealthy loop - I am unhappy because I am not doing my morning routine, but I am too unhappy to do said morning routine.
It is not great.
As I write this, it has been weeks since I have done yoga. Before, I would do yoga for half an hour every morning. Now look at me; my body would not know a downward dog if it barked at me.
But that is okay, because it is never too late to get back to those healthy habits that you defined for yourself in the past.
You simply need to start.
Somewhere.
Tomorrow, I will do my yoga. Even if it is a morning stretch that lasts longer than 5 minutes. Perhaps, I will try and do some in-bed twists.
Why is routine good for you?
Establishing a routine is good for the mind. It helps ease anxiety, cope with stress and helps you to develop good habits. It can help you navigate your day - in a clear and calm way. Especially if you have a lot to do, it can help you calmly and methodically go through those things.
They say it takes 21 days to establish a routine.
So. Pick something you want to implement in a morning, night or day routine and try and do it for 3 weeks. Marking in a journal is a good way to monitor progress on this. If you miss a day, that is okay. You can try the next day. It is all a learning process in my opinion.
Some aspects of my routine
Journalling
I typically journal with my morning coffee, or as the kettle is boiling.
The first half of the journalling season is a brain dump. I write all the messy incoherent thoughts in my mind that I woke up with. That could be how I am feeling in that moment. It could be worries. It could be matter of fact - such as, how my sleep was. It is a free form session where I write anything.
After that I set down three frogs for the day. What do I mean by that? Well, Mark Twain said “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” In a metaphorical sense, this means do the things that are hardest first. Do the things that you have been putting off for days - first thing in the morning. I typically pick three frogs, but starting with one is a good start.
Why is journalling good for mental health?
Journalling offers the writer a chance for emotional self-catharsis.
It also lets you plainly lay bare your problems, fears, and worries. It lets you check in on how you are feeling that morning or evening. It can help you organise jumbled thoughts, make to-do lists less scary and daunting and provides a space for reflection but also some postive self-talk. It can also help you identity negative thinking patterns.
It can also help reduce stress, process stressful experiences in a healthy way and according to some studies reduce blood pressure and increase liver function.
Gratitude
The next journalling exercise I do, is one of gratitude. I write down three things that I am grateful for that morning. And if I am not journalling, I simply say them aloud. Perhaps during a sunrise. I say - I am grateful for the sun, moon and earth. Or something like that. There is a lot to be grateful for once you start looking.
Why is gratitude good for mental health?
Slowing down and identifying things in your life that you have gratitude for can lead to a more optimistic view on life. Rather than focussing on what you do not have, or what you want, you are finding things that are already present in your life that you are happy to have.
Affirmations
After gratitude I practice some affirmations. I write things down in my journal as if they have already come to pass. I am a photographer is one of my affirmations. I often suffer from imposter syndrome, where I don’t think I am good enough behind the camera, so this affirmation calms those thoughts. Another affirmation I carry out frequently is - I welcome abundance in my life. Sometimes, I worry about money. I am a freelancer. And with that comes an unpredictable income. So. I worry. But this affirmation helps me personally ease that worry. Every morning, I write that down and say it to myself.
There are so many affirmations - such as Today I CHOOSE to be happy, I am manifesting my dream life or Today is a GREAT day. There are many to pick from and choose one that works for your life and morning.
Why are affirmations good for mental health?
While postive affirmations are not some magic fix to life, they do help boost mood, reduce anxiety and for me personally, centre me for the day ahead. They are not only for times of journalling, but saying them when life gets touch - is a good way to come out of a potential mood spiralling episode.
Meditate
After I journal, I mediate. This is one of the hardest things for me to carry out in the morning. I find it hard to sit still for even one minute. But I try.
I try and do at least a five minute mediation. I find it easier to do this outside, with the birds and the trees, rather than inside with a lot of distractions.
Why is meditation good for mental health?
Well, there is a plethora of research that links mediation to improved mental health.
It is said to help with focus, improve self-esteem and self-awareness, reduce stress, and hell manage anxiety. Repeating a mantra during mediation is said to help focus your mind on that particular word and phrase rather than districting thoughts.
This Insider article discusses all these benefits along with the studies linked to them.
Read
Reading is a recent addition to my morning routine. I used to try and read a chapter before bed, but i always failed at this as I just ended up falling asleep ha.
So, I moved it to my mornings. I put aside 20 or so minutes to read. Fiction or non-fiction. I am enjoying a great fantasy book at the moment and the only hard thing is stopping at one chapter. I could stay in bed all day reading that book ha.
Why is reading good for mental health?
When I was growing up, I would bring a book to every single social event I had to go to. It was my escape. And it helped ease my social anxiety, because I could simply fall into an alternative universe or learn new facts.
Reading is said to reduce stress. According to one study, reading for 30 minutes could reduce stress the same way a yoga session could.
Reading is also an act of mindfulness. It requires your attention to be on the words you are reading and be present, rather than thinking of a million different things you need to do.
Yoga
Moving and stretching my muscles which have been stationary for so long during sleep is an important part of my morning. It gets my muscles moving and allows me to slowly ease into the day. Especially if I am doing a hike or something that morning.
I have a yoga mat stored in the van, so I simply roll it out on a piece of nearby semi-flat grass and do some outside yoga. If it is raining or I am in a carpark for the night, I normally skip this part of my routine for an another morning.
Why is yoga good for mental health?
Yoga is another practice that has you being in the present moment. You need to focus on the asana, postures, as well as your breath. There have been numerous studies that link yoga to reduced stress and anxiety as well as improving sleep.
Coffee and breakfast
I know coffee is not the most healthy option. I hear that you should drink water or hot water with lemon. Well, I am still addicted to caffeine and will always choose coffee over every other liquid.
I brew the coffee. I listen to the kettle sing and I pour steaming water into my thermos. I stir. Clockwise. Slowly. Then leave. And sit. I do not reach for my phone. I sit. And watch the steam billowing and the sights outside.
I then move on to cooking food.
Once everything is ready. I try and be in the moment as I enjoy my meal. And practice gratitude for the food.
Why is coffee and breakfast good for mental health?
Well, let’s be honest. Coffee is not good for mental health. Coffee does the opposite - it can increase your anxiety. But, I have yet to kick the habit, so here we are. I have reduced my coffee intake, to one or two cups a day. Tea or hot chocolate or chai may be a better option for those who experience anxiety.
But, the process of sipping on a hot drink is very therapeutic process. Especially with a lovely view.
Also - food is good.
Sunrise
When I can, I like to greet the day with a sunrise kiss. And by kiss, i mean I pucker my lips and blow a kiss to the universe as the sun rises above the horizon. I watch all the pretty colours light up the sky. The birds awaken and the trees sway. Perhaps I am near a mountain, and I watch the sun slowly kiss the jagged edges of this wonderful creation.
Whatever I am seeing. I am there in that present moment - seeing and absorbing such beauty.
Being around such beauty, well, it isa good way to kick off the day. I also find much solace and wisdom from simply watching nature - there is something bigger out there than the mess of my own thoughts. Watching a stream flow - makes me think that everything is constantly in motion, especially life. Watching clouds softly float overhead, calms and slows my thoughts. Listening to bird song, brings cheer to my heart. Being in nature at dawn is important for the mind. And, yeah sometimes the early starts are brutal but it is all worth it.
Why is a sunrise good for mental health?
Well. Greeting the day, has a sense of mindfulness to it. It is a very peaceful time of the day. Not many people are out and about, and a lot of the time it can be just you and nature.
It is a good time to simply sit, be quiet and soak it all in. Take a breath or two before diving into the day ahead. Etching out these quiet moments for yourself is important for your mind and sense of being.
My favorite time of the day will always be sunrise.