The Importance of Morning Rituals

Laying the Foundation for Rituals that Stick

Keep it sacred.

Your morning routine can set the tone for the rest of your day. By starting the day with a routine that you enjoy and find fulfilling, you are more likely to feel positive and energized throughout the day. Increases productivity: Having a consistent morning routine can help you be more productive. By starting the day with a clear plan of action, you are less likely to waste time or feel overwhelmed by the day’s tasks. Reduces stress: Knowing what to expect from your morning routine can help reduce stress and anxiety. When you have a set routine that you can rely on, you don’t have to worry about making decisions or figuring out what to do next.

Your morning routine can be an opportunity to prioritize self-care and take care of yourself. By including activities such as exercise, meditation, or journaling in your morning routine, you can start the day feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

Consistently practicing a morning routine can help you develop good habits that can carry over into other areas of your life. By prioritizing self-care, productivity, and goal-setting in your morning routine, you may find that these habits become more natural and automatic in other areas of your life as well. Overall, keeping your morning routine sacred can help you start the day on the right foot and set you up for success in other areas of your life.

Simple and Straightforward

Copy/paste the routine and try it as soon as you can. If possible, put time on your calendar to make sure that your other tasks aren’t pulling you away. Remember, your morning sets the tone for your whole day.

Your Vibe Attacks your Tribe

One of the obstacles of sticking to a morning routine is that you’re only accountable to yourself, and it’s easy to push it off when seemingly more important things come up.  Create a community of like-minded people that are also developing life-changing life rituals for more meaning. You are 65% more likely to achieve a goal if you commit to someone else you are doing it.

Customize your Rituals

After trying out your routine once, reflect on how it went. Do you want it to be shorter or longer? Did you feel high-energy the rest of the day? What would make the routine more enjoyable? Reflect, change the items in the list, and then do it all over again.

Familiarize Pleasure

Whether it’s a morning shower, your first cup of coffee, or a beautiful flower in bloom, allow the simple pleasure of these things to sink in and improve your mood.  There is a utility to this despite the fact that it seems quite Pollyanna. What will begin to happen is that your mind will become used to finding pleasure in the most simple things. 

In other words, you will be teaching your brain to familiarize pleasure. 

When the tiniest things bring you a sense of joy, the bigger things in life – a promotion, a new  business prospect, a new love – will be truly phenomenal.  Because you’ve wired your brain to notice pleasure, more and more things will make you happy, which means more and more happiness will come your way. The more you wire your brain to notice pleasure and make it familiar, the more unfamiliar your old, less happy self will become.

Allow Imperfections

This may not be perfect at first but give yourself grace and allow imperfections. The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a popular tourist attraction in Pisa, Italy, known for its distinctive lean. The tower started leaning during its construction in the 12th century due to a weak foundation and has been the subject of fascination and study for centuries.

If you’re interested in seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa because of its imperfection, you’ll be joining millions of other tourists who visit the tower each year for the same reason. The tower’s lean is a testament to human fallibility and the imperfection of even the most grandiose architectural projects.

Biological Prime Time – Know your Energy Zones

Tapping into your higher energy times, often referred to as your “peak productivity” or “peak energy” times, can greatly improve your productivity, creativity, and overall well-being. Here are some strategies to help you identify and make the most of these periods:

• Keep a productivity journal in order to note key energy levels at different times throughout the day for a week or two. You may find a pattern revealing when you are most alert and focused. These periods are your higher energy times.

• Most people have a natural ebb and flow of energy throughout the day, often linked to their circadian rhythm or internal body clock. Try to align your activities with these natural rhythms. For instance, many people experience a surge of energy in the morning and a slump in the early afternoon.

• Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and adequate sleep can also contribute to higher energy levels. Staying hydrated and taking short breaks throughout the day can also help maintain your energy.

• Once you’ve identified your higher energy periods, schedule your most important or challenging tasks for these times. You’ll be able to focus better and complete them more efficiently.

The concept of taking short, frequent breaks is grounded in the understanding that our minds and bodies can only sustain focused activity for a limited time before productivity and attentiveness begin to wane. Breaks, particularly those that incorporate physical movement, help revitalize your energy levels and mental sharpness, enhancing your overall performance.

The Pomodoro Technique, created by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, is a time management method that embodies this idea. The technique utilizes intervals of work and rest to optimize productivity and maintain a high level of mental energy. The standard structure involves working for 25 minutes, known as one “Pomodoro,” followed by a 5-minute break. After completing four Pomodoros, a longer break of 15-30 minutes is recommended.

Breaks act as a restorative pause, helping to preserve your concentration and cognitive flexibility during your peak times. This allows you to maintain a steady, sustainable pace of work, while preventing burnout and mental fatigue. Bottom of Form

Begin with a Holistic and Whole-Person Approach

The thriving dimensions are:

• Social Thriving: Social Connection, Authenticity, Empathy
• Emotional Thriving: Self-Compassion, Emotional Regulation
• Cognitive Thriving: Purpose, Cognitive Agility, Focus
• Physical Thriving: Physical Activity, Nutrition, Rest

By addressing all these aspects to our care and well-being will lead to greater success and outcomes.