Simple Morning Routines to Start Your Day with Purpose

How often do you groan when the alarm goes off? You hit the snooze button, and repeat until it’s absolutely essential you must get up. Now you’re running late, grab a coffee, stagger out of the door still yawning, skip breakfast and start the day feeling rushed and resentful?

Or perhaps you begin your day scrolling through emails and social media before you even get out of bed, so your mind is distracted from the get-go.

There are some simple things you can do to start the day calmly, mindfully and purposefully before you reach for your cell phone. Try these three routines to get your day off to a better start.

Breathe

Breathe mindfully and connect to your inner self

Before you get out of bed, before you even open your eyes, take a few moments to focus your breathing and connect deeply to your inner self.

Take three long deep breaths through your nose, gently and slowly breathing out through your mouth. Then return your breath to its normal pattern, noticing the breath, and the rise and fall of your chest and belly as you breathe.

Intention

Bring to mind your intention for the day

How do you want to feel? What state of mind will support you best? How will you choose to connect with others? Resolve to check in with your intention during the day and adjust your mindset and behaviour accordingly.

What impact do you want to have in the world today? How can you take the best care of yourself as you go about your daily business?

Set a simple intention for how you want to be in your day. Make it a positive, straightforward statement. I can be as simple as “Today I want to be kind to myself and others” or “Today I will stay calm and grounded.” Make it appropriate for where you’re at and what you have to do.

Hydrate

You know you need to drink more water. Make it easier on yourself by starting the day with a big glass of water, before coffee, before breakfast, before exercise.

You can keep a water glass or bottle on your night table so you can start the day as you mean to go on – well hydrated!

Follow your first glass with another before you have your coffee. Make your second glass an Ayurvedic drink of warm water with lemon. That is a traditional way of giving you a boost of Vitamin C, detoxing and stimulating your metabolism.