Your New Morning Routine

Your New Morning Routine
Tips for a Positive and Productive Day
By Ash K. – Sculpt/Stretch/Sweat instructor @southernflowhtx
@ashs_ether

If you’re reading this, that probably means you’ve read other articles with a similar title – all outlining the same five to ten tips about how to start your day. Lucky for you, we keep things fun and fresh over here. I’m going to do all the heavy lifting for you and break things down step by step, ensuring tomorrows rising is your grandest yet.

Step 1: Prepare your morning the night before
Listen, you can’t expect to do anything great without a little preparation before-hand, and your morning/night routines are no different. Set the tone for yourself each night. Whether that’s a light yoga flow, journaling, tea, a book or bath – I don’t know what you’re into. Whatever it may be though, allow yourself the time each night to wind down. Get a planner or journal and visualize what your next day ahead will look like, the tasks you need to get done or the errands you’d like to run. Putting pen to paper allows those thoughts, urges and desires to be released from the body and put into action.

Step 2: Early bird truly does get the worm and everything else the day has to offer
There are two types of people in this world – those who thrive when that alarm clock rings, or those that set 15 alarms and finally get up on number 16.. To be honest, I’ve never been the latter so I can’t relate to you sleepy angels. By being an early riser, I can instill some pretty solid insight that will hopefully inspire you to stop hitting snooze and seize your days.

The saying “there’s not enough hours in the day” does not exist to an early riser. You are able to get the majority of your least-desirable duties done before its even noon, allowing you the opportunity to focus on hobbies, goals that have been put on the back burner, or a side hustle you “haven’t had the time for”. The thing is, we have the time, but do we have the time management skills to utilize them correctly? It’s a dance, one you must learn by yourself and with yourself.

I’m not telling you to get up at 5am every day and hit the trails but getting up an hour earlier than usual is a step in the right direction to advanced productivity.

Step 3: Your phone is not your friend
I’ll keep this one short and sweet. DITCH YOUR PHONE DURING YOUR MORNING ROUTINE. I read something on twitter once (LOL!) that if you leave your phone alone in the morning and just let yourself go through your tasks of brushing your teeth, washing your face, making coffee, cleaning the litter box etc., you will actually get more done just by going about your business, sans your technologic twin. The world is chaotic enough. When you add in everyone’s instant opinions and idealistic lives via social media, of course it’s going to be hard to concentrate on a simple task or be motivated throughout the day. Take care of you, your tasks, your pets and your tummy – then reach for that phone. Watch your productivity grow.

Step 4: Organize your thoughts and remember the bigger picture
Whether you believe in meditation, journaling, planners or breath-work, they all exist for a reason. We are delicate little beings that need to be loved and taken care of, just the same as those little house plants you’ve accumulated over quarantine. Give your gentle mind the chance to wake up, re-boot and start fresh. Meditation or journaling in the morning is the easiest way to calm the mind, set intentions for yourself and for the day, and to set boundaries for what you will and will not allow that day. For those on the more anxious side, allowing these thoughts to escape you rather than holding them in will do wonders for the psyche. Lastly, planning your day and seeing it written out on paper through the use of a planner allows your mind to visualize you completing these tasks, thus making it that much easier to begin.

Let me know if you are already or plan to implement some of the tips above. Let’s chat about it next time you’re in the studio. Wishing eternal grand risings for you all. Make good choices and love yourselves first. Namaste!