Do you ever feel like something going wrong at the start of the day meant the whole day went downhill from there?

When we don’t have a solid routine we leave it to chance what direction the day will go in, especially when things get hectic (hello, holiday season). Maybe we hit snooze a few more times than we meant to and end up rushing out the door without breakfast. Possibly the thing that makes our morning tolerable is a large coffee when we get in to work. Potentially, our mornings are wildly various – and could be brilliant or terrible based on the first two or three things that happen to us.

Imagine waking up each morning feeling calm and rested and knowing you had more than enough time to get ready. Picture yourself feeling happy you have already got in some exercise and a healthy breakfast before most people are even out of bed. Imagine knowing that while every day isn’t perfect, you haven’t had a total train-wreck start for many years and have almost forgotten that feeling…

So morning routines are a big deal in terms of the impact they have on our lives. They're powerful. And most of us have one, whether we deliberately chose it or not.

But isn’t it really hard work, getting up and doing morning routine stuff? I hear you cry.

Well, yes and no. Like anything in life you can do it the hard way or the easy way. When I work with clients, the first thing to ascertain is what gives you satisfaction… or, are you a quick band aid person or a slow band aid person?

If you’re a quick band aid person you’ll get kick out of setting your alarm early and throwing yourself in the deep end with as much as you have time for. For you, marking your progress on a tracker will float your boat and you’ll feel proud of your achievements in a short amount of time.

If you’re more of a slow band aid person, you’ll prefer to start with small steps. You might begin with doing a 10 min meditation each morning in bed, and then gradually add on. You

What you actually decide to do for your rituals is where the fun and personality come in. If you have a sedentary lifestyle, something physical will support and balance you. If you’re exhausted, practices that build energy will help you face the day with more in the tank, and if you struggle with focus and mood then there some wonderfully simple ways you can develop mindfulness and cultivate more positivity and joy.

When you get it right, you’ll look forward to it because it will leave you feeling so amazing!

Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing a few ideas for starting the day off to be fabulous, and also what do when, despite your best efforts, the morning does go to sh*t.

If you're interested in working with me to develop your own ideal morning routine, yoga practice, meditation practice or life balance, drop me a line! I'd love to hear from you.

Warmly

Ruth

My fantasy day...

Have you ever wished you could somehow get an extra day a week? I have this fantasy where I get an extra day a week, a day outside of space and time. No one else knows about this day except me and it’s mine to do with as I wish.

Coming back from Thailand, I’ve been reflecting on the nature of stress in life. It’s inevitable, as we grow and evolve in our lives, we are constantly pushing into our limits. Good at your job? Chances are you’ll get more tasks, bigger opportunities. Got a family? Your children will test you – this is how they learn. So many of my friends juggle family, work, more work, study, exercise, social lives and trying to stay healthy and sane as well.

It’s not surprising that we can sometimes feel overwhelmed. But rather than staring into space and imagining up a secret day, here are three ways to shift your energy when you feel overwhelmed by all the things you have to do. The number one reason for overwhelm is that we get busy doing all the things we need to to get by, but often we’re not doing the things that our hearts really desire.

Three Steps to Shift Overwhelm

Step One - Remember your achievements.

Think back over the last month or two and to what you have achieved. So often we focus on where we think we’ve failed. For example, maybe you joined a gym and meant to go 3 times a week, but mostly only managed twice a week. That means you managed to get there twice a week! Maybe you intended to meditate every morning but only managed a couple of times. You have still proved you can do it!

Take 60 seconds to reflect and let this fuel your confidence in your abilities.

Step Two – Write it all down.

Take 5 mins (use a timer) and write down EVERYTHING you need to do, from the tiniest thing to the biggest (ie. ‘get shampoo’, ‘start writing memoire’). This is a brain dump and just helps to get our head clear.

Step Three – Pick 3 things and do them.

Look at your list, and highlight 7 items that mean the most to you – the ones that will really take your life in the direction your heart desires, not the most urgent. Then look at these and pick out a top 3. Get out your diary or calendar and find a date and time for each of these three things in the next week.

Let me know how you go!

Lots of love

Ruth