Oh, What a Beautiful Morning!

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, the early bird catches the worm, and Benjamin Franklin once said, "The early morning has gold in its mouth." For years, people have tried to figure out what makes a businessman a "tycoon", a mom "super", or an athlete a "champion". A lot of these answer seekers have come up with one hypothesis: it all lies in their morning ritual. So, for today's form of self-care: create a morning routine!

There is so much opportunity in the early morning. You are able to get your head on straight, feed yourself some nourishment that will successfully energize you, and tie up any loose ends that could potentially dampen your day. Many successful people have thing in common and it's that they start their day early. This isn't so much me challenging you to wake up at 5:00 every morning, but to make sure you're giving yourself enough time to prep for your day, before you step out the door in the morning, and, also, that this time is quality time.

In my opinion, I don't know that it's so much that these successful people are getting a competitive advantage because of the extra hours, I think it must have to do with the fact that just as soon as you wake up, you are much more in-tune with your subconscious, or "superconscious". Your subconscious is said to be the part of your brain that holds your "geniusness". If you are able to harness the power of your subconscious mind, you could access all of your most creative, feasible ideas...and, even, where those lost set of keys are! I don't like to rewrite what's already been written well so, if you want the full lowdown, this is a great article explaining it here. 

Now, to the self-care part! Whether you like to read, exercise, or find it practical to do your food prep in the morning, I suggest you pick a healthy routine that works for you, keeps you as calm as possible, and stick with it. One of the lecturers at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition boasts the benefits of writing in a journal first thing after you open your eyes. "Morning pages, created by Julia Cameron, are an empowering tool used to cultivate creativity and personal transformation. The idea is to wake up and immediately write a few pages about anything, simply transcribing your thoughts. The purpose of writing in the early morning rather than the evening is significant, as it allows you to capture your thoughts before your ego is awake and your usual defenses are in place. Your vulnerability in the early morning allows you to write truthfully and purposefully. Morning Pages are like a tough love friend - they encourage you to face your aversions and urge you to take action on your own behalf." 

Prayer, meditation, visualization, and affirmations are all things I try to rotate in my routine. They are a great way to reinforce priorities and stay mindful of your intentions. Visualizing a successful day before you have it is such a valuable tool; especially if you have a big day ahead of you with potential stressors like a big meeting or proposal you want to excel at. Many athletes and businesspeople swear by this technique.

Some of my other A.M. loves: starting my day with a tall glass of water, brewing a cup of tea or making a delicious Bulletproof coffee in the morning (if I'm needing to be particularly productive or peppy), and getting/ giving love to my dog, Eloise.

Your mornings hold so much powerful potential! Do you fill that time with meaningful or nourishing activities? Do you have a morning routine, an early riser ritual, or crave a new change? Let me know in the comments below!