Do you drag yourself out of bed every morning, stumbling through your morning routine?
Personal confession: That’s how I’ve been feeling more often than I would like. So I went on a search for some simple practices to start my day off right.
My goal is to start off my day with positivity and enthusiasm, handling the challenges that come my way with grace and ease.
Is that something you want, too?
If so, let’s try an experiment together.
I recently heard an interview with Dr. Rangan Chatterjee. Dr. Chatterjee recently published a book entitled The Stress Solution based on his work as a physician in the UK. He is known for discovering the root cause of people's problems and working with them to find practical, scientifically-based solutions.
In the interview, he raved about the benefits of establishing a morning routine with three components. He calls them the 3 M’s: Mindfulness, Movement, and Mindset. Each of these can take just a few minutes, and you can fill in your own favorite practices.
For example:
Mindfulness will give you an immediate sense of calm. You can meditate, do conscious breathing, or a quick body scan. The aim is to bring you into the present moment.
Movement is a way to physically prepare your body to greet your day. It can be vigorous activity, like jumping rope, or something more easeful, like yoga or stretching. Whatever your body is telling you it needs.
Mindset focuses your thoughts in a positive direction. Again, use your favorite technique. Some people use affirmations, others have a gratitude practice.
I added a fourth M–Motivation–because there was something missing for me. Motivation can happen by reviewing your goals, setting a clear intention for the day, or possibly journaling.
Here’s what Dr. Chatterjee writes are the benefits (based on his own experience and that of many of his patients):
“For me, zoning in each morning makes all the difference in the world. It primes my body for the day ahead and I’m still reaping the benefits in the evening...It shifts you from being in a reactive mindset to being in a proactive one. What you do at the start of each day sets up the way you live that day, and those individual days build up into a whole life – a life lived on purpose and a life lived with purpose.”
Sounds like a powerful result from a small investment in time!
Then why did I suggest we do an experiment together? Can't I speak authoritatively on the life changing results I've experienced from adopting this practice?
Not quite yet. It’s a work in progress. Here's what I'm learning.
Although my current morning routine isn't quite what I'm aiming for, it's habitual. This summer, I deleted the CNN app from my ipad so I wouldn't be tempted to check the news in the morning. Somehow (I swear I didn't re-install it!) the app appeared again a month later. I find it impossible to avoid checking the latest news in the world as I'm eating breakfast. Not particularly conducive to Mindfulness or Mindset!
If I'm going to be successful at this, I will need to leave my ipad in the drawer while going through the 4 M's. Avoid the distraction.
I'm doing better being more conscious about Movement. Taking a few minutes in bed to stretch, and to wake up my body helps with Mindfulness and Movement. A couple of yoga poses only take a minute or two and are a great way to tell my body it's time to get moving. I've even tried standing on one leg at a time for 30 seconds while brushing my teeth. It's a good way to wake up the lower body, practice balancing and it doesn't take any extra time.
I added the fourth M, Motivation, because I already have a solid journaling practice that primes my thoughts and aspirations for the day. I wouldn't want to change that.
But I am looking forward to implementing the 4 M's as a routine and reaping the benefits described by Dr. Chatterjee.
You may be thinking that as a working parent you don't have time for something like this. Dr. Chatterjee described one of his patients who had a similar challenge. She was able to create a solid practice that only took 6 minutes and it made a real difference in the quality of her life. As he said, it’s really about going from a reactive mindset to a proactive one.
Give it a try and let me know what's working for you. Have a sparkling morning!