5 Morning Rituals I Always Do

A post-pandemic reflection on wellness.

Did anyone else have a meltdown in the spring of 2020?

Two years later, I finally feel like I am coming out of the funk that being in a persistent state of uncertainty brings.

The stresses of teaching from home while raising two children under the age of 5 consumed me.

The following year, the fear that we would get sick and our school would close and worse, I’d have to go back to teaching from home.

Then, the following year felt like a reprieve, but ironically, it was the year that I got sick many times. Yes, one of those times was COVID 19. Won’t miss that fever!

I drank to cope. I watched massive amounts of TV and I ate whatever I wanted. I didn’t have the healthiest coping strategies. Currently, I stopped doing all of that. (Ok- I occasionally binge watch a show here and there).

But I did have one self-care ritual that helped me at least wake up feeling motivated and ready to go.

I am not talking about necessary care rituals such as brushing your teeth or taking a morning shower (although that went the wayside for a while). I am talking about the intentional mental systems that help us get through whatever life throws us.

As the world shifted and sorted over the past two years, I kept one important ritual to keep me sane — my morning ritual.

5 Morning Rituals I Always Do

1. I get up early.

This still is pretty shocking for me to say out loud. For most of my life, from teenager to almost 30s, if I wasn’t getting paid, I would hit the snooze button for hours until the very last moment I needed to get ready for the day. Or rather, throw on sloppy clothes, pound some coffee, and brush my teeth.

I set my alarm for 4:45 — yes, a.m. I hit snooze, but I don’t go back to sleep.

2. I say I love you — to myself.

You are a badass. You know this, but if you need reminding, Jen Sincero’s got your back. If you can’t love yourself, then no one truly will.

You are the one living with you. Despite the dog or the person in your bed with you, you are the only one inside yourself. You might as well embrace yourself. So tell yourself, I love you!

I have had a difficult time accepting and loving who I am. I used to think there was something innately wrong with me. Like I was on the losing side of evolution or something. Man, that pressure sucks!

Once I started saying a few words to myself each morning, I started noticing my mood shift. I wasn’t as depressed or angry when I woke up. I realized that what I tell myself creates the mood for the day. And on the mornings when it was hard to say I love you to myself, I have a stream of positive affirmations to say.

Affirmations are positive statements you tell yourself to combat negative thinking.

It’s kind of weird to say to yourself, I love you, and I am unique. Still, research shows that positive affirmations in their daily practice help them be more resilient and flexible in life.

3. I savor the sip.

For the love of coffee, I take a moment to appreciate it. Luckily, I usually don’t even have to get out of bed.

My husband started this habit for me years ago with his loving gesture of bringing me my morning cup. First, it was 8 a.m., Then it was 7, then 6 a.m. So, if I was stuck between sleep and affirmation mode, I reminded myself that I wanted my first sip to be hot.

Many people meditate first thing in the morning. I feel like this is my meditation practice.

Yes, I know that the benefits of meditating, like going inward in 10 minutes of total silence, has powerful, lasting benefits. But, sitting and sipping my coffee, heck, even holding the hot cup, is my mindful moment.

I feel the heat warming my palm.

I smell the powerful aroma.

I hear the morning birds.

I see daylight peek through the trees.

I take a deep breath and just be in that moment, on my bed, with my coffee, while my dog sleeps curled up next to me.

What I don’t do is think about my to-do list. Not yet anyway.

4. I write.

By this step, it’s usually around 5:30 a.m. ish. Sometimes I pull out my notebook. Usually, I’ll pull out my phone and open a draft I am working on. Lately, I have been busting out the laptop to polish a draft for Medium.com.

Regardless of what I am working on, I spend this non-negotiable time writing for about 45 minutes to an hour. On weekends (yes, even then, I wake up early), I write longer, and it’s glorious!

I have so many inspired ideas that need to get out. I’ve written a memoir, a self-help eBook for educators, journal reflections about my sobriety journey, almost 100 articles for medium.com, magazine articles, and love letters to my husband and kids. It’s like I am being downloaded with loads of creativity spilling out from the heavens or something. It’s pretty cool.

5. I listen to a podcast while getting ready.

Shit. Shower. Shave and listen to podcasts, an ebook or Marco Polo groups. I still hold onto the idea that what you tell yourself sets the tone for the day.

When we listen, we are, in a way, telling ourselves things. We think about what the information is saying and whether or not we agree. This requires some self-talk.

So, I enjoy listening to motivating or betterment podcasts to aid my self-talk in a pleasant direction. Is it all positive? No. But by listening to others’ perspectives, I can sift and sort through what I think of a subject. That makes me feel inspired, well-rounded and trusting even.

Conclusion

These last couple of years have put us through the wringer. We have had to navigate uncharted waters of Zoom classes, social distancing, and the uncertainty of making our next payment. As the world settles its nerves from the pandemic protocols, we start to gain a sense of relief while we find our new norms.

But here’s the thing. What happens in life isn’t certain. Nothing is. My dad used to say, “the only thing that remains constant is change.” So, in an ever-changing world, keeping our wellness routines in check is essential. Control what we can and let go of what we can’t.

Perhaps that’s why for the past two years, I have started my morning just like this. Waking up on the right side of the bed helps me feel good throughout the day. (Ironically, I sleep on the left side of the bed, but you understand the saying).

Patty McMahon, M.Ed is an educator, a mother, wife, and dog lover writing about sobriety and wellness in the 21st c. To help others along their journey, she created a book club. Join her newsletter to get more insights on wellness delivered to your inbox.

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