The Importance of Morning Rituals

We are in the midst of hiring 1-2 new folks to join the mypiggywiggy family and during the hiring process I like to ask a series of intro questions. One of these questions is "Describe your ideal day..." and I was amused and pleasantly surprised that almost every single person answered in a way that proved how important having a morning ritual is for individuals, especially those that are very creative. 

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. – Marcus Aurelius 

As a self confessed quiantrelle, I love waking up early and having a slow leisurely morning for breakfast, getting lost down an inspiration rabbit hole on my phone, catching up on the morning news, and morning snuggles with my love and our pup... it is why I set our work hours to be 10-6, because mornings are for waking, reflecting, and preparing one's self for the day.

It’s so easy to be grateful for a flower, for a bug, for a beautiful day. Louie Schwartzberg

Sometimes I don't get the privilege to have a leisurely morning because there are so many things on my to-do list and I'm just trying to rush out the door and knock things off that list as quickly as possible. This isn't ideal, but it is a reality and you must remember, we can't always have those ideal mornings. 

However, acknowledging the importance of morning rituals for your mental, spiritual, and physical health is a good reminder to practice little habits every morning that help ground and center you. 

Here are some 5 Morning Ritual Ideas you can try and consider...

1. Practice gratitude. Take 5 mins to just think about all the things you are grateful for. Maybe it's for a comfortable bed that offered a good night's rest or perhaps gratitude for sunshine peeking through your curtains after a week long rain spell. Get into a habit of saying thank you. If you are spiritual or religious, thank a higher being for the good things in your life. 

2. Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. Take the time to make yourself your morning beverage and drink it from your favorite coffee mug or vintage tea cup. 

3. Practice positive personal affirmation. Sometimes we have cruddy days. I know I look in the mirror sometimes and think "Wow, I'm really starting to show my age." Or I might notice in the shower I've gotten a lot softer in the middle. Instead of dwelling on the negative sides I try to think "Oh, I have laugh lines around my eyes, I'm a happy and positive person that always strives to see the sunny side of life..." You don't have to use floral hippy dippy language, you could just give yourself a thumbs up and know you're doing your very best to be as a good of a human as you can be during this temporary time we have here on this beautiful Earth.

4. Do something physical or silly. Put on a song, something that makes you move or dance around. No shame, I've totally played Taylor Swift's song that talks about bakers gonna bake and haters gonna hate. I can't recall the title, but it's really fun to dance around like a fool in while brushing my teeth. Serenade your dog, your cat, the portrait of your grandmother...

5. Practice meditation and awareness. I am horrible at meditating because I have a very difficult time quieting my thoughts. However, I've borrowed a trick from Rupaul and that is to imagine your spirit floating out of your Earthly body and just hovering above yourself and being aware of your surroundings and how you are being and functioning in the space around you and the people you are with. Then imagine your spirit rising outside of your home. What do you notice about the world around you? Then pull back further, you're outside your town, your city. Your country. What do you notice? Then reverse the process and start imagining your spirit floating back into your body.