This blog post is part of my personal growth update series where I give you a more behind the scenes look. I want this to be a more raw, and real time update of where I am at with my personal growth journey. What practices and things I am doing each day and how I am learning and growing.
This month was all about figuring out my morning routine.
My struggles with a morning routine
I’ve always struggled to maintain a consistent morning routine and to start my day off on the right note. In the personal growth world, morning routines are all the rage. Every single guru I love and admire from Marie Forleo to Rachel Hollis make a big deal about the benefits and necessity of a strong centering practice in the morning.
Even so, I had a hard time putting what I knew to be helpful into practice.
I’ve tried the more masculine approach of having a set list of practices in the morning. Wake up. Meditate. Gratitude. Journal. Affirmations.
But at some point it would start to feel robotic. My heart wasn’t in it. I was just checking things off a list and I wasn’t enjoying it.
It seemed like an overwhelming, massive to-do list. Like another thing I SHOULD be doing but was ultimately failing and letting myself down.
Yuck.
I’ve also tried the more feminine approach of just waking up with the intention of turning inwards and “doing what feels good” to get into alignment. And in case you are unfamiliar with the term, alignment essentially refers to a state of being where you feel on top of the world and that everything is as it should be.
I created a list of morning alignment practices, thinking I could pick and choose from these based on what felt good that particular day.
But this also felt overwhelming. Doing all of these practices with the express purpose of feeling good also felt too forced. By making the end goal “feeling good” it somehow felt like too much pressure.
I would constantly check in with myself and ask “do I feel good enough now?” “what about now?” “Am I in enough alignment to actually start my to-do list for the day?”. But alignment felt elusive and the process of trying to make myself feel good was actually stressing me out and having the opposite effect.
Plus there was the whole bad habit of checking my phone first things in the morning that was also sabotaging all my best efforts (more on this later).
The 5 AM Club Formula
Then, one day I listened to Marie Forleo interview Robin Sharma about his newest book The 5AM Club. (Disclaimer: I have NOT actually read the book yet). During this interview he presents his suggested formula for a morning routine.
20 minutes of movement.
20 minutes of reflection. This could be journaling, meditating, gratitude, etc. Any type of practice focused on turning inwards.
20 minutes of growth. This is more about learning and focusing externally. Reading a personal growth or spiritual book, watching a youtube video, listening to a podcast.
I was immediately intrigued by this formulaic approach.
It was structured enough to not feel like this endless free flow of trying to feel good.
It was also flexible enough that it wouldn’t have to be this robotic slog through a checklist. I could cut and paste different things into each box depending on what I was feeling that particular morning.
My morning routine
I decided to give it a go, and have been experiencing significantly more clarity, focus and an overall greater sense of well being. Here is a rundown of what my routine it looks like for me.
**Also a side note. I DO NOT wake up at 5am. I wake up at 7am most days. I think this completely goes against everything he teaches in the book, but I’m ok with that.
20 minutes of yoga with Jade Alexis using Aaptiv (paid app)
5 minutes meditation using Insight Timer (free app)
15-20 minutes journaling using Manifestors Morning Journal (free download)
20 minutes of reading personal growth book. I’ve started with Trust Your Vibes by Sonia Choquette.
Let’s go into each practice and the incredible results I’ve experienced from each one.
Yoga
To direct my yoga flow I use the paid app, Aaptiv. This costs $15/ month or $100/ year. I firmly believe it is worth every penny. They have so much more than just yoga; this is actually the exact app I used to train for my half marathon
My absolute favorite yoga teacher is Jade Alexis. She teaches a strong, athletic vinyasa flow and also drops in so many wisdom nuggets throughout the practice that speak to my heart and soul.
She will say things like “the stronger your breath the stronger your practice” and has helped me learn how to connect breath with movement .
She always encourages her students to “find your edge and breathe through it”. This has helped me push my physical body beyond what I initially realized was possible. I believe it is also translating into helping me cope with emotional discomfort as well.
Through my daily yoga practice I have found…
Increased physical strength.
I no longer have to cheat my way through sun salutations and chaturangas but can do the flow full out feeling energized instead of drained. My legs and arms are starting to get more toned. I also feel more alive and active the rest of the day feeling compelled to participate in more activities that involved moving my body like beach walks, swimming and trying out new exercise classes.
Increased mental/ emotional benefits.
I now look at yoga as one of my key practices for coping with emotions and have found myself returning to the mat multiple times throughout the day to help me work through stress and other difficult emotions. On my yoga mat I know that I can return to a place of peace, centeredness and calm.
I’ve also begun to look at yoga as a moving meditation. A way that I can get out of my head and into my body. Into the present moment. This practice of being present with my physical body also massively helps to relieve my stress and anxiety and brings me mental clarity.
Journaling
The next 20 minutes I focus on reflection. This could involve any sort of practice of turning inward and taking inventory of what’s going on in your inner world.
I’ve been spending the first 5 minutes in meditation and then 15-20 additional minutes journaling using the Manifestors Morning Journal, a free PDF provided by Kathrnin Zenkina of Manifestation Babe. You can sign up to receive these journaling prompts here.
This practice has been a beautiful way to center my mindset in the morning. I basically start off with a brain dump. Asking myself how I’m feeling, what I am thinking and allowing all my thoughts and emotions to flow out of my head and onto the paper.
Once I feel that sense of mental quietness and relief that comes from getting all of my thoughts out on paper, I work to reframe the negative thoughts and proceed through the rest of the journaling prompts provided.
After doing this morning journaling practice, I feel clear, centered and ready for the day. I am able to approach my day with more intention and focus, knowing exactly what I want to get done and how I want to move through the 24 hours that lay in front of me.
I am able to show up for my work with a clear mind and therefore get work done so much faster, because I am not bogged down by all the mental chatter swirling through my head. I feel focused and directed on my goals.
I’ve also noticed a greater feeling of alignment throughout the day and the universe is responding to that. I’ve been experiencing fun little synchronicities- like running into friends on the street and then just joining them for lunch or tea. I’ve been getting handed more free stuff too including free coffees and deserts. Sure it all sounds small, but I believe it’s a great sign that my mindset is focusing in a positive direction.
I still have some struggles when it comes to my morning routine…
The final 20 minutes have been hit or miss for me. I’ve been trying to read the book Trust Your Vibes by Sonia Choquette, but have not consistently committed to this part of the morning practice. Usually I feel so good once I’m finished journaling that Im ready to head off to the cafe and start my work day. Which I am OK with. It’s all about progress not perfection. I don’t have to get my morning routine or even this formula nailed perfectly.
One other piece that made the morning routine a struggle for me is my smartphone addiction which is a real problem. I would sleep with my smartphone next to my bed like its a teddy bear and then without fail check it first thing in the morning. LEaving my mood up to the whims of the internet and whatever notifications I did or did not receive.
In order to start to wean myself off from this addiction I’ve had to do things like turning my phone on airplane mode before I go to bed and plugging my phone in to charge across the room. And taking these small steps has been immensely helpful in giving me the space to start my day off intentionally instead of reactively.
How you can get started
I hope that hearing about my struggles and successes with my morning routine will be helpful for you in calibrating the way you start off your day.
I know that the whole concept of a morning routine can be filled with shames and shoulds and if that is where you are at I invite you to breathe and give yourself grace.
Notice where you are at right now.
What are you currently doing to start your day? Are you picking up your phone immediately and getting sucked into social media? Are you pressing snooze a bazillion times and then having to rush around in a frenzy to get ready for work on time? How is that making you feel? How are you showing up for the rest of your day?
Is there one small thing you can do to start your morning off with more love, intention and positivity?
Starting small and scaling up is the most effective way I know to make real and lasting change.
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