Reflection: A Healthy, Happy Morning

Your morning shapes the rest of your day - rushing leads to more rushing. Calm leads to more calm. Every day of our lives is precious and here are some tips for starting yours with more health, sanity, and happiness. The benefits will spill over into the rest of your day.

Transcript

Good morning.

One thing I've noticed is that how we start the day really sets the tone for the rest of it.

Especially our mindset.

Getting up in a rush and missing breakfast sets us up to rush through the rest of the day.

We can't really enjoy things in it.

I certainly remember those days when I was a brand new public school teacher.

I would get up in a rush and my whole day would be a whirlwind starting at about seven in the morning.

And it didn't really stop.

Even when I was asleep,

My mind was still spinning.

Still rushing mentally.

So to work with this,

Because I was burning out,

I was ready to stop teaching soon.

So I thought,

What can I do?

And I started experimenting with my morning routine.

And it made a massive difference.

What I started doing was a bit of meditation in the morning.

Just about 10 minutes.

Just that alone helped me be a bit more anchored.

A bit calmer,

More focused.

And that really trickled down into the rest of my day.

Especially when I started doing things mindfully,

Like walking or handing out papers or drinking coffee.

Things like that.

So I experimented more with my morning routine.

These days,

I do a bit of yoga in the morning.

I do my meditation.

And then I have a good breakfast,

A healthy breakfast.

Because our bodies and our minds are deeply interconnected.

What happens to your body happens to your mind.

And vice versa.

Just starting the day off in this way really prioritized my health,

First of all,

And my sanity.

My day changed even further.

It was a stronger anchor to start the day.

And one thing that I added was I would do one thing that inspired joy in me.

I already have joy inside.

It doesn't give me joy.

It doesn't create it out of nothing.

I already have happiness inside.

But it would feed that happiness.

So starting the day,

I would do what's good for my body,

Do what's good for my mind.

And then I would do something that would inspire happiness.

And it could be something very short.

It could be playing guitar for a few minutes.

It could be listening to a song I really like.

It could be doing a bit of artwork,

Reading a chapter of a book,

Just sitting out on the porch,

Enjoying the view.

So these four components to my morning routine,

The yoga,

The meditation,

The healthy breakfast,

And then doing something joyfully means that my days from the get-go are already pretty awesome.

Even if they don't stay that way,

That's what happens.

That's OK.

But it does give me a nice foundation for everything else that follows.

And it does really set the tone.

So I encourage you,

Experiment with your morning routine.

See if you can do something that helps you be healthy,

Helps you be a bit more grounded.

A bit more calm and focused.

And then do something that makes you smile.

See what happens.

Thanks for joining me.

Reviews

Simple and helpful advice which makes a big difference

I am a teacher and I woke up feeling so rotten and sad. This meditation has helped me so much. Thank you 🙏

Thanks. I am in a more positive mood now. Simple truths. Have a great day.

Excellent talk. Thank you. I used to do a ten minute guided meditation every morning. Somehow I let that good habit go. I will restart that habit. Gracias 🙏

This really made me reflect on how I spend my mornings! Absolutely needed this reflection,thank you 🙏☀️

Not really a meditation but excellent advice to start each and everyday! Thank you! 😊

Outstanding advice and achievements! I totally agree with starting the day with self care and meditation. I have anxiety issues and this is a great way to start each day. Thanks for the reinforcement!

Thank you for the words of wisdom. I always start my mornings out with meditation. Now I will add something else in addition to what I am currently doing.

After a bad night good to hear calm, wise words. Thank you 🙏

Great positive message that helped me start my day. Thank you.

Thank you. I feel like routine is my friend. Having to make so many micro decisions all day is draining.

I have a similar morning routine. So good to share!

I really enjoyed this!! I’ve been practicing meditation when I wake every morning, and it’s been doing WONDERS for me! It really does set the tone for my day.
Thank you 🙏🏽

Nice talk. Practical suggestions for daily joyful living. 🙏

Yes, it's so important to have the right morning routine to set you up for the day. My morning practice is meditation, gratitude journal and 10-15 mins yoga.😍

Important things to remember and not neglect in our daily routine

I have practiced a version of The Miracle Morning for the past three years, and been a better husband, father, son, brother, friend, and teacher. Thanks for the idea of some new ways to categorize the work I do on myself then.

Excellent suggestions that have helped me become happier, stronger and more in tune with my entire day!

Adding something that makes me happy to my morning routine is so obvious, so why haven’t I thought of this?! Thanks for pointing this nugget out!

a brief invitation to begin our days with things that will support our body, spirit and minds in a joyful way in order to carry us through the day mindfully and positively.