Slow Mornings

How do you normally start your morning? Do you get up with a bang and move around your house or apartment like a tornado trying to get everything done in the shortest amount of time possible so you can sleep in for that extra 10 minutes? Or do you allow yourself to slowly enter into your day?

I want to discuss this concept of "Slow Mornings" with you. I am a big believer in our mornings setting the tone of our day. If we get up and spill our coffee all over ourselves on the way to work I can almost guarantee you you will have the thought of "Oh gosh this is just not going to be my day is it". We want to aim to consciously and mindfully cultivate a nurturing and supportive start to our day to set a tone of calmness and serenity that can flow through everything that we do.

Here are my top tips for moving more mindfully through your mornings:

1.Do not look at your phone for the first hour of your day - If the first thing you do is look at your phone you are immediately flooding your body with dopamine, cortisol and overstimulating your system.

2. Walking up 15 minutes earlier so you can go about your morning without a rush

3. Do not multitask. Engage in one activity at a time whether this be showering, mindfully drinking your coffee, mindfully walking to the train.

4. Try not to engage in any screens / stimulation until you are already out the door and on your way to work e.g. not having the television on, not listening to the news before you have even stepped out of your front door

5. Setting an intention for the day e.g. "I will practice kindness and compassion towards myself during times of challenge today"

6. Last but not least, start your day with a formal mindfulness practice such as a grounding breath work exercise or a body scan

I encourage you to move towards these slow mornings and see how it influences your mood, thoughts and approach to the day ahead.

Always,

Maddy

---