Hi,
I’m very curious if any of you has any original (or not:slight_smile:) morning routines that you feel have improved the quality of your life in general.
Some people meditate first thing in the morning, some read, some do yoga, some take cold showers.
For myself, I found out it’s nice to have a number of scenarios to keep things interesting, I myself often meditate and read in the morning, however, the routine that has influenced me the most is I think the silent morning walk.
When the weather allows it, right upon waking up, I dress up and leave for a walk.
No phone, no headphones with music (sic!), nothing. Just keys to your apartment and watch it on your hand. Music (or any content for that matter) is a stimulus, beautiful and worthy (we all love music), yet this is the time where I feel silence and space is needed.
The morning mind absorbs the morning air, and the feeling of leaving the house without your phone on a regular basis is just… extremely liberating (amazing that this can be a thing but it is). The mind has space and the freedom to wonder. My best thoughts and plans come out during these morning walks. This is the ultimate “me time”.
Highly recommend it!
Thank you so much for this amazing question!
It’s great to hear about your experience.
I consider myself an evening owl - always has been, always will be.
There were many times in my life when I tried to work out in the morning, meditate, read, but it never worked out.
For me, the evening is the time when I stick to many routines. That’s when I have a good mood, best ideas and can really relax.
When it comes to morning routines - I’ve decided that I have to accept myself for who I am and not try to change it. It’s a part of a self-care process: do not fight your body or mind, do not push it, but accept yourself for who you are. Good enough just as you are.
That’s why in recent months I give myself the pleasure of waking up slowly. I set the alarm clock app. 30 minutes before the time that I have to get up from the bed and allow myself for a peaceful waking up.
I am waking up slowly, allowing sun rays to enter my eyelids. Sometimes I lay there for a few minutes before opening my eyes, just slowly gaining consciousness. I’m feeling the breeze of the morning and the warm and cozy bed sheets. I’m starting to think about the day that’s in front of me. When I’m ready I just get up from bed.
And that’s it for me that’s the most loveable morning routine there is Just being good for yourself.
My routine can vary. I can’t always say I want to meditate or play piano or do whatever “it” is, so I go with the flow. Sometimes I drop one of my favourite vinyls or I walk barefoot on the dew covered grass or do pushups till I drop. But one thing I do find to be enjoyable most of the time is hand grinding coffee. If you’re a coffee drinker, check out the Haribo ceramic grinders. Or if you prefer stainless burrs, Commandante and Timemore are good. There’s nothing better than a freshly ground espresso, and you can spend 2-3 minutes grinding your shot, feeling the connection to what you’re about to drink. And all you think is round round round grind grind grind.
Particularly in the winter, having a light that slowly turns on helps me wake up and adjust. I would consider this a key part of my routine. Philips makes great bedside clocks that do not require smartphone apps and have an excellent colour range.
Whether it’s “morning” routine or “brunch” routine, I think it’s the same.
Hi @daniel ! I love the grinding coffee tip! There is always something soothing, almost meditative-like in activities which are easy, repeatable and somehow “basic”. I find this soothing experience in slow cooking or cutting veggies
A walk in the morning sounds so nice I might go right now! (even though it isn’t morning anymore). What I usually do first thing in the morning is read, because I’m lazy and that’s the easiest and most appealing thing.
I don’t live alone, so quiet morning routines are harder to maintain than they woud be if I did.
Grinding coffee beans and making coffee is something I also do, though not consistently.
@theflipside - it’s very smart to make a beneficial thing seem easy and appealing - we’ll stick to the routine thanks to that. I feel like morning reading is focusing me for the rest of the day, just like meditation. And to make it super easy and appealing, I usually start the day with fiction or history books (I love them, so it’s an easy read for me).
@daniel - the coffee grinding activity sounds mesmerizing, I must give it a shot. There is satisfaction and peace in manual activities, such as grinding, cutting vegies, or putting things in order.
Hand journaling on a balcony is my latest discovery.
@Lukasz_Napiorkowski Definitely, manual repetitive activities can be a stress relief, I could work 12+ hour shift in the kitchen prepping food and the day would be gone in a flash. Bonus, if you want to make coffee a hobby, with an adjustable grinder, you can now experiment and discover a different aspect of flavour and texture. My friend lent me his 1Zpresso JX-pro grinder this week, it’s been nice to experiment with, but it doesn’t have to be so fancy.
Balconies are an exceptional place from which to observe the world, to retrospect, introspect. They can be utilised for many purposes, even connecting with your neighbours, maybe communal eating in the pandemic time (I think Italians were doing this, ciao!). Too bad I live in a house nowadays, but at least I can see my neighbours over the fence when I need to. The nice thing about it is that I have a jungle growing on the fences, with fruits and vines, so if you can tune out the street traffic, it feels like you could be in the Riviera.
I remember my first time in Kraków, I stayed in an apartment right near the central park. I could mindlessly watch the pedestrians all day. You can only get that kind of feeling in old, historic cities.
for me that’s the most loveable morning routine there is 