Hi, my friend,
Last week I talked about getting settled and reoriented after a less scheduled summer. I shared what's on my Start, Stop and Continue list and where I've observed what is and isn't working in my daily routine.
Did you get a chance to think about what is and isn’t working in your daily routine?
Lately I've been thinking about my mornings and how they've evolved in recent years. I've written previously about the power of starting the day well and some of you might have attended one of my workshops on optimizing your morning routine.
This September I find myself with more white space to start the day.
No longer are my mornings dictated by racing to get kids fed and out the door while trying to sort myself out too. No longer is my calendar a wild dance of kids activities, work commitments, grocery shopping, social plans and lord knows what else.
No longer do I fit my life around three small humans.
Yes, I still have one teenager at home and in high school but he's pretty independent. The time intensity of the early parenting years has eased. There is more freedom each morning.
Truthfully though, the change of pace is a little disorienting.
Not so long ago my brain would be running on overdrive well before I even took my first sip of tea each morning. Now, I rise and it's quiet. I boil the kettle. I drink a large glass of water. I stretch and gently move my body. I breathe in the silence.
How I start my day is entirely up to me! This still feels new and different. Something I don't ever want to take for granted. But with that, I'm noticing some habits have crept in that can affect my mood, energy and focus.
I've caught myself starting the morning reading text messages and emails or zoning out on Instagram stories and feeling tired and overwhelmed all before seven in the morning. In reacting to external energy I'm losing any clarity I woke up with. Without fail, by nine in the morning, I can feel a state of chaos creeping in.
Chaos, not unlike the demands of small children. Ironic, right?
What I know for sure is that when I delay engaging with the outside world I feel energized, upbeat and focused as I start my morning. I've taken time to greet the day on my terms. I can choose when to check all the notifications and newsfeeds.
Just because I know when something works doesn’t make it easy to do! The phone addiction is real.
Things that have helped me include logging out of social media the night before. The trigger of having to log in when I wake seems to be enough to stop me from mindlessly scrolling. I've also been writing a sticky note to myself as a reminder of what I want to do in the morning and it helps nudge me in the right direction.
Do I have it figured out? Absolutely not. Are there mornings when I zone out? 100%.
Perfection is unrealistic (despite what your favourite Instagram peeps will share!). But with a little awareness and some tools in place to help manage the temptation, I make a little progress each day.
The calm and clarity I feel when I stop the scroll in the morning feels really good. Remembering this keeps me going.
With the chaotic days of parenting young humans behind me, I no longer need to react to outside energy every morning. Filling my cup first helps me tackle the day in a way that feels good. The emails and texts aren't going anywhere.
Small children can't wait in the morning. But everything else can.
Tell me, how have you noticed your morning routine evolving over the years? Are there tweaks that need to happen after the summer months? I'd love to know.
With gratitude, always …
Sarah
PS - A reminder about the “MENOMorphosis": Embracing your Second Act” workshop happening in Aurora on Saturday September 28th. Spots are filling and would love to see you! You can register here.
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