What do you do to start your day?
Getting outside first thing in the morning might not be a priority but it really is a great way to start the day.
The natural light helps your circardian rhythm kick in and wake you up. This will also help you to get a better sleep too. You can find out more about why that is in this related blog post.
Just being outside for a few minutes, or even just standing by your open back door or window will be beneficial.
To help give yourself a calm and positive start to your day you could try the following ideas for a mindful start to your day.
A mindful start to your day
Set your alarm early enough to give yourself at least ten minutes to start your day well.
Get yourself a drink. Focus all your attention on doing this – now is not the time for multi-tasking.
Take your drink with you and stand outside whatever the weather. Or if necessary, you could just stand by an open backdoor or window.
Take a few deep breaths and take in whatever the sky is doing.
Try and use all of your senses while you do this: How your cup feels in your hands; How the air feels on your skin; What sounds you can hear – the birds singing, the wind in the trees, the traffic in the distance? The taste and smell of your drink. And so on.
If your thoughts drift back to your day or any worries you have, consciously make the effort to think about what all your senses are aware of again. This is what keeps you in the moment and when you’re fully in the moment, you can’t think about anything else.
Do this for as long as you like and then go back inside, ready to start your day!
Want some more ideas?
The weather
I love to keep track of the weather every morning.
I take time to notice how different the sky can be each morning and think about how it is different from the day before.
The seasons
I also love to watch the seasons.
If you’re lucky enough to be able to see trees or plants each morning you can think about how they change throughout the year.
I find that being aware of the seasons is a good way to keep me grounded and feel connected to nature.
The wildlife
The other thing I like to watch in the morning is the birds. It’s fascinating to notice whether or not they appear from their trees when I’m outside. Perhaps there’s other wildlife near you to keep an eye on.
The best thing is when you hear the birdsong in the morning too!
You can add anything you like to your moment of morning mindfulness – whatever works for you.
Why not try this every morning for a week and see if it makes a difference to how you feel at the start of your day?
Take care,
Sarah