Morning Rituals – what is yours?

I love mornings.

I also love my morning ritual with a kind of fierce passion.

For thirty years, regardless of the season, regardless of surgery dates or where I am waking up, regardless of my personal pain levels, regardless of magpies loudly shouting obscenities in the half-light of Spring, or a minus-thirty morning when frost has etched the windows in December’s darkness, in the pre-dawn hours of silence,  I pad my way to a desk, cup of coffee in hand, relish the moment when I pick up my favourite pen and open my journal to a blank page.

My morning ritual is a private and gentle exploration of thoughts, memories, dreams and brain waves. It is a written meditative practice. My mornings give me a chance to decide what’s really on my mind and things that may need resolution. With a slow moving hand, I can consider how to make a better decision or process intense emotions attached to a niggle or concern. As my slow start ramps up and the sun gets higher in the sky, I use another journal to write bullet points and create lists in my day-timer. I add notes on the calendar,  jot a shopping list or To-Do’s on scrap pieces of paper. Often, but not every day, I write in my Gratitude Journal.

One journal for processing, digging deep and day-dreaming. Another journal for listing and noting thoughts related to other people.  A paper calendar adds accountability that is visual and easy to find. Scraps of paper for dashing off a reminder and easily lost or disposed of. But, having written it, I have a better chance of remembering, even if I do lose the scrap. Notes to share with my husband are written on the white board in the kitchen for joint reminders to buy tea or show up for an appointment. My Gratitude Journal reminds me of my purpose and passions – a journal that I use specifically and sporadically, remembering the really important things.

Gratitude is a constant mindset, but writing gratitudes with specificity is not an every day habit, for me. I also have journals for ‘Words To Remember’, with pages saved for “Good Quotes” or books I want to remember. Some days I think I should switch to my morning beverage to water or tea – but never do I think about discontinuing my writing habit.

I completely understand that mornings are not for everyone. In fact I am married to one of those people. While day-ending rituals at bed-time, or patterns that help with the transition from work shift to home shifts or gearing your energy levels up or down, I suggest that finding your daily rhythm is an essential skill. For me, the mornings are golden because I can control most variables and establish my “First things, first,” knowing that I will have the quiet that I need. My morning start to the day ritual is focused, solitary and distraction-free, and maximizes my ability to concentrate, grow, get grounded, and land on my personal sense of agency. What else? Writing is an excellent mnemonic device.

Mnemonics?

Mnemonics is the study and development of systems for improving and assisting memory. Without your mother standing at the doorway, or an executive assistant in the next office; without a morning ritual that helps me get my daily priorities in place, my thoughts risk whirling out of control, trending towards chaotic outbursts and blurts that are colourful and potentially dangerous. Journal writing quiets my thoughts, helps me process my emotions, focus me in times of overwhelm, and generally helps me remember good stuff.

Writing by hand improves memory and gives you get a chance to think for yourself. Rather than have a machine finish your sentences, pre-judging your thoughts, the pen waits patiently for you to scribble, scratch, cross out, make revisions, and search for the right word. By taking time to reach for your Thesaurus, you can read and find an even better word. Writing in a journal helps you to expand your vocabulary and harness the inside voices which are not ready for the light of day, as outside voices. Honesty and freedom of speech is fine – but only if serious thought and reflection and research are part of the honesty process. Writing longhand is also a physical exercise that helps to tone our fine motor skills.

With time to reflect, we have a chance to make better decisions and manage our time, energy, resources with more care. Check out this article: children who write longhand can “work faster than kids who use keyboards for everything.” 

With my creative juices flowing, I leave my desk, looking forward to a day that holds great possibilities. When the clock hits 10 am and there are things to do, places to go, people to speak with, obligations to fulfill, I feel ready and energized. A good morning ritual also considers nutrition; hydration; activity and obligation to others – we are all social, physical, emotional, spiritual human beings.

Every day, I get a fresh chance to write about whatever is sitting in my heart. For the first thirty minutes of every day, I write about anything that is bubbling. Each morning, I push the duvet away and swing my legs over the side. I scooch out of bed already wondering, “What will I learn about myself today?”

Ready to try?

WRITING PROMPT: Pick up a pen and write longhand noting your personal rituals that help you to: 1. Cope 2. Make sense of things. 3. Remember things. 4. Give a good start to your day. 5. End your day and prepare you for a good night’s sleep.