I awoke this morning, feeling at ease. It’s been a few weeks since I’ve had the freedom of waking up with that sense. For the first time in many nights, I slept well. It was refreshing – which I fiercely needed. I laid in bed for just a moment and thought, “How do I want to start my day today?”
It takes a conscious effort to decide how to start my day.
I wanted to start my day with peace. And I must make the powerful decision to start my day with peace and with positivity. It is a habit we can all build. Sure, some mornings we wake up bouncing out of bed with all the sunshine and rainbows and bubbly feelings already filling our soul — but somedays we don’t. Those days take a bit more work to get our butts out of bed. The stressors of the world and our lives can take a toll on us sometimes.
A few days last week, I was feeling kind of stuck. Like I think I’ll just stay in bed here hiding stuck. But I didn’t. I forced myself to roll out of bed and get myself in gear.
Depression can kind of be a bitch sometimes (you feel me right?) and my PTSD was feeling kind of sensitive (triggered) lately. But I’ll be damned if I’m falling back down this time. So this is a sucky feeling, oh well, it’ll pass — I”ll make it pass.
And I did. I chose to not let it control me. I am choosing to start my days with peace.
Retrain Your Mind and Way of Thinking
First, I take a few minutes to count all the good, wonderful things in my life. I remind myself that I made space for these things to be possible because I focused and worked really hard to start to heal. I do this count several times throughout the day.
Positive thinking comes from practice. Lots and lots of practice. And lots of affirmations too.
Invite Peace Into Your Life
This can be done in several ways. I choose to complete this through meditation and prayer. You can also start your day by practicing mindfulness while watching the sunrise.
Use Essential Oils
Oil therapy is much more powerful than most people think. I find them healing in so many ways. Some of my favorites to use Lemongrass, Cedarwood, Grounding, and Envision by Young Living.
Empower Yourself
Practice using affirmations. This helps rewire your brain to think differently and give you a boost of confidence for the day.
“Girl, you got this!”
“These bad days don’t own you.”
“You’ve gotten through challenging times before. You’ll get through this one as well.”
“Stress is a reaction to change. Control the stress, don’t let it control you.”
Exercise in the Morning
I have to raise my hand that I’m not very consistent with this one right now. I”m still adjusting to a new routine and honestly the past year it wasn’t one of my top priorities (although it should have been!). But the exercising helps pump some endorphins into our bodies. And endorphins are our feel-good chemicals! And yes, I feel better when I exercise in the morning. Even if it’s just a 15-minute yoga practice or a mini bodyweight workout – do it!
Make Your Bed and Tidy Up
The organization gives you mental peace. Read my article here about how de-cluttering is good for the mind: How a Clean Space Helps Create a Clear Mind. Having a clean, organized area helps you feel less stressed and overwhelmed. Plus a little bit each morning keeps the chaos from getting as bad.
How you start your morning will help you determine how your day goes. We’ll still have some tough mornings where things just aren’t going right but this is where your habits, your reactions, and your conscious effort will truly come to power. Chose not to let it drain the rest of your day! You got this!
