It’s morning. Alarm goes off. Cell phone gets turned on. A couple occurrences from yesterday immediately spring forth in the mind as if they have been waiting to raise their hand all semester only to be overshadowed by the to-do-list that comes crashing in to take the place of the thoughts from yesterday’s place. Heart starts beating faster. Stomach tightens ever so slightly. Not enough to cause pain, but enough to reach up, grip your shoulders, and weigh them down further towards the ground.
Beep. Vibrate. Check phone – it’s blowing up. Twitter. Facebook. Instagram. Who wrote? Who has liked? Who commented? Wait a minute, check that in a moment. First, let’s get the emails taken care of so the slate starts clean for the day. Junk. Erase. Flag for later.
This is only the first 3 minutes of being awake. Sound familiar to you at all?
I can’t tell you how often I hear a routine like this from people. Both in and out of Life Coaching sessions. This type of routine does not discriminate. And we wonder why there is so much more stress now. This is how many of us choose to start our day. Imagine if you want soothing music and you turn on your favorite relaxing song and hear fire alarms and bullhorns? Starting the day is no different than this. The foundation of your day is built when you first wake from slumber. If your foundation beginning your day is built on stress which is shaky by nature, chances are before the day’s end, you will crumble, melt down, or lose it in some way. If not outwardly, definitely inwardly. Want a different day? First things first…
Start Your Day With Connection
Connection to yourself, your spirit, your divine nature. It’s never shaky. It always exists inside of you. Tap into it like we tap maple trees for syrup. Tap into yourself and your pure essence to get the sweet and sticky syrup that can hold your foundation in place. How? Here are a few ideas:
- Take a few deep breaths and focus all of your attention solely on your breath. The in, the out. Your breath is not something you give yourself or work for. It is something given to you by whatever definition you have or want to use for GOD. Replace with whatever feels right and hold that space. Focus on the breath.
- Set an intention. Doesn’t have to be long winded. Something conscious that is of your choosing. You can also say an affirmation or remind yourself of who you are and the beauty of you.
- Do something for yourself. Whether it is just sitting for 3 minutes and doing the above, whether it is reading a paragraph in an uplifting book, patting yourself on the back, doing some sit-ups and lunges to show your body that you care, or make a favorite morning beverage and sit with it looking outside. Whatever it is, do something. The idea is that you are giving to yourself first thing in the morning in some way. When you start the day by giving to your to-do-list first, your Facebook, your emails, you give all your energy away to other sources and leave yourself depleted. Now, I don’t know about you, but I do not want to start my day depleted! I need all the energy I can get to deal with two young children and the wonderful Life Coaching clients with whom I work.
Try this for one week, and let me know how it goes. I would really love to hear from as many of you as possible.
You should be first. First things first: start with connection. Start with YOU.
