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Lately, I’ve been waking in the morning to find myself thinking about death. I have no idea where this is coming from, and it’s freaking me out. As I approach the big 5-0 this coming December, I can’t help but wonder if my subconscious is worried about me being one day older, one day closer to my end. Our brains work in weird ways, I suppose, but ultimately it’s up to us to snap out of those strange trains of thought. Adopting a morning routine has inspired a radical change of my mindset. Rather than pondering whether I should be cremated or buried, I have begun to curate a morning routine that consists of meditation, journaling, and lovely leche.
Benefits of a Morning Routine
Since creating a new routine, my days are more proactive. Dare I say there’s an actual order to my day-to-day tasks and a sense of calm and peace has been diffused through my home? Organizing my daily to-dos in the morning has stopped the cycle of needing to do too much and getting none of it done. So check this out…
*Every Sunday morning, I clear my mind. I gather my thoughts and to-do lists and put them on paper. Clearing your mind first will help you make room for action planning.
*I look at my week from Monday through Sunday. I pull out any calls, appointments, meetings, or due dates I have for that week. Those go into my weekly planner pages first. Scheduling those obligations on designated days frees up the rest of my week to focus on work.
*I decide what my focus will be for the week. Now I have the roadmap needed to follow and accomplish the important tasks each day. All of the things I say I’m going to do but never actually do are getting done!
*Decide on what needs to be completed by the end of the week. What needs to be brought to a close?
Doing these four things every week keeps my days free from stress, chaos, inconsistencies, or regret for not accomplishing things. BUT…
OUR MORNING ROUTINE DOESN’T START WITH OUR MORNING.
The success of our morning routine depends on what we achieve in our nightly shut-down. Having a plan in place for the next day will make our mornings so much easier! And know that your routine doesn’t have to be a repeat of the exact same motions every single day, it just has to have a purpose! As long as you incorporate a few minutes of quiet time, 30 minutes of physical activity, and some form of reflection, you’ll be sitting pretty for the rest of your day.
*Take a glimpse at your to-do list the night before. This will prepare you for what’s to come. Or you can lay out what you’ll be wearing for the next day. You could take it a step further and plan your weekly wears on Sunday evening. Go over your week and plan out your wardrobe to accommodate each day’s tasks. Get dolled up for a lunch date or bust out those comfy sweats if you’re not doing a damn thing. Plan that shit out!
Now let’s get on with that morning routine!
*After you have opened your peepers, resist checking your phone for at least 15 minutes! Try not to start your day with a heavy dose of comparison or feelings of inadequacy by what you stumble upon in your social feeds. Use that time to just sit with yourself. Practice a short meditation to clear your mind instead of filling it with the noise of the outside world.
*Rise and Shine, Your Ass is Mine…I mean, yours! You are in control of how your day is going to go. As soon as you set those tootsies onto the floor, MAKE YOUR BED! Let that be your first task for the day that you check off your list! Besides the feeling of accomplishment that comes with those proverbial checkmarks of things done, you also won’t be tempted to slide back in between the sheets after you’ve made your morning coffee. It’s small actions like this that can kick-start a chain of positive reactions for the entire day, leaving you feeling productive and in control. However, if you have nowhere to be, let that task slide! You need a little relaxation from time to time. Grab it when you can! I won’t be mad at ya!
The most important thing I want you to take away from this post is that my ideas are just ideas. Only YOU know what you are capable of daily. If you’re a mom with small kids and you sure as hell don’t want to get up and make your bed first thing because you are exhausted, then don’t add that to your routine. Take what I’m suggesting and put it all through a filter that fits YOU! Otherwise, a routine that is too structured will get on your nerves real quick!
About that Lovely Leche
Lately, I have been making my own nut milk and I’m here to tell you, IT IS FABULOUS! It’s also one of the most mindful practices you can do in the kitchen. It takes a bit of planning, but the taste is far superior to store-bought brands and free of preservatives. See for yourself and whip up a batch for those morning smoothies or a splash for your coffee.
You can use any nut such as cashews, hemp seeds, pistachio seeds, pumpkin seeds, or walnuts. For oat milk, there’s no need to soak the oats; simply add them to the water and blend. Once you get the hang of making this base recipe for nut milk, you are ready to have a kick-ass Morning Routine + Lovely Leche!
Nut Milk
3 cups of water
1 cup nuts, soaked overnight
One date
a pinch of Himalayan salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Soak the nuts overnight. Drain and rinse the nuts before adding them to a blender with three cups of water. Blend for 30 seconds.
Carefully pour the milk into a nut bag to strain the liquid from the pulp. Pour the milk back into the blender and add the date, salt, and vanilla extract and blend for a few seconds—taste to adjust sweetness.
*The milk can be stored in a glass jar in the fridge for up to a week. Be sure to shake the liquid before each use to mix any nut settlement at the bottom of the jar. You can find nut milk bags online through Well Earth Goods or Amazon.
Lovely Leche
3 cups nut milk
1 tbsp carob powder
1 tsp maca powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 espresso shot (2 oz.)
Combine the milk, powders, vanilla, and shot into a blender and pulse for a few seconds until combined. Serve over ice. For a stronger single serving, reduce milk amount to 1 cup.
