- What should a good Morning Routine consist of?
- The Self-Care Power Hour – The Secret Method to a Successful Morning.
- This Daily Habit Will Prime Your Brain To Be Its Best
- What is a morning routine and how to create the perfect one.
- How to Create a Daily Meditation Practice.
- How to get Started with Journaling
- Creating a Daily Journaling Habit.
- What is a Nighttime Routine and How to Create one.
- The Power of Affirmations.
- The Power of Daily Non-Negotiables.
Why Do Mornings Suck So Much?
Raise your hand if any of these things describe you:
- You’re constantly snoozing your alarm
- You’re always running late to work
- You feel like you have no time to do anything in the morning
I’ve been finding it really difficult to get up in the morning without snoozing my alarm. I realized that there was one huge factor contributing to this: I had nothing to be enthusiastic about in the mornings. I think the number one reason we have trouble getting out of bed in the morning is that we don’t have anything to look forward to. Luckily, I’ve come across a method that has totally changed my mindset. I found a way to get myself pumped up about waking up in the morning with the added bonus of taking care of my health at the same time.
The Self-Care Power Hour Method
So how do you break your alarm snoozing habits and develop a self-care routine at the same time? You start by devoting 20 minutes to your mind, 20 minutes to your body, and 20 minutes to your soul in order to take care of yourself in just one hour. It’s like a power hour for your well-being!
At first I was like, Do I really have to get up an extra hour to do this? But strangely enough, when you’re excited about something and know it’s going to improve your mood, it makes getting up a lot easier. I feel like I’m more productive, my stress levels decrease, and my outlook is more positive when I start my day this way.
How The Self-Care Power Hour Works
Choose Three Activities
Start by choosing three activities from the list below for your mind, body, and soul. You can also think about activities you love or want to try that may not be on the list.
Set Aside Time
Set aside an hour in the morning to try this. It may seem impossible to wake up an hour earlier, but the goal is to find activities that are exciting and enjoyable enough to you that you don’t mind losing that extra hour of sleep. You could also go in baby steps and just focus on one area (mind, body, or soul) for 20 minutes each day.
Start The Timer
Do each activity for 20 minutes. You don’t have to go in any particular order, just choose the thing that excites you the most first. You don’t have to do this in the morning or in one big chunk. You can span it throughout the day or do it before bed. I personally think it’s the best strategy to get excited about waking up.
The best way to focus on yourself, improve your well-being and begin on your self-love journey is to incorporate a power hour into your daily routine. For those of you who mightn’t know what a power hour is, it is simply time dedicated to you, doing things that make you happy. A lot of people prefer to incorporate their power hour into their morning routine, as it is an empowering way to start your day. In saying that, this is not one size fits all! If you aren’t a early-bird, or would prefer to use your power hour to wind down in the evening, absolutely go for it! It is all about finding what works for you.
By definition, your power hour should be broken down;
20 Minutes for your mind
20 Minutes for your body
20 Minutes for your soul
The idea behind dedicating time to your mind, body and soul is that you are beginning or ending your day with gratitude (mind), movement (body) and inspiration (soul).
Currently, my morning hour of power looks like this:
- Wake up, set my phone aside after turning off my alarm & make my bed.
- Make myself a cup of coffee.
- Read 10 pages of a book
- Journal my thoughts, my intentions for the day & write 3 things I’m grateful for.
- Say my 3-5 affirmations.
- Meditate
- Spend 15-20 minutes doing yoga & stretching.
OR
Go for a 20 Minute walk while listening to a podcast.
The most important thing when creating your routine is to make sure you’re doing things that make you feel good and bring you happiness.
Every one is different, it is all about finding what works best for you. There will be days where you simply don’t have the time to take a full hour out of your day and that is 100% fine! What matters most is consistency. So instead of just skipping your power hour, break it down even more. If you usually read 10 pages, read 5. If you usually listen to 15 minutes of a podcast, listen to 5 minutes. If you usually spend 30 minutes exercises, cut it down to 10 minutes! Be realistic with yourself and make do with what you have, you’ll feel the benefits no matter what.
If you struggle to find activities when creating your power hour routine, check out some examples below.
ACTIVITIES FOR THE MIND
Reading
Colouring
Learning a new language
Meditating
Breathing exercises
Writing
ACTIVITIES FOR THE BODY
Dancing
Walking
Exercising
Yoga / Pilates
Stretching
ACTIVITIES FOR THE SOUL
Listening to a podcast
Cuddling your pets
Cleaning or tidying your room
Baking / Cooking
Watching the sun rise / set
Having a nice bath or shower
Remember, you are in complete control over your power hour! If something isn’t working for you, swap it out. Have fun with it and make it as enjoyable as possible! I feel like I have improved so many areas of my life after having my routine for over a year now. It is something that makes me jump out of bed in the morning, keeps me centred and sets me up for an amazing day!