Why Dawn? Why not dusk?
When we wake in the morning, we set the intention of our day to the universe whether we realise it or not. What did I do consistently for two years when I was querying? I woke up and checked my emails. Big mistake – huge mistake (this is bringing back memories of my childhood. For some reason my mum thought Pretty Woman was appropriate for my three sisters and I. I really need to go watch it again). The great thing about being in Australia and querying agents overseas is I wouldn’t get responses during the day. They would come overnight, waiting for sleepy, hopeful me to open them up in the morning. The horrible thing about being in Australia and querying agents overseas is I would wake up to these messages bright and early in the morning. That’s right – at dawn. This is not a good way to start the day. I didn’t realise what this was doing for my overall wellbeing. Two years of waking up to negativity can deflate even the most positive person. The result? Burn out.
It’s taken two long years for me to realise that my morning ritual of picking up my phone, turning off the alarm and clicking straight to my email inbox was severely affecting my mental health. To top it off I would then get on Twitter for ten minutes just for that extra sense of dread. I am well aware that part of the writing world involves putting yourself out there and accepting not everyone is going to be a good fit for your work, but there are ways to make it easier. And I was doing it the hard way.
Picture how you wake in the morning. Go through your morning ritual in your mind and how it makes you feel. Maybe you turn off the alarm, stretch your arms, then go straight for your phone. You might have fifteen minutes before you get up, so why not scroll through your phone to pass the time. The issue with this is – you can’t control what is going to come through. Sure, you can pick which Instagram accounts you follow, subscribe to email accounts you are interested in and try to train Twitter into only showing you positive things (good luck!), but the majority of what you will see is decided by someone else. This especially goes for emails.
What is the solution? For me it involved a morning ritual. I still touch my phone first thing, but that is only to turn off my alarm.
My morning ritual:
· Five minutes of yoga: this is a short period of time, I know. I’ve only just started this process and want to make it easier for my mind to accept this can become part of my morning. I intend to increase this as time goes by. Already I can feel the difference. I’ve done yoga for years (Yoga with Adrienne is my favourite go to - I am in love with Benji) and during the day I can do an hour of yoga with love and enjoyment. Morning time is harder though – there are lunches to make, breakfasts to eat, kids to get to school and work to get to. Five minutes is all it takes to get on the right track.
· Wash my face: this wakes me up almost immediately and the feeling of clean skin to start the day sends a message to my mind that I am ready for what the day brings. It also tricks my mind into thinking I have started getting ready for the day, so when it is time to get ready for work, I’m already glad I have started the process.
· Gratitude: I have a beautiful notebook that I write down what I am grateful for. It could be something that I am doing that day, something that happened the day before that made me happy or something completely random like ‘I am thankful for Ugg boots’ – it’s getting cold here in Sydney. Giving gratitude at the beginning of the day tells the universe you are thankful, bringing more good things into your life and raising your vibration.
· Subliminals: listening to calming music while affirmations play in the background (which only my subconscious mind can hear) is a powerful way to train your subconscious mind. I listen to a wealthy mindset one at the moment and the thought that I am doing something while I get my family ready for the day actually makes me look forward to making the lunches (What!? I know, this is seriously strange).
I plan to add more to my morning ritual – I do mindfulness and visualisations in the night time, but know the benefits of incorporating this into my morning as well. But for now, I am enjoying the feeling of contentment and positivity I have gained from this new way of life. If you have found any morning rituals that benefit you, please drop a comment – I would love to hear them!
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