How to Make Mornings Work FOR You & Not Against You

If you are anything like me, you have probably tried a million different morning routines over the years and still have yet to find the “perfect” one. I’ll admit it, in my mind, just the idea of simply having a morning routine seemed more attractive than what I actually found to be true. I would spend all this time and effort formulating an elaborate routine that I thought would provide me with motivation, intentionality, and ease of mind. Yet, in the end, no matter how many times I changed it, it ALWAYS felt unattainable to keep up with. Whenever I missed a day, or a certain element of the routine, I quickly felt disheartened by the entire practice. Not upholding the expectation I had set for myself made me feel like I had failed. 

Rather than reminding myself that tomorrow was a new day that provided the opportunity to try again, I would seek out a "new and improved” morning routine for myself. This outlook of adhering and performing to perfection became a repeating cycle of creating, coming up short, and reconstruction. Eventually, this cycle started to impact my mindset and left me with feelings of inadequacy…until recently, when I finally stopped going through the motions.

The key to a successful, and SUSTAINABLE, morning routine is to get real with yourself and what it is you really want. Once I took the time to ask myself this question, I came upon a powerful realization. It isn’t the morning routine itself that we are seeking to implement, but instead, it is the underlying FEELINGS that result from carrying out the process. 

As humans, our brains have intricate reward and punishment mechanisms in place. With every achievement along the path to meeting our goal, in this case adhering to a morning routine, our body releases dopamine into our brains, creating a sense of pleasure. This chemical mood elevation is what keeps us focused and motivated. Similarly, if we fail to meet our goals, the brain becomes an equally cruel punisher and the dopamine supply is cut off. 

When we set a goal, we are essentially shifting our self-identity, and attaching our self-worth to our ability to reach the desired outcome. If we treat this goal as a valued possession, or as a component of our very being, then when we do make a mistake it triggers the all too familiar feelings of defeat, anxiety, fear and weakness. Once we are able to separate our identity from our goals, the establishment of a morning routine becomes obsolete. Through detachment and awareness, we can reframe goals into what they really are: stops along this journey of life. Though necessary, goals are NOT the final destination. Instead, they are simply a means to an end. 

So, then, it really becomes this question of “how can I elicit these same feelings of success, peacefulness and inspiration, DESPITE my behaviors?” In order to answer this question, you must take an honest look inside yourself and see what it is that you are fundamentally striving for. 

For me, the idea of abandoning a morning routine took awhile to come to terms with, however, I now see that it is a crucial component of living the life I desire. I no longer follow a morning routine, going through the motions just to "check the box.” I have transformed the concept of a morning routine into what I, personally, call my “morning motivators;” things that bring me inner peace, love and acceptance WITHIN.

Are you ready to shatter the morning routine stereotype and create your own morning motivators? If so, I recommend starting by finding your WHY. Make a list of what inspires you, what you are passionate about, what you are doing when you feel your best, what you want to believe about yourself, and what your intentions for life truly are. 

Your morning motivators WILL and SHOULD look different from mine, as we are all rooted in unique walks of life, with different aspirations and distinctive personalities. The list below shows a few of my morning motivators, however, it serves purely as an example for you to gather your OWN ideas from. At first glance, my morning motivators may appear to be a list of actions not much different from having a morning routine, however, for me, they actually represent SOURCES of thoughts, ideas, affirmations, concepts, or feelings and emotions that I turn TOWARDS in order to draw out my own interpretations and questions surrounding who I am, where I am going and what I believe in. What resonates with me and my belief system is different from YOURS. 

My Morning Motivators:

+ Opening blinds to receive natural sunlight.

+ 20 minutes of stretching/light exercise.

+ Drinking a glass of room temp water.

+ 5-minutes of creative writing/poetry.

+ Quote from “I Really Needed This Today” by Hota Kotb.

+ Daily devotional from “Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young.

+ Looking at my horoscope.

+ Scrolling through Instagram accounts that INSPIRE me (@hertrueworth, @bondiguru, @moonomens, @yung_pueblo, @homebodyclub & @thefinancialdiet).*

*Caution: When looking to social media it is important to know the difference between what inspires you and what is toxic to you. I choose to use these accounts to consume information that supports and aligns with MY beliefs and provides ME with sources of intention and affirmation. If Instagram is a trigger for you, it is important that you recognize that and do what is best for YOU in terms of protecting your mental health and energy. 

Xx,

Leah Kutsch

P.S. Keeping IIN Touch