Good Morning Sunshine

If you told me previously I’d be getting up before 5am I would’ve called you a God damn liar! But I am now a bonafide early bird and loving it. The first 45 minutes of how you spend your day have been found to have the biggest impact on the quality of the rest of your day. If you’re running out the door in a flurry of crumbs and coffee then you’re less likely to see kittens and rainbows throughout your day. How can you tweak your morning routine for the better? Here are some tips and tricks that work for me.

Early to bed: I try to be in bed by 8.30pm during the week. I know it’s early right? I often hear the 3 year old that lives in my building running around way past that. But what you sleep through in the evening, you gain in the morning. It’s so much more peaceful and pretty in the morning with no pesky people around! Spiritual peeps call it the most auspicious time of day.

Fun Alarm-ski: A loud beeping alarm is a rude awakening to your sweet slumber. Why not try making your alarm a fun song? Mine is “Work” by Gang Starr. I find gangster rap strangely motivating. With lyrics like, “Yo I scoped it out, I took your weak dream and choked it out. Your bitch don’t really got no ass, she just poked it out”, who wouldn’t?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSszWXkDHa8

 Om Shanti: After this uplifting welcome to the day, it’s time for 10 minutes of meditation. I like the soothing sounds of Andy from Headspace. You can download the app and pay a membership fee at www.headspace.com. Because you’re worth it. You may not become a Zen master overnight but it sometimes helps to make the moment stretch a bit or feel like I’m in a bit of a protective bubble. So I’m not as reactive when a child is going bonkers at work or when some dude is road raging at my nana-style driving.

Dear diary: On goes the lamp and the miaow button on my cat. Out comes the notebook and I write down 3 goals, 3 things I’m grateful for and 1 intention for the day. This keeps them at the forefront of my mind throughout the day and at this point I give into the miaowing and feed the feline.

Do the bend and tap!: This year I resolved to do a minimum of 5 minutes each of yoga and EFT daily. Flexible poses and freedom! I just YouTube 5 minutes yoga and 5 minutes Brad Yates. My yoga faves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttnfrj2voFI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmCbRGHWxMs

My Tap with Brad faves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oTk7ni1WZM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JI8flfGSKo&t=15s

The usual suspects: Cue coffee and cereal and shower et al the usual suspects. Of course coffee! I’m not an animal. I do have aspirations to try mushroom tea or bulletproof coffee instead but slowly, slowly catch a monkey.

On the road again: I’m a bit of a Johnny-come-lately to this driving thing but am love-love-loving the freedom of a car. Who knew? I’ve put together a Good Morning Playlist on Apple music with a random mix of songs that are strangely satisfying to belt out en route to work including; El Scorcho by Weezer, 212 by Azealia Banks, Love on Top by Beyonce and Can’t stand me now by The Libertines. More uplifting then the ads/ news on the radio at the time. Try singing, ‘Goddamn you half-japanese girls. Do it to me every time, Oh, the redhead said you shred the cello. And I’m jello, baby’, without smiling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okthJIVbi6g

Let’s do this thing!:T hen I’m at work early and am primed to face the day. Of course I sleep in on weekends. Snooze patrol! But I’m digging the 4.40am edge…Rock and Roll!

How do you start your day friendsies?

Love and light and coffee xxx Yvette