6 Easy Tips to Create a Morning Ritual

How to Create a Morning Ritual and Curate Mindfulness in your Daily Routine

Here at Merry People we are big advocates for creating rituals and cultivating mindfulness. These routines help us stay focused on our mission of being merry and embracing the unknown.

In our office, we dedicate time each Monday to talk about our goals and visualise what we want for the week. Then on Friday afternoon, we loop back to talk about what made us happy this week and celebrate our wins - big and small. Now as we work from home, we stay connected on a group chat to share our daily Merry Moments of things that are sparking joy and making life that little bit brighter.

Integral to building this happiness is creating and nurturing rituals in our life so we wake up focused, present, and ready for the day. Here are some of the ways our team does this:

1. SWITCH TO AN ALARM CLOCK

We've said it before, and we will say it again - use an alarm clock, not a phone, to wake up. Numerous studies have highlighted the merits of using an alarm clock instead of your phone to wake you up. Not only does the cool, bright light of a phone make it harder to fall asleep, but when your phone is next to the bed it makes it oh-so-tempting to scroll late into the night. Then, the first thing you see in the morning is your phone, teasing you with fresh news and social updates. The updates will still be there later, so please, let your mind have a break and enjoy a nice, Instagram-free sleep. (Anyone else remember 10 years ago when smartphones and Facebook were not the norm?)

2. STAY HYDRATED

Who else wakes up and immediately wants a cuppa? Resist the urge! Generally, when we wake up feeling tired, our body is actually signalling dehydration. So before you head straight for the coffee machine, have a large glass of water first. Give your body a few moments to acclimate into the day. After years of grabbing a glass of water first thing in the morning, Dani and Katey both say that act triggers in their mind that the day has started, waking them up much quicker than any coffee.

3. MORNING MOVEMENT

The mental and physical benefits of movement cannot be overstated! Dani loves a good cardio spin session, Katey does Pilates, Emma goes for walks outside, and Tim is a fan of pandiculation (or, body yawning) while still in bed.

Morning movement can take many forms - yoga, walking, gym classes - and is just about creating energy in your body and helping the mind become more present. It is also a good way to forge social connections by joining a gym, or a run club, or meeting up with a neighbour for a walk.

4. VISUALISATION

The better we visualise our goals and the future we want, the better our chances to make it happen. Adding visualisation to your morning ritual will help you be proactive with your day and make of it what you want. This can be part of a 10-minute meditation, thoughts during a run, or even a few minutes dedicated to writing down your goals. It's all too easy to let the negative voices run rampant in our internal monologue, so try to dedicate time for silencing that noise and crafting a positive vision of your life and goals.

5. EAT WELL

Just like staying hydrated, the body needs fuel! After some movement and visualising, give your body more love before it heads off for the day and fuel it well. Make yourself a nutritious and tasty breakfast that will really kickstart your day!

6. STICK WITH IT!

Change rarely happens overnight; rather, the key to creating any lasting morning ritual is to stick with it! It generally takes about 30 days to make a habit, so challenge yourself to stay committed to your new routines.

Stay Merry everyone!