6 Things to Omit from your Morning Ritual for Mindful Creativity – Building Blissful Morning Boundaries

My creative morning ritual, the details of which I shared in last week’s blog and Podcast 081, keeps me present to my Essence and Purpose and that which is most important to me to lead a fulfilled and joyful life. The whole process helps me to clear mental clutter, judgment, fear, and concerns whether they be petty or profound.

While writing about the elements my morning ritual, I realized that the sacred time I spend preparing for my day is as much about what I avoid doing as the actions that I choose to take. That is, in order for me to focus and get into the head space I require, there are platforms and activities that I save for when my ritual is complete, for later in the day, or that I skip altogether.

Of course, not having a regular 9-5 job at this point in my career, being self-employed/freelance certainly helps with flexibility at the beginning of my day. Back when I was first working after college, I didn’t have a morning ritual and barely managed to include cross-training in my weeks, then as a student coach in a corporate environment, I got up in the dark to squeeze in Pilates and aerobics workouts. 

In more recent years as a coach I developed increasingly healthy habits, though being in graduate school full-time and teaching in multiple locations was tough to juggle. However, once my daily yoga habit was established I realized that I would require certain habits and rituals to get me though my demanding schedule. They then carried me through a difficult divorce and beyond, and I’ve had the freedom to elaborate on my morning ritual since moving to Cologne and weathering COVID-19.

They key is focusing on what’s important to me, and eliminating the rest. Consider what you can remove from your own morning to make space to add something more important to you. I bet you can find just a bit more room to be present to yourself and your highest priorities each day!

Skip these for a better morning:

The following are some of the things that I avoid early in the day to make space for a meaningful ritual. Of course what works for me isn’t meant for everyone, so take what works for you and leave the rest.

1. No snoozing! Ok, very infrequent snoozing. I remove as much friction as possible from the waking up and getting ready process in order to have a calm and collected start to my day. No alarm clock torture, just jumping up, fixing myself a coffee, and getting started.
2. NO notifications, social media, computer, email, news, or input from sources not carefully curated by me, as few interruptions as possible. Of course I am often interrupted by the cat, occasionally by my partner and others, but the idea is to save such distractions as much as possible for after my ritual is complete. My ritual does include limited cell phone use for Apps such as Duolingo, Bible App, Gratitude App, Today Habit Tracking App, Tide timer used for meditation and morning pages etc., but I am careful not to linger on my cell phone.
3. No complicated grooming or dressing routines. I don’t have to worry about my hair, as it always looks the same unless it’s time for a buzz, and the rest of my grooming process is also streamlined.
   On a daily basis, almost no decision-making is required as far as washing up, I have a fiercely edited collection of natural personal care products that I follow in the same order every day. I wear the same three cosmetics every day and only for occasions do I add anything. Same goes for jewelry and wardrobe, of which I have a limited selection (for example, all my shoes are black), and is easily coordinated, minimizing decision fatigue early in the day. 
4. No running around to gather what I will wear/use/bring.
   If I’m going somewhere that day, I will have packed my bag the night before, and my yoga mat and morning ritual supplies are always at the ready.
5. No participating in diet culture, weighing myself, restricted eating, or using exercise in a punitive way. I eat what is available and what I desire, when I am hungry. I move because it brings me joy and makes me feel good! I don’t do anything without a good reason and each practice needs to support my well being in body, mind, and spirit. It needs to be a part of my personal identity and my dream life and not something that’s about judgement, shame, or guilt.
6. Along those lines, I do my best to limit negative self-talk and beating myself up about things I have no control over such as what I did or did not do the day before or skipping a day on one of my habits or ritual practices. I just start again the next day and part of my morning ritual is to write and move and meditate to clear negative emotions, worries, fears, thoughts, and concerns.

Blissful Morning Boundaries

Avoiding these six distractions supports well-being. My nervous system thanks me, as I tend toward nervous energy and anxiety (the positive part of this is motivation, enthusiasm, and action), and I can easily be derailed from my intention, so it’s important that I have firm boundaries at the beginning of my day to set the stage for success. 

By making conscious choices about what to include and what to omit in our waking hours, we can impact our entire day! My work requires concentration, coming up with and executing ideas and being fully present with people, but I am a bit on the introverted side, so it is critical that I have enough “me time” to prepare to show up fully for my clients, students, and beloveds.

Questions for Reflection

• What do your days require of you? 
• What will you omit from your morning to make space for your own creative ritual?

Let’s connect by email or on Instagram @ablythecoach, I would love to hear your perspective! 

Blythe Stephens, MFA, Bliss Catalyst
she/her or they/them
Creator of A Blythe Coach: dance through your difficulties and take leaps of faith into a joyful, fulfilling life