{"id":2177,"date":"2021-07-02T17:15:21","date_gmt":"2021-07-02T15:15:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jnhcoaching.de\/?p=2177"},"modified":"2021-07-02T18:54:08","modified_gmt":"2021-07-02T16:54:08","slug":"morning-routine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jnhcoaching.de\/de\/2021\/07\/02\/morning-routine\/","title":{"rendered":"Morning Routine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello Friends!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So it\u2019s July already!?!? Not quite sure how that happened!! I don\u2019t know about you, but I am completely confused as to what date it is these days. The weather\u2019s been crazy and unpredictable, I\u2019ve been working from home for what feels a little bit too much like an eternity, and a lot of things are feeling just a little out of focus right now.

Which is why I was even happier than usual to do my Quarterly Review this week!! At the end of each quarter, I sit down and review how my business has done over the past 3 months, and take stock of the Bigger Picture. It\u2019s also a time to check in with how I\u2019m doing personally and which habits and routines I potentially need to tweak.

And I have to admit that this past quarter my morning routine really slipped. Now, I\u2019m a morning person, so it does actually say quite a lot when I am not jumping out of bed, enthusiastic to get the new day started!! That\u2019s my regular M.O. and when it goes missing, well that\u2019s a big sign that it\u2019s time to re-evaluate and reprioritize a few things.

I love my morning routine. I\u2019m the only true morning person in my household, and that hour I spend on my routine is the one hour of the day that I am truly alone. The house is quiet, I have time to listen to my thoughts, and I have found it to be the best way to set me up for a successful and fulfilling day.

You might think it\u2019s a bit counterproductive to start (or in this case re-start) a morning routine in the summer, when you might be on holidays, but I find the summer the perfect time. The mornings are sunny and bright. It\u2019s warm. The start of a summer day feels so inspirational! The birds are chirping, there\u2019s the scent of summer in the air. And it\u2019s a lot easier to get up when it\u2019s already light out, don\u2019t you think?? \ud83d\ude42 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, I\u2019ve experimented with a lot of different elements to my morning routine, and the conclusion I\u2019ve come to is: there is no right answer for \u201cthe best\u201d morning routine. The best routine is the one that you actually DO, and that you feel is right for you. And what might be right for you today might be different tomorrow. (Another reason I like taking stock of my routines and goals during my Quarterly Review). 

Here are a few resources and elements that I have found helpful in establishing a morning routine and which many of my coaching clients have enjoyed as well!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SLEEP<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It should come as no surprise that Sleep tops the list of the most effective ways to start your day! If you\u2019ve had a good night\u2019s sleep, the morning looks a lot brighter, and you\u2019re a lot more likely to be productive as well. I loved this bite-sized podcast episode<\/a> with Matt Walker, one of the world\u2019s top sleep gurus, explaining the scientific benefits of sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TOOLS<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not naturally a morning person, or someone not naturally inclined towards routines, one of the tools I often recommend to my coaching clients is the Habit Nest Morning Sidekick Journal<\/a>. It\u2019s a brilliant way to set yourself up for success using this step-by-step journal to create and follow through on a morning routine. 

I also find setting an intention very helpful, as well as having some accountability. But how can you be accountable to yourself? You can write your future self an email! There\u2019s a website called Futureme.org<\/a> where you can write yourself an email to be sent to you at a future date of your choosing. How about writing your future morning-routine-loving-self an email congratulating yourself on your success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

JOURNALING<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was really sceptical about the whole journaling thing. I\u2019m not an angsty teenager spilling her melodramatic emotions into her diary. But journaling is not writing a diary. And the science is virtually irrefutable: journaling is a brilliant tool for improving your mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and helping you achieve your goals. 

Lead To Win<\/a> \u2013 one of my favourite Leadership podcasts \u2013 did a great episode on how to get started journaling, and how many leaders have benefitted from this practice.

If you too are sceptical, this article from Huffpost lists the Top 10 Benefits of Journaling<\/a>.

Looking at a blank page might be more likely to cause writer\u2019s block than spark creativity, and if that\u2019s the case for you, have a look at these journaling prompts<\/a> that stimulate your thoughts on multiple different subjects. 

I actually can\u2019t write without the right size lines and went through multiple attempts to find the perfect journal to encourage nice handwriting, and this one<\/a> from Moleskine is the winner for me!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AFFIRMATIONS<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a similar vein to journaling, affirmations can also be a very effective tool for self-confidence. We let the \u201cShitty Committee\u201d in our head tell us a lot of negative crap. Deliberately choosing to fill your mind with positive thoughts can do wonders! 

My brilliant coach trainer, Gillian McMichael, does a daily affirmation<\/a> on her IG account which I check religiously. And if you\u2019d like to create your own affirmations, this article<\/a> is helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MEDITATION<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who are these people who actually have *no thoughts*?!?! This is absolutely incomprehensible to me!! My brain is full of a million thoughts, zooming around like asteroids, bouncing off one another, and then creating new thoughts. The concept of a calm mind sounds amazing. And also ridiculously unattainable. So I didn\u2019t think meditation would be my thing, because I didn\u2019t think I\u2019d ever be able to have a quiet mind! I literally laughed out loud when reading Dan Harris\u2019 book on his journey to meditation, 10 Percent Happier<\/a>, because I could relate so well: \u201cMeditation struck me as the distillation of everything that sucked hardest about the granola lifestyle. I pictured myself … in a room that smelled like feet…intoning Om and attempting to float off into some sort of cosmic goo<\/em>.” Same!! 
 
It was reading Stress Less, Accomplish More<\/a> that really changed how I felt about meditation. For one thing, the author doesn\u2019t expect you to have a quiet mind, nor does she even think that\u2019s attainable! It\u2019s about training yourself to just do one thing. To sit and to try to focus on one thought, and to train yourself to not get distracted by all the thoughts that are of course going to come into your mind. This way of looking at meditation was really liberating for me and this book actually got me started meditating. And for the most part I\u2019ve stuck to it! Need to get back into the regular habit again, but I highly recommend this book for those of you who have tried meditating before and think you just can\u2019t do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BREATHING<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s crazy that humans have actually evolved away from breathing properly and now need to be taught how to breathe correctly. Apparently our respiratory rate should be 6-8 breaths per minute. Mine is 14!  The correlation between nasal breathing and respiratory rate for athletic performance was also very interesting for me as a triathlete.
 
And from a work perspective, I found the description of \u201cemail apnea\u201d just so spot on. A University of California San Francisco study identified that people stop breathing when they turn on their computers in the morning and see the onslaught of emails. It triggers the fight or flight (aka stress) response. They call that email apnea. Ring a bell by any chance?
 
This podcast<\/a> does clock in at just shy of 2 hours but don’t let that put you off. It’s a really engaging and fascinating interview!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are of course lots of other ideas for morning routine \u2013 exercise, yoga, gratitude, etc. And those are indeed part of my routine too! Didn\u2019t want this to get too long and unwieldy though, and the exercise portion in particular seems to be one that most people already have covered. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LIFE-CHANGING READS – READER EDITION<\/span><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was absolutely overwhelmed by how many of you responded to my last newsletter and shared your own life-changing reads!! It’s a spectacular list of growth, enlightenment, and learning new things. Thank you so much for being so generous with your own favourite resources! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your list:
Good Vibes, Good Life<\/a> by Vex King
How Not To Die<\/a> by Michael Greger
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion<\/a> by Robert Cialdini
It\u2019s never too late to begin again<\/a> by Julia Cameron
Predictably Irrational<\/a> by Dan Ariely
Rebecca<\/a> by Daphne Du Maurier
The Book of Awakening<\/a> by Mark Nepo
The Miracle Morning<\/a> by Hal Elrod
The Power of Now<\/a> by Eckhart TolleWheat Belly<\/a> (or Weizenwampe<\/a>) by William Davis
And I can\u2019t believe I didn\u2019t include Invisible Women<\/a> on my<\/strong> list!! It definitely deserved a spot. I\u2019ve loaned it to a friend to read and thus didn\u2019t see it on my bookshelf but I would be very remiss if I didn\u2019t highly recommend it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n


I would love to know what is in YOUR morning routine! Please share your favourite resources, by either sending me an email or commenting on social media. And let me know if you try anything new from the suggestions above. I\u2019d love to know how you get on!
 
Hope you are enjoying a beautiful summer wherever you are, and your mornings are filled with sunshine and joy!
 
Have a wonderful weekend!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay healthy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hugs,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hello Friends! So it\u2019s July already!?!? Not quite sure how that happened!! I don\u2019t know about you, but I am completely confused as to what date it is these days. The weather\u2019s been crazy and unpredictable, I\u2019ve been working from home for what feels a little bit too much like an eternity, and a lot of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2179,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[82,63,80,179,171,70,83,180,64,65,178,68,67],"class_list":["post-2177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-coaching","tag-executive-coach","tag-growth","tag-habits","tag-icf","tag-leadership","tag-leadership-development","tag-morning-routine","tag-personal-development","tag-personal-growth","tag-routines","tag-you4-0","tag-you4point0"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jnhcoaching.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2177","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jnhcoaching.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jnhcoaching.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jnhcoaching.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jnhcoaching.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2177"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/jnhcoaching.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2177\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2243,"href":"https:\/\/jnhcoaching.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2177\/revisions\/2243"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jnhcoaching.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jnhcoaching.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jnhcoaching.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jnhcoaching.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}