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This Morning Ritual Will Set You Up for a More Peaceful Day Ahead

This Morning Ritual Will Set You Up for a More Peaceful Day Ahead


“Peace is a journey of a thousand miles and it must be taken one step at a time.” – Lyndon B. Johnson


Published by Amy Maclin



Five minutes is all you need.   

For all too many of us, our morning ritual consists of gulping some caffeine, spritzing on a little dry shampoo, and sprinting out the door in a mild panic – which may get us to work on time, but doesn’t exactly set us up to be our most contented, creative, cordial (and non-cranky) selves.

What if you could turn that morning ritual into something more ritualized? That is, a regular practice that fills your cup before the day ahead instead of draining it? “By creating a morning ritual or routine, you put yourself first,” says Courtney Carver, author of the book, Gentle: Rest More, Stress Less, and Live the Life You Actually Want, who began consciously simplifying her life after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. “By prioritizing your self-care needs first, you’ll carry the idea throughout the day and remember to take care when you need it.” Here’s her wise advice on how to create a ritual to add contentment to your mornings, and to your life.  

Put Yourself Before Your Phone

Chances are, your phone is in your hand before your feet hit the floor. But scrolling through social media, or freaking out about the latest headlines, or frantically dashing off emails, not only robs you of precious minutes you could spend on what really fulfills you, but it also crowds your mind and spirit.  

“The habit of phone-first mornings prevents you from starting your day with more ease,” Carver says. “It removes you from how you want to feel and what you want to care about.” Unless there’s something truly urgent, she suggests, imagine how much more peaceful it will feel to check your phone after you’ve spent some time waking up and taking care of yourself: “Experiment by keeping your phone in sleep mode until an hour or two after you wake up.”

Start With Five Minutes

When Carver decided to create a morning routine, she started by waking just five minutes earlier so she could do a little yoga. The next week, she added five minutes of meditation. The following week, five minutes of journaling. “Each week after that, I added just one minute to each activity until I had a 30-minute morning routine,” she says. “With work and getting my daughter to school, that’s all I had time for.” If 30 minutes sounds like more than you can spare, go for five. You may find that taking that time makes such a big difference in your days, and then you can find a way to carve out more.

Do What Feels Meaningful for You

“I change my routine depending on the time of year and what’s going on in my life.” Carver says. Currently, after she wakes up, she takes 20 minutes for meditation then writes until she’s filled three pages with whatever’s on her mind. (The exercise is based on creativity coach Julia Cameron’s “morning pages” from her 1992 classic, The Artist’s Way.) “This isn’t record-keeping or journaling for a new project, but a much-needed brain dump,” Carver says. “I write silly stuff, serious stuff, worries, hopes, dreams, and even drama. Anything to move those thoughts off my mind and onto paper. Once I fill a notebook, I shred it. Next it’s coffee, a walk – inside or out, depending on the weather – and a chat with my sister.” Your ideal morning routine doesn’t have to include any of those things, she says: “There are no magic ingredients for a morning routine. Start the day with something that interests or delights you.”

Give Yourself a Few Parting Words of Wisdom

Sometimes it’s easy to let your newfound good vibes dissolve as soon as you step into the pressures and challenges of the day – in which case, it can be helpful to have a few words of encouragement you can take with you when you walk out the door. A few Carver recommends:

  • Put your hands on your heart before you them on your phone. It’s a way to remember to be gentle with yourself, before you focus on other people.  
  • That moment when you don’t think you have time to take care of yourself is the exact moment you have to take care of yourself.  
  • Where you are right now is where you are. You’re not behind. You’re not caught up. You’re here. It’s all you really get.

“When a behavior triggers a positive emotional response, we’re likely to remember this and do it again.” – Elissa Epel

“Worrying does not take away tomorrow’s troubles. It takes away today’s peace.” – Randy Armstrong


© Amy Maclin. All Rights Reserved.