Hi Sunshine,
How do you start your day? Is your first thought one that immediately leaves you stressed? Do you spend your mornings feeling frazzled?
How many times have you woken up, immediately checked your phone, sent an email, then a text? Maybe you turned on your TV, checked Facebook and Instagram, freaked out over something you read, and felt bad about something you said?
Then you have to feed the kids and the dog and pack lunches. You pour a third cup of very strong coffee and send another email—all before 7am. Is that really how you want to live your life?
Your Morning Routines Shape Your Days
Now I know we’re busy people, but can you see how a schedule like this could kickstart adrenaline? I sure can. I have my own variation of this story and it’s just as chaotic. When I hit the ground running, I generally feel unstable. And that’s why I want to help you rethink your morning habits with your well-being in mind. So without further ado, here are some morning ritual ideas to help you start your week the right way.
#1 Start Your Morning the Night Before
The best morning rituals start the night before. Write down your to-do list before you go to bed. Spending time writing down any important task(s) you need to complete the night before helps you wake up and start your day with intention. Believe me, it will make a big difference in your daily life.
#2 Use a Gentle Alarm
If you need to set an alarm, make sure it’s soft and sweet. There’s nothing worse for your adrenals than the blaring sound of an obnoxious alarm that immediately leaves you feeling stressed. Instead, choose something like a subtle chime that slowly brings you back into consciousness. Good morning, angel.
#3 Begin Each Morning with a Positive Outlook
Our first moments are our most open and sacred. They are the bridge between the subconscious mind and consciousness. If you’re like me, it probably takes a few minutes to feel present and in your body. You don’t have to be a morning person to kickstart your day with some positive thinking.
This is the perfect time to connect with your soul. Rather than tuning into the outside noise, go inside first. Silently give thanks and show yourself some much-deserved love. Begin each morning by blessing your day. How lovely, right?
Here’s an example of what I say upon waking: “Thank you for another day on this glorious planet. May I be happy, healthy, grateful, kind, and loving today. May I be of service to myself and others. Thank you. I love you. Have a beautiful day, sweet Kris.”
This simple morning ritual truly changes everything. It helps shift our perceptions about ourselves and the world around us. So much of our focus is often on what we don’t have or what’s missing in our relationships, jobs, or overall well-being. We wake up ready to judge and criticize. Wouldn’t you rather immerse yourself in happiness?
#4 Set an Intention Every Morning
I encourage you to allow daily gratitude, prayer, and blessings to shift that. While there may be circumstances in our lives that we can’t change, nothing can take away our freedom to choose our own thoughts. Your mind is your sovereign space and you are the leader of that kingdom.
This fundamental truth is one of the most important revelations we can have about our power. Love, peace, war, forgiveness—it all stems from a thought. And though it may seem small to begin with thanks, in truth, it’s revolutionary. Setting an intention every morning helps you start your day focused on the good that lies ahead.
#5 Drink a Juice, Smoothie, or Glass of Lemon Water Before Coffee
People always ask me if I drink coffee in the morning. The answer? Sometimes! But I always feel better when I put something healthy in my stomach before my tea or coffee. Drinking a smoothie with good fats and protein or a green juice loaded with vitamins and minerals helps me avoid overdoing the caffeine and all the crashes that come with it.
Try this tip, I swear it will change your day! And don’t forget to drink a big ol’ glass of water with lemon upon rising. The benefits are insurmountable and your liver and bowels will thank you.
#6 Take a Few Minutes to Eat a Healthy Breakfast
Eating breakfast every morning as part of your daily routine is a great way to start your day. Try out some of these healthy meals:
Starting your morning with breakfast makes a positive impact on the rest of the day.
#7 Write in a Gratitude Journal
Another great morning ritual is to write morning pages. One of the best ways to get to know yourself and practice loving kindness is to write about your thoughts and feelings. Talk to yourself on the page. Ask questions and listen for the answers.
If you have nothing to say, write “I have nothing to say” over and over until you do. Or try something like “If I did have something to share, what would it be?” Just get the conversation going. You’d be surprised how impactful a five-minute journal session can have on your entire day.
#8 Incorporate Morning Meditation into Your Routine
Before you roll out of bed and dive into your morning routine, take a few moments to take some deep breaths. Sitting in silence is a great way to embrace the healing space between thoughts. I always feel so comforted when I embrace meditation in my morning routine.
If you’re new to this practice, just sit in a comfortable position for 10 minutes and focus on your breath. When a thought comes (and it will), acknowledge it by saying something like “thinking” to yourself and then try to let it go (that may not be possible right away—don’t worry if that’s the case). You can also use counting or a mantra to anchor your attention. Try counting from 1-10. Again, if a thought comes, pause, say “thinking” and resume where you left off.
An example of a mantra I like to use is “I am love.” Do whatever works for you and don’t be hard on yourself. I recently took a workshop with one of my favorite teachers, Pema Chodron. Pema is a Buddhist nun who has been meditating for more than 40 years.
I nearly fell off my cushion when she joked about being terrible at meditating! (She has the best sense of humor and is one of the kindest, gentlest teachers.) She shared this with us so we would stop beating ourselves up for being sucky meditators. If Pema can have compassion for her practice, so can we.
Psst! If you want to dive right in and try meditating (or just take a new meditation for a spin), I’ve got a little gift for you. Fill out the form below for your free meditation!
I am love, that is powerful, thank you for sharing such an insightful information, I have been drinking water with lemon but I will alternate my tea/coffee with juicing and schedule more time with self especially through journaling.
I love your morning prayer. I pasted it into my google calendar at the top of the page each day. I have 2 morning prayers that I say daily, and this will be the 3rd one that I say as I sit down to work every day. Thank you so much! Blessings 🙂
I start my day with a workout – generally an early morning run outdoors as I love to experience the wonders of weather and nature and it’s such a treat to see the sun rise. It puts me in a great mood and during this time I like to zone out and thank the universe for all of the wonderful blessings I continue to receive. After my shower I make a wonderful nourishing juice, and connect with myself again on my way to work. I put on fun music and do some “mind dancing” with my soul, envisioning us dancing together. One of my favourite songs is “All I Want is You” by The Cars. Gives me tingles every time.
“Mind dancing” with your soul—what a lovely concept.
Lately, I’ve been doing this type of dancing to “Rather Be” by Clean Bandit. Totally tingly 🙂
Thank you dear Kris, your advice always rocks!
I appreciate your generosity. When I read your posts I always feel lighter and more positive.
keep on shining!! Lots of love from Barcelona, spain
I like be to start my day outside in my garden. I stroll and see what’s new, fill the birdbath and fountain, and enjoy my nutriblast or coffee on the swing as I watch the sky turn and listen to birdsong. I love your emails Kris. Keep up the great work.
Loved this 5-Step morning program
Morning positive affirmations are great ! All the things you listed are perfect ! The writing is great too . Sometimes if I want to release negative emotions , I write them down and throw it off into the garbage . Or if I need to tell someone something that I never got to say and I can’t get in touch with them , maybe because they are no longer with us in physical sense, I tell th on paper , like a letter to them . I did this when I got to work today. I had a dream about my cousin who passed a few years ago . I wrote him a little letter and it really felt uplifting and good to get it out there . All positive things bring lots of positive results and stillness is perfect to give the mind a break
I totally agree! When I shifted from checking emails and busting through a couple of cups of coffee to meditating, writing, juicing and then walking the dogs, all before 6 my life changed!!!
Yes, I wake up 2 hours earlier and guess what…I have more energy than ever before. I’m including this blog link in my Soulfood Sunday Sips because it is so super valuable. Love your stuff and you! Xoxo, j
I pick up, fluff my sofa pillows, rinse any dishes, and try to create a fresh, welcoming space to see when I first wake up. It helps set the tone for my whole day.
Thanks, again, Kris! Your energy is amazing! Mornings are not my strong point. Getting a good start is super important for me! I start my day with hot lemon water that has cayenne, fresh grated ginger, tumeric and cinnamon. Its an amazing bath for my insides. Followed by a couple oz of fresh wheat grass. Thanks to your inspiration and books, we drink fresh juice every day. My fresh green juice, I call it the Kitchen Sink, is next. Usually has kale, celery, radish, lime, cucumber, carrot, green apple and ginger. Love it! I try to meditate or get outdoors to workout for 30 minutes. On my way to work I put a meditating CD on, and drink my Arbonne detox tea, (great tea with peppermint and milk thistle)., and Tulsi tea together. As a nurse, I care for, teach, clean up, wait on patients all day. This routine helps me get prepared to handle most anything. Not to mention my husband has had cancer three times and it just recently switched from high grade to low grade on the last go around. Mainly, (we are convinced), due to your alkaline diet advice, and the changes we made in our lives. Thank you sooo much for all your research and work, that has changed our lives! When a friend is diagnosed with cancer, I immediately send them “Crazy Sexy Diet”, and hope they find the wealth we did!
Thanks and love to you!
Mornings are not your strong point, Brenda? You sound like a morning CHAMP to me! Sending so much love to you and your husband. xo, kc
Love this post! And love that you drink coffee from time to time after your greens.
Your ritual, is very similar to mine. But I just wanted to share that I started to get really frustrated when kids got in the way of my morning…. Which started to make me feel selfish that I wanted a morning routine. I would wake up super early and somehow the kids would have radar that mama’s up! It was really throwing off my energy so I started playing around with the order and asking for help…. I write before bed now and meditate at noon. I can say an affirmation of gratitude and get my juice, but I usually can’t escape to exercise before making the kids food and packing lunch. So… I started making affirmations around that. It is so powerful to pack healthy lunches and make yummy smoothies for kids. When I found the power in that, packing lunch, took on a whole new meaning! Thanks for a great post!
These are all great suggestions, Kris, and yes that IS why I get up well before the sun for exercise–and so I can make it back home to give my kids a hug before they head of to (gulp!) high school. Since reducing my caffeine, I don’t even have the mid-morning crashes I used to have. As for smoothies, I used to be doubtful but now much prefer them!
Mindset is what makes the difference, and mindset changes happen most quickly when the need is important or even urgent. When your health, or life, is actually on the line changes can happen fast. For those of us in good health it can take a bit more grit to make lasting improvements.
Thanks for this great blog Kris!
Get up
1. Drink water
2. Read devotion
3. Workout/ treadmill or workout DVD/more water
4. Coffee/shower
5. Smoothie
I like to read novels, or inspirational books in the morning. Then in the shower, I massage myself with cocnonut oil waking up all my skin, muscles and joints. I ask/visualize all the negative stuff to wash off and go down the drain, to start the day fresh clean and ready for what the new day holds.
My days begin with my unique house hen screeching alarm. She can get pretty dramatic if I sleep in too much. You’d think she was being ripped apart. I have flown down the steps, heart a racin’, terrified she was being slaughtered, only to find her sitting in her condo wanting to get outside and start her day. That’s not a fun way to wake up so I don’t sleep in very often. Usually I get up, stretch, look at my gorgeous meditation chair as I pass by it to run downstairs and take care of everyone, (2 birds and 2 rabbits). First I change everyone’s water and feed the 2 house rabbits their pellets. I also clean Smokie’s nose, (my one-eyed house rabbit who has an endless nasal discharge). Then I wheel out my one-winged robin in his condo so he can hang out all day on the deck. Then I let my chicken out and feed both of the birds worms. Then I water all the plants on the deck and feed the birds and squirrels who live outside in nature. Then I come back in the house and vacuum up all the bunny poops and get them more hay and some fresh greens and change the litters if they need it. Then I clean out the condos and do some laundry. THEN, I get myself a nice glass of negative ion water and check my emails. Then, IF I’m lucky, and everyone is happy, I get to take a shower. But usually my neighbor’s cat comes over and I need to spend time with her too so she doesn’t feel left out. I do feed her kibble in the hopes she’ll leave my bird and squirrel friends alone. This is a work in progress. Oh yeah, by the way, I look like death warmed over but I am SOOOOOO loved. My fingers are in constant pain from overuse, (a house hen is a LOT of work!), but my heart is full. Oh! I almost forgot the best part! The very first thing I do is get a Sparkie bath. The minute I come downstairs every morning, Sparkie, my oldest house rabbit, is there waiting in his little guard spot, (he guards the family at night), and I get down on all fours and give him lots of strokes and kisses and thank him for keeping us all safe. Then, because he simply cannot wait to reciprocate, he licks my entire nose and cuddles into my face and neck. This is by far the best part of my day. It also sucks because I can’t put on all my nighttime beauty products because Sparkie doesn’t like it. 😀 😀 And if Sparkie doesn’t like it… it doesn’t happen. Yeah I may look like death warmed over but I’ve got a whole lotta LIFE goin’ on over here and I KNOW I am loved. That makes all the cleaning and sore fingers and aging face worth it. 😀 😀 Maybe caring for others with a joyful heart is also a sort of meditation. 🙂
I want to come to your house ❤???
ANY time. How’s your fingers? 😉 xx
Yes, dear Kriss , so Important this maintaining of a positive Momentum before stepping even out of bed . I usually do breathing and silent sitting Meditation plus Affirmations before I write my Morning Pages ( rec. by Julia Cameron and the book ” the Artist’s way ” ) . So basically I have to get rid of a lot of swirling thoughts in order for them to make space for Inspiration. BUt , when I am angry or not feeling good and that happens a lot in last time , I am just so identified with shitty thoughts that only thinking of positive affirming is freeking me out, so I prefer whatever makes you release Resistance and therefore makes you feel better . So you can make a meditation out of punching your pillows for some minutes or do kathartic shouting and screaming , after that you may get to know what deep peace really is .with Love . Sandra
Yay Kris! I wholeheartedly agree.
This beautiful free app IS the reason I’ve been able to sustain a meditation practice over the last year!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/1-giant-mind-v2/id990931892?ls=1&mt=8
Here’s to bringing the SACRED into all of our days.
Much love!
Natalie Kling
Loved your “top 5”. I’m working with free weights. 5lbs for now for upper body. Walk 20 minutes and then… REBOUNDING!!! Am up to 15 minutes of walking and jumping with 1 minute cool down. Would like to get to 30 minutes. Amazing exercise for bone density, lymphatic drainage, oxygenating and just plain feeling good!
I start every morning with a positive thought, a little prayer and a pint size glass of warm lemon water. It’s my morning ritual and I swear by it. Morning meditation is something I try to do everyday but must admit I could do better. I’ve started running in the morning and love the way it focuses my mind. Love you Kris! I’ve been following you for years. I love your energy. Thank you thank you thank you❤️ Namaste
I am trying so hard to adjust my routines so I can be more peaceful and less stressed out. But somehow, over the summer, I lost focus. I think these tips will help me get back on the wagon. Thank you for that!