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5 Simple Ways to Practice a Mindful Morning Routine

If you struggle to keep a clear mind, implementing a mindful morning routine could encourage you to slow down and reconnect with yourself and your surroundings.

For so many of us, from the moment we wake up in the morning our attention is centered around the tasks we need to complete and the responsibilities we need to fulfill. This immediate and constant divided attention can prevent us from soaking in the simple joys around us.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a practiced cognitive skill that allows us to be truly present and aware of the current moment. It primarily revolves around managing our awareness and attention.

There are many ways to implement mindful practices, from various meditations to simple daily acknowledgments. Mindfulness is believed to play a role in reducing stress, lending to a positive mindset, and managing negative thoughts.

Here are five simple ways to begin introducing mindfulness into your morning routine.

1. Active Awareness

Mindfulness can start as soon as you wake up. Refrain from rushing out of bed or reaching for your cell phone, and instead pause to take a deep breath. Take a moment to acknowledge the world you have woken up to.

Take note of how you feel. Are you comfortable in the position you’ve awoken in? Do you feel rested? Feel your chest rise and fall as you take deep breaths. Is light streaming through your curtains welcoming a new day?

Let your mind ease from welcoming the world to gratitude, and make a mental list of three things you feel grateful to experience today.

As you begin to execute your morning ritual, acknowledge the small things otherwise overlooked. Pause a moment longer to observe the weather. Soak in the temperature of the water as you bathe. Feel the comforting warmth radiate from your morning cup of coffee.

Continue to carry out these small moments of awareness as you dress and get ready for the day.

2. Mindful Breathing

There are many ways to perform mindful breathing. A simple way to get started is by allocating five to ten minutes each morning to observe your breath.

Find a place to sit upright and undisturbed as you begin this practice. Take the time to find a comfortable, cozy position to sit in.

Allow yourself to focus your attention on your breath. Deep, slow breaths in and out. Let go of anything occupying your mind and appreciate this time to connect with yourself

As you breathe continue to focus on your breath. Feel your chest rising and falling. Imagine your lungs expanding as you breathe in, and compressing as you exhale out.

Notice how well you are able to focus on your breath. Do you find your mind frequently wandering? If so, where is it going? With each stray thought do your best to return to your breath and clear your mind.

3. Sun Salutations

An alternative beginning form of meditative mindfulness is exercising sun salutations. This yoga practice is a great low-impact solution for moving your body early in the morning.

The sun salutation sequence is composed of a 12-step flow involving grounded stretching that can improve muscle strength. Ideally, this should be completed on a mat or carpeted surface for a 10 to 15-minute duration.

These movements help stretch our bodies while encouraging a clear mind. While completing the stretches, you should once again focus on your breath and inhale and exhale with the flow of your movements.

When practiced correctly, you will learn to move in a deliberate, unrushed flow that helps you feel calm and rejuvenated.

4. Journaling

In addition to moving our bodies and focusing on our breath, maintaining a healthy, positive mind plays a huge role in achieving mindfulness. Keeping a journal can act as a vehicle for us to channel our thoughts intentionally.

Gratitude journaling is a way to foster a deeper appreciation for every day and a more positive attitude. This easy activity has been linked to numerous benefits when practiced over time including improved sleep and a greater sense of social connection.

Expressing gratitude can cause our brains to release dopamine and serotonin, which makes us feel good.

A gratitude journal could involve writing one thing down each day, or multiple. Expressions of gratitude with greater detail allow us to form a more gracious ideal.

For example, you may be grateful to be in good health and denote that as “I’m grateful to wake up each day with lungs that provide me with the air I need to breathe and legs that can carry me where I need to go.” These specifics focus our gratitude and enhance our perception.

5. The Body Scan

One of the most well-known forms of mindful meditation is the body scan. Similar to a breathing exercise, the body scan forces us to focus our attention and prevent the mind from wandering. Unlike a breathing exercise, here we are focusing on sensations throughout our entire body.

A body scan can be completed lying down or in a seated position, with your feet anchoring you to the floor. It can be easy to overlook our well-being when our attention is centered elsewhere. The scan encourages us to release the distractions we may be holding on to and reconnect with how our bodies feel.

Once you have chosen a comfortable position to begin this exercise, aim to spend fifteen minutes in this focused state. Begin, once again, with deep calming breaths.

Feel what parts of your body are connected to a grounding surface. If you are seated, consider how your feet feel against the floor, and how your elbows are anchored to an armrest. In a supine position, imagine your body sinking into the mattress, connecting entirely with what you are resting upon.

The scan begins at your feet and works slowly up to the top of your head. Beginning with your toes, then the arches of your feet to your ankles. Are there any points of discomfort? Deep breaths in and out. How do your feet feel resting against the ground?

Work your way up your legs, noting any abnormal sensations, to your torso. Are your hips properly aligning with your shoulders? Slowly making your way up your body, making adjustments where necessary, all the while maintaining steady breaths.

If your mind begins to wander, work to refocus on your breathing and the sensations you’re experiencing. This seemingly simple activity exercises our attention and awareness.

Starting Small

While it may be challenging to channel our attention to the tasks we usually speed through, being mindful and attentive is a skill that can be learned over time. By approaching tasks in an appreciative manner we can reimagine our daily experiences.

Mindfulness can help us to achieve a clearer, calmer mind and unlock a more positive lifestyle. So, slow down, breathe deeply, exercise your mind and your body – and grow from there.

Madison Bernabeo is a student at Boston University studying advertising with a minor in business administration. She enjoys spending afternoons reading in the park and dreams of traveling. You can learn more about Madison on LinkedIn.