My morning ritual is one of the most enjoyable parts of my day. On the days I miss it, I notice that I’m not as present, relaxed, and joyful as I could be. How we begin our morning defines the rest of the day. A morning ritual has the power to both ground you, align you to your intentions, and give you that positive boost of energy you need to truly own your day. Rituals in general have been known to relieve anxiety, grief, and depression; they’re also great for providing that daily constant that can be nurturing and healing, in a world that can seem to be so challenging at times.

Below are some tips for creating a morning ritual that works for you. Since everyone is so different, we should each create our own unique ritual tailored to our pleasures, desires, and lifestyle. Don’t try to simply model your ritual off of someone else’s; you’ll just struggle with consistency and end up ditching the routine before you know it.

 

Decide how much time you can devote to a morning ritual.

How much time can you set aside for yourself in the morning, before you plunge into the madness of the day? For me, I need at least an hour for my morning routine. On the weekends, I can do two hours, since I don’t have work waiting for me. But what would yours be? You might be thinking that you don’t have 1-2 hours per day to devote to a morning ritual. Not to worry: You can start small. Dedicate 5 minutes, or 10, or 15, if you have to. Start somewhere, no matter how small and insignificant you think the time might be. The important thing is that you’re dedicating this time to yourself. And that’s a tremendous step, especially if you’re not used to scheduling time in for a morning ritual.

 

Decide on what your routine will entail. Ask yourself: What makes me feel alive? Then start planning to bring whatever that is into your routine.

 

If you bring what makes you feel alive/motivated/turned on/excited into your morning routine, chances are, you’ll stick to it. So do something that lights that feeling up inside you. For me, it’s things like meditation, yoga, dance, breast massage, and reading. When I do these things, I feel so much energy, peace, vibration, and gratitude flowing through me; and that feeling is what keeps me coming back, each and every day, to my ritual. Do the things that really speak to you. Do the things that will reach down all the way into your soul and connect you to who you truly are. It could be anything from taking a morning walk, deep breathing, working out, sipping some tea, or writing in a journal. And you get to decide how many things your ritual consists of. You can focus on one, or five, or ten things. The beauty of this is that you get to decide what feels right.

 

If you have goals you want to accomplish, take some time to set an intention.

 

Too often, when we fling ourselves into our days without taking the time to align to what we want, we lose sight of it. And we neglect to take those actions that will get us closer to our goals and dreams. So carve out some time — it could literally be seconds — to visualize what it is you hope to achieve, and the actions you will take to get there. See yourself in the flow and making things happen. Again, this just literally takes seconds, but it’s highly transformative.

 

Go with gratitude.

 

I know, I know; so predictable to end an article like this by preaching gratitude! But there’s something magickal about taking the time out of each day to fully embrace the moment you’re in, the person you are, the life you live, and the people you know. Write about it, think about it, visualize it, feel it, dance it. Whatever you do, let yourself fully surrender to the vibration of gratitude. You are so blessed to be you, and to be here in this world. Own that!

 

Oh and one more thing: Try not to look at your phone first thing in the morning.

 

Looking at your phone right when you wake up sucks you into a multitude of distractions. If you start your morning that way, you set the tone for a distracted, fragmented day. We live in a world that spends way too much time looking at our phones, scrolling through social media, and checking our notifications. All of this detracts from our ability to be present and enjoy each moment. Start your day off right by keeping your phone hidden, so that you can be mindful, present, and focused on what truly matters in life. (And ideally, this might even encourage you to cut back on time spent on your phone for the entire day, which is a huge plus.)

 

In case you want to see my morning ritual, here it is: