Setting Yourself Up For A Positive Day – By Michelle Arscott
Morning Routine: Set Yourself Up for a Positive Day – Written By Michelle Arscott
How many of you just stumble through your early morning, in survival mode, and before you know it you are in the car commuting to work or doing the school run, in autopilot? The same thing, day in day out. You can make your day more fulfilling and positive by waking up at least 20-30 minutes earlier and practising a few effective habits. Hal Elrod author of ‘The Miracle Morning,’ developed an acronym of the crucial ingredients of a great morning start: SAVERS- Silence, Affirmations, Visualisations, Exercise, Reading and Scribing. In this article, I will offer my interpretation of these simple practices, based on my own experience and work as a life coach.
● Silence
Silence provides you with the opportunity to listen to your own thoughts and feelings without interruption, to be in the moment. The best way to find silence is to wake up before the rest of your house stirs. The peace and stillness of the house are so restorative. It’s quite magical and feels like the rest of the world is asleep. If it is not possible to wake before everyone, find a quiet place in the house or go outside and spend time connecting with your thoughts and feelings.
● Affirmations
Start your morning with a positive affirmation to set your intention for the day. Early mornings are a perfect time to practice simple meditation. Find a comfortable position sitting or lying down and take 3 deep cleansing breaths. Begin by simply expressing gratitude for your life, for being alive. Think of an intention for the day: what do you want most in the day for it to be awesome? Reflect back on your previous day and what personality trait would have made your day better? For me, it is often patience! Express this as a personal affirmation. Put it out there. If you say it out loud enough times, your mind will believe it. For me, I use the affirmation, ‘I am calm’. Say your affirmation to yourself 3 times, and use the affirmation whenever you need reminding.
● Visualisations
Visualise what a successful day would look like for you. See it in your mind’s eye. How would it look? What sounds would you hear? What feelings would come up for you? Imagine taking a 4D picture of your awesome day, capturing all the sights, sounds, and feelings. Imagine the photo shrinking until it is so small that it’s invisible, then hide it somewhere on your body. When you need reminding during the day of this positive state of being, tap that part of your body 3 times.
● Exercise
Wake up your physical body. I love morning yoga with Adriene on YouTube, she is amazing and has over 4 million worldwide followers. She has yoga videos for every occasion, every level, from 5 minutes to over 60 minutes. You can also do some simple stretching, go for a morning run, or engage in any activity anything that gets you moving. You will feel great afterwards!
● Reading
Find some external inspiration. Read something positive to set you up for a great day. It could be something as short as a quote, an extract from a memoir or self-help book, or an article like this. HuffPost Good News has great inspiring pieces.
● Scribing
Writing can be a great release. It can embed a positive mindset into your subconscious, especially if you write about positive ideas that come out of your morning exercises. Invest in a nice journal. In the morning you can record your positive thoughts from the morning exercises. Additionally, you could think of 3 actions that you would like to complete during the course of the day. Journaling can be whatever you feel you require, from writing down a gratitude list to simply expressing your thoughts.
The SAVERS routine doesn’t have to take up a lot of your morning. As little as 20-30 minutes daily will make a difference. It’s your routine, so adapt it so that it works for you. Carrying out this routine sets a positive tone for the rest of your day. Every morning is a new beginning, a fresh start. Make the most of it.
I challenge you to try this morning routine for 5 days and see how you feel afterwards.
No better time to start than tomorrow morning!
Michelle Arscott – The International Adult & Kids Life Coach
BSc (Econ) Psychology & Sociology
PGCE Education
ICF Accredited Life Coach
ILM certified Coach
Kids Life Studio Certified Coach