Parental (Crazy) Morning Routine vs. "Feel Good" Healthy Morning Ritual
- Gulnoz Saydamin
- Jan 24, 2023
- 8 min read
Updated: Jan 27, 2023
I am an imperfect parent for 16 years. I've had around 5,840 crazy mornings as a Lawyer MOM. Married. Divorced. Single Mother. In-a relationship. Second-time Married. Second-time Mom... Two months and more than two years maternity break. Assignments in warzone hot-spots and peacefully blissful locations. The Life of Contrasts. Everyday brought new challenges as well as joyful moments. Yet, I have to perform and deliver results. What keeps me going? Againt all the odds, to start my day full of energy, strength and determination to be healthy and happy? Looking back at my life… It’s my "Feel Good" Healthy Morning Ritual.
Every. Single. Day. And yes, it's your humble Life Coach for Parents on this photo. In the middle of her morning ritual...
Why Morning Ritual? Not Just Routine...?
Before explaining my ritual, I would like to make a clear distinction between a morning routine and a sacred ritual. A routine is what you do out of necessity - daily repeated mundane actions to meet your basic needs. You make the bed or not, brush your teeth or not, take shower or maybe not, etc. It's what you were taught as a child, most likely. Or the dictate of self-discipline and basic hygiene rules. Otherwise, you'd rather skip all that.
A ritual is a daily activityor a sum of actions that you enjoy. That you look forward to as the pleasant part of your morning. For your personally. You jump off your bed to do that. So, the difference is simple: a routine is what's done out of need, a ritual is for pleasure, to enjoy yourself and make you feel good.
"Feel Good" Morning Activities
My "Feel Good" Healthy Morning Ritual has changed over the years... Depending on the circumstances, locations, work hours and relationship or marital status, the age of my children. However, some things remained consistent despite all odds. You know why? Because it's part of my SelfCare and Self-Love concept which is the foundation of my mental and phisical health, personal boundaries and healthy relationships with others. For more details, read my article: St. Valentine's: make a gift to Yourself First! (modernparenting.online)
#1 Don't miss out on your skincare
The absolute ‘try to-never-miss-out’ is your skincare: facial or body (especially, during the pregnancy and post-partum period). It is the ritual of loving and taking care of the largest organ of our body which is the skin. Nicely and gently cleaning it up with a scrub, face-washing gel or a simple mild soap. Then, nourishing your skin with a cream or body milk as you would do with your baby's skin after giving her/him a bath. So much of self-care and self-love in this process, you can't avoid feeling good after that and be proud of yourself. I know, you would say: ‘easy to say, hard to do… especially, with young kids. I would disagree: "It's possible. Takes 5-10 minutes max." I've managed to continue my face skin care even in the first days after delivery in the maternity ward (whilst the baby was asleep). Now, I enjoy my skincare routine together with my toddler: after brushing our teeth, apply some cream on my face and then a sun screen or wind protection cream on the face of my baby. It's our morning quality time together. Fun, fun!
#2 Take a glass of orange juice or water with a slice of lemon
The next highlight of my morning ritual is drinking a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice on an empty stomach. Enjoying every seep mindfully. Observing how the refreshing orange juice feeds my body with Vitamin C and boosts my immune system. By the way, you don't need to squeeze your juice daily. A budget version of orange juice in bottles can be found in your local grocery store. I pay attention to buy freshly squeezed stored in fridge. If not, it’s replaceable by a glass of water with a slice of lemon or few drops of lemon juice. Doable in 2 minutes.
#3 Let yourself TO ENJOY a cup of coffee
The next bright moment is the process of making and then enjoying a cup of freshly brewed coffee. The key word being TO ENJOY. It is a very special ceremony by itself. I listen to my inner voice. Make an effort to hear my soul. Figure out how I feel today... And decide which cup would please my eyes this morning and transform a simple caffein concumption into a creative artistic process... One of my hobbies is to collect coffee and teacups. I do my best to get a new addition to my collection during my travels for business and pleasure. So, we have quite a variety to choose from... For example, the cup with a saucepan on the photo above is from Athens (Greece). You know, Greeks are famous coffee drinkers with their own cultural rituals. Oh but please, we're not getting into that famous debate if it's The Turkish or The Greek black coffee (laughing).
Back to our morning ritual. The energizing flavor of coffee is my Paradise on the Planter Earth... And that maddening scent in the room… I do my best to savior this moment alone. Aint't easy sometimes. But if to wake up a bit before everyone at home, it's possible. Listening to the TV news or radio or my favorite morning jazz at the background. Choosing the "makes-me-feel-so-good-in-my skin" outfit, planning the day ahead, taking notes in my agenda. Ready to jump on my "To Do" list. Determined. Energised. Inspired. By the way, if I have quickly chugged my coffee in a hurry (which happens often with small kids), I make sure to have my coffee ceremony after the daycare and school drop-off. Either at home, or at nice cafe to treat myself. Alone or in a good company of my partner or a friend.
#4 Welcome a new day: walk or meditate
The most significant part of my ritual which wasn't missed out much is a morning walk to welcome a new day... Like walking a lot though: 1-2 km, at least. Many reasons and benefits. A walk improves your overall health, reduces your carbon footprint, creates space for your me-time and continuous learning. First of all, the benefits for physical and mental health: it improves the functioning of your heart and blood circulation, strengthens immunity, relieves joints pain and tones muscles, burns calories. The advantages for mental health: a long walk enhances your mood and boosts your energy levels, helps to process heavy emotional experiences and lifts up your optimism, sharpens your concentration and focus, relieves stress and anxiety, generates The positive outlook at life.
I am trying to be environment-friendly as much as I can. Also, it's important to teach my kids to take, even if baby steps, but in the right direction to saving our planet. If you walk in a morning to your work or wherever there’s a need to be in the early hours, you avoid using the public transport, your car or taxi. Gas emissions decrease whilst your health improves. You get to your destination without harming the Mother Nature but prolonging your life. Good deal. Part of my personal concept of Smart Living.
The morning walk is my so much needed me-time. For about 6 years, I lived 5 mins away from the beach of Lac Léman (aka the Geneva Lake) in Geneva (Switzerland). I love water! I am a humanoid mermaid (laughing). I wouldn't want to miss a day without seeing that mesmerising sunrise at the lake. I would look forward to that every morning. It was different everyday. I walked along the lake for up to 2 km before taking a bus or tram. Admiring the incredible beauty and strength of the nature, particularly when La Bise, the northern wind would blow and make a storm at the lake. I would get recharged by that energy. Thankful for another day of life gifted to me. Seizing The Moment.
Well, it wasn't always a walk with a grand view of the Geneva lake and the snowy peak of Mont Blanc (The Alpes). These days, it's a cosmopolitan city's main road with heavy noisy traffic but beautiful snowy mountains in far distance. Nevertheless, I find beauty: observing the dynamics of citylife and walk, walk, walk. Dropping off my toddler at the daycare, it's our bonding morning walk together. He usually sits in his push-chair as Mommy needs to walk fast for exercise and to be on time to start her work.
I'm a life-long learner. Therefore, I take advantage of my morning walk to educate myself by listening to podcasts and audiobooks. Surely, on some days just listen to good music depending on my mood and feelings. Or motivational speeches of inspirational speakers. To set off my day on a positive note. These days, it's mostly podcasts about parenting a toddler and weathering a teenager (smiling). And something for my own pleasure or professional growth.
Surely, I've had days when just couldn't make it. For various reasons. Bad weather, fatigue, simple "don't feel like today". Never forced myself. But just imagining how it makes me feel as a result... I would do it, just less. Maybe not 1-2 km but just a distance of 1 bus stop (500 m). To make the process more pleasurable, I brew some tea in my thermos to warm up during the walk in cold days or fill up my bottle with water to hydrate on hot days. Still, you would be skeptic with a newborn or small children. However, I started slowly taking longer walks with a buggy in 6 weeks after the childbirth. Read my article "Buggy walk/run: 10 benefits". It is possible. Even when married with kids.
And the cherry on top of the cake is my meditation. Those priceless minutes to let my mind have a moment to itself... Often, I would do that at the lake. The best meditation with the real sounds of nature. Usually, nobody's around in the early morning hours. With a toddler at home, it's a guided meditation of 11 minutes in my AirPods during his morning nap. Irreplaceable headspace before my professional work. A break in between parenting and adulting. To ease and calm my mind. To make me take a deep breath in and out To smile. And off to long walk towards my morning destination.
#5 Manage your energy, not your time
Well, more than 16 years of parenting experience, the Swiss pragmatism, efficiency and precision (I have learned from the best!) have taught me a life-saving lesson: distribute your energy evenly thoughout your day/week/month/year/life. It's not good time management gives us the healthy and happy life. But the management of our energy. How would you enjoy anything, if you're exhausted? How would you be effective if you didn't get enough of sleep? So, whatch out for ypour energy battery. Charge it on time!
Take Action! Improve Your Mornings.
It’s time for you to start applying what you have learned from this article. You have 5 start-off ideas to begin your morning ritual. Add your favorites. Get creative. But make sure to stay consistent and the most importanly - ENJOY it! Make your first life-changing move! Or if you're having hard time, you can also find more helpfull and motivational resources for free on our website as well as individual life-coaching for parents.
Our SelfCare Program is based on the concept that your physical, mental and emotional health is a priority. As a parent, you should undertake regular actions to keep your batteries in check and to restore balance when needed. As the instruction on the plane: "Put the oxygen mask on yourself first, then on your child". During an introduction session, I will make a personal SWOT analysis (your sthregnths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) to identify the gaps in your selfcare, define the areas for improvement and put a Customised Plan into motion.
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Reminder: Healthy&Happy Parents = Healthy&Happy Children!
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