As I talked about last week, I do my best to take advantage of the lovely calm and creative energy each morning to ensure that I start the day off on the right foot. I have also mentioned that I am continuing to refine my daily practices so that I am always moving towards greater health. With that in mind, I thought I would also share where my work lies with regards to optimizing my morning routine.
If you know me or have read my blog posts, then you probably know that I have had a love/hate relationship with Dr. Pepper for years now. Even though I am very aware of how unhealthy sugary sodas are, Dr. Pepper has been my go to any time that I am stressed, exhausted, or need a little pick me up. This has become such a habit, that for years I reached for it every morning without thinking about it. I no longer made a decision whether or not to drink the soda, I sought it out instinctively. While this hit of caffeine and sugar is emotionally soothing, it leaves me jittery, negatively affects my morning mindfulness practice, and leaves me feeling guilty and embarrassed (I mean, I definitely know better!). My growing edge with my morning practices is therefore to kick this habit once and for all.
Since I have done a lot of study into habit formation and changes, I know that the key is to begin by envisioning myself as someone who only drinks water and herbal tea (And the occasional glass of wine, let's not get too crazy!). In order to change our habits, we must change our perception of ourselves. As long as I believe that I am someone who needs Dr. Pepper to get through the day, I will not be able to go through my day without it. Next I am starting with small habit changes in the right direction. For example, I am currently working on drinking unsweetened tea instead of my morning Dr. Pepper. Once I no longer instinctively reach for a soda, then I will begin to switch to drinking only water or herbal tea. Changing habits is hard. It takes persistent and gradual work towards the end goal.
In what ways do your mornings need some work?
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