How I keep my wits about me
Over the past few years I have made mental health a personal priority. It has now become an integral part of my existence. Whether it’s a Manic Monday or a Sanguine Sunday, here is a short and effective morning routine I follow to activate my mornings and also keep my wits about me as the day progresses. I like to call it my 6 Step Activation Process.
Activate Order
The first thing I do when I wake up, no matter how disoriented I feel, is make my bed. In under two minutes I have essentially bid goodbye to one phase of the day (sleep) and welcomed the next (awareness). I have realized that it’s a great way to bring order to my morning. I am at ease when I leave my room in the morning and even more so when I walk back into my meticulous room in the evening. Making my bed not only starts my day off with order but helps retain it throughout the course of the day.
Activate Metabolism
It is not always possible to have a hearty breakfast or squeeze in a jog prior to the workday. As an alternative (some might call it a hack) I kick start my day with a delightful concoction of a glass of warm water, a dollop of honey, half of a freshly squeezed lemon (or lime) and some apple cider vinegar. This drink certainly has an acrid, acquired taste, not to mention odor, but has proven nutritional and health benefits — higher metabolism, improved immune system, good source of vitamin C. Additionally, I have ensured at least one glass of water. This routine, that I started over a decade ago, starts my day off right and helps steer clear of the occasional runny nose and itchy throat.
Activate Mind
This has been the toughest habit to form and sustain. I started meditating in early 2016 after hearing about the benefits from friends and family members. Like most people, I took this up reluctantly. I started out with the 10-day trial on Headspace, almost gave up after experiencing no positive impact, and then decided to try it out for 11 more days (it takes about 21 days to form a habit.) I am not sure if 21 days was the magic ingredient here, but persistence paid off.
From that point on I made meditation an integral part of my day. On a good day I would start my day with a 10-minute session. On a great day, I start my day with a 15 to 20 minute session. And on most other days, I try to steal at least 5 minutes — on the subway, on my walk to lunch, in the quiet reflection spaces my company offers, or the few precious minutes before bed — of mindfulness and present moment awareness. Meditation has certainly made me more aware of my emotions and my moods and helps me respond better to situations. Other handy tools I use every now and again are Breethe and Calm.
Activate Body
All that travel and hours of sitting in front of a computer takes its toll. I often forget to give my muscles a good stretch during the day and there are days when I simply don’t have the time to. So I like to start my day with some muscle activation, even if just for 5 minutes. My kyptonite is my back. I spend a few minutes in the morning stretching and strengthening it. Again, something I started close to a decade ago to nurse a herniated disc, which has now become a part of my morning routine. This part of my routine serves the dual objective of strengthening my back while promoting deep breathing.
Activate Positivity
Several studies has proven that starting one’s day with gratitude goes a long way in promoting positive phycology. The Five Minute Journal a simple and effective way to activate positivity. It only takes 2 minutes in the morning and a few minutes in the evening.
I start by listing three things I am grateful for. I try to mix it up and focus on one opportunity (e.g., a new project, watching Coldplay in concert), one person (a family member, a mentor, stranger on the subway who gave up their seat for me) and one thing (hot coffee, umbrella on a rainy day). These are simple things but they remind me of all the wonder and good around me.
I then go on to list three things I will do to make the day unbelievably amazing. These could be simple things — reduce screen time by one hour, reconnect with an old friend, wrap up that long pending expense report. Or they could go deeper — snap out of feelings of self-doubt, stand up to “X”, eat mindfully. Interestingly, I think about these things right before I go to bed and then I wake up, get on with my day, and forget about it. Writing them down at the beginning of the day serves as a good reminder and motivator to carry these thoughts forward and act on them throughout the day.
I have maintained my journal in several forms in am attempt to cultivate this habit. I have the app on my phone, which I populate on my subway ride to the office. I also have a notebook on my nightstand and one on my coffee table that I can reach for and fill out at leisure. The best way to form an habit to create an environment that facilitates its formation with the greatest ease.
Activate Awareness
This is something I added to my routine fairly recently but have found it very useful in building awareness of the world around me. On my way out of my apartment I play an episode of Up First NPR which serves up a 12 to 13 minute tidbit of world news. I picked this particular podcast 1) Because I am a sucker for NPR and 2) It fits perfectly with my commute time to work. CBC The World This Hour would come a close second on days that I have a longer commute.
My routine has been inspired by several people in my life; some who I have had the good fortune of meeting and interacting with on a daily basis and others who I have only had the pleasure of hearing on Podcasts or watching on YouTube. Special thanks to my brother, who introduced me to meditation and to Tim Ferris, who inspired me with his morning routine.
