A Mindful Approach To Living - Issue #1

Let's talk about routines.?

Do you have a morning routine? Or do you wake up and immediately check your phone to catch up on messages, emails, and social media??

I have found that starting my day planned and intentionally mindful is a game-changer. It begins before the morning for me. How I go to sleep is intentional to protect my peace and mental health. I make sure that before bed, I am not consumed with information from my phone or computer by doing a digital detox before bed. I also don't check messages, emails, or social media in the morning before I complete my routine.?

What's my morning routine?

My morning routine framework was derived from this impactful book I read, "The 5 am Club" by Robin Sharma. I learned about the 20-20-20 method to start your morning in this book. Check out this infographic from the book that explains this method in detail.?

Few disclaimers

• I don't follow the timing of this method exactly. My workouts are almost always longer than 20 minutes, my meditation is generally shorter, and reading depends on the morning. But I have committed to breaking a sweat, meditating, and starting my day with gratitude and reading before I kick off my day.?
• You don't have to wake up at 5 am to establish a morning routine. Wake up when you want and follow your routine.?

This small change to your morning routine and intentionally starting your day without checking your phone and taking time for yourself improves your mental health and opens you to a more creative and productive state.?

Morning routines have mental health benefits such as alleviating bipolar disorder and preventing substance abuse to manage other mental disorders' symptoms.?

The key to your morning routine is to make it about YOU. Don't worry about work, your kids, your partner, etc. The quiet space in the morning is your time to spend doing things that help you start your day the right way. Investing this time has been critical for me over the last two years. I can't always control which direction my day goes in, but I can control how it starts every morning, and that little bit of control and time for me is something I look forward to each morning.?

Join me on LinkedIn Live at 9:30am this morning to talk about this 20-20-20 morning routine, my "Mindful approach to living" series for the LinkedIn Creator Accelerator program, and a Q&A with me.?

Word of the week:

Mindfulness: a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.?

Relevant reads:

The 5 am Club - Must read, even if you are not a morning person, give this book a shot. The storytelling is next level and I am confident you will learn a few tips and tricks to improve your day to day life.

Never Check Email In the Morning: And Other Unexpected Strategies for Making Your Work Life Work

The Function of Brain Waves

Quote of the week

"Take excellent care of the front end of your day, the rest of your day will take care of itself." - Robin Sharma?

The Marathon Continues ??