Morning routines look much different in retirement. This happens for several reasons of course: time is generally more plentiful, priorities change and responsibilities are evolving. Productivity looks different too; but that doesn’t mean we want to waste entire mornings scrolling on social media or playing games marketed to maintain our memory. Self care, personal growth & development, and accomplishing tasks are vital to a rich and rewarding life in retirement.
Why does it matter? For myself, I’ve found that if not part of routine or regular habit, certain activities just won’t get done. The things I’ve included in my morning routine are easy to do, and easy not to do. Doing them contributes positively to my mental, physical and financial health. Without setting expectations around my morning I found that I would scroll or play mindless games. Nothing wrong with that at times, but certainly no productive value and left me feeling empty when complete.
I retired two years ago and struggled a bit with how I wanted my mornings to go and what I had hoped to accomplish. It had been on my mind one day and, while out thrifting, I happened upon a brand new, 4 book boxed set from Habit Nest: The Morning Sidekick Journal Series. The Universe was listening and providing me with a gift to help jump start my efforts. (Side note: this set retails for about $50. My cost at the New Hope thrift store, $2 – I LOVE thrifting!) Conquer Your Mornings, Conquer Your Life is the Habit Nest message. I love a good journal and this set has four. It includes motivation, education, tracking, forgiveness – stuff to get you going and help you maintain your morning routine. The set is certainly not a necessity but I’ve found it quite useful.
Over time, I have developed a morning routine which I look forward to. It is energizing and helps set the tone for my day. What follows are the activities which I included:
Visioning Meditation. I take 5-10 minutes every morning to meditate on my personal vision. I imagine myself achieving the goals I’ve set. I do this for many areas of my life: home, marriage, health, wealth, creativity, physical characteristics, relationships, etc. For example, I picture myself selling out all of my pieces at local art shows or walking on a secluded beach, hand in hand, with my husband. This is one of the favorite parts of my morning.
Affirmations. Along the same lines as visioning, these are positive expressions, which are repeated regularly. In so doing, they contribute to self confidence and a growth mindset. They can be said out loud or to yourself. I tend to write mine and read them quietly to myself. This takes less than 5 minutes every morning.
Self Development. Many of the activities discussed here contribute to one’s growth and development. Another specific activity I include in this area is to read 10 pages of personal growth material every morning – which, coincidentally, is a suggestion I picked up when reading The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. Generally, I read books related to creativity, financial growth, spirituality, health, law of attraction, and relationships.
Gratitude. Focusing, even for brief periods, on gratitude has been pivotal in improving my mood. I have found that when I direct my thoughts to the positive in my life, I’m happier and more optimistic about the day and my future. So, each morning, I spend 5-10 minutes practicing gratitude. I write about my physical self, people in my life, nature, the environment surrounding me and many other areas of my life.
Water. It’s vital to our physical and mental health. Sadly its another one of those things that’s easy to do and easy not to do. For me, adding it to my morning routine helps ensure that I’m off to a good start and taking in adequate amounts throughout the day. I do this with my protein intake too by starting the day with a protein rich smoothie.
Of course, there are lots of activities that are important to our physical and mental health, that are not included here. Things like strength training, meditation, stretching, walking outside, spending time with others, volunteering, and creating. I make time for these things too but they are not necessarily daily endeavors. Do you have a morning routine? I’d love to hear what works for you.
Cheers,
Woody
