Fire Your Snooze Button

Posted on November 28, 2012 by Leslie Gilmore, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

How you start your day is how you live your day.

What happens at your house in the morning when the alarm goes off? I can tell you I have a long term and fond relationship with my snooze button. Oh, it is so nice to hit that button and silence the shrill noise that has broken my peaceful slumber. Well, I am firing my snooze button and invite you do it too!

I have been speaking with clients about their morning routines and many have found that starting their day using this simple plan has changed their attitudes for the entire day. Invite intention and passion into your day using this very simple four step plan.

When you first wake up, do you go through a mental schedule? How often do you have meetings with other people in your imagination before you even get dressed for the day? Do these scenarios play out during the day? Are they helpful or do you find that they bring unnecessary stress to your morning routine. Why are you working before you even get to work?

Although it is important to be prepared for your day, spending the morning rushing and worrying is very counter-productive. It can elevate stress levels, enhance feelings of dread and drain our energy before even leaving the house.

Here is a four step process that is proven helpful to beginning your day with energy and enthusiasm.

Step 1 – Pay attention to all of your senses. Take this time to wake up your body in a way that is comfortable and pleasing to your mind and soul.
What do you see? Do you have something inspirational to read? Are you sitting near a window where you can see the sunrise welcoming the new day? Do you have photos of family and friends near by?
What do you hear? Do you have the news blasting all the bad news from yesterday, followed by the fears for today? Turn off the tv and the radio (at least for now). You will have plenty of time to catch up on all the news later on today. Begin this day with sounds that are soothing to you. Perhaps a waterfall or other music that you have on your phone that is peaceful, gentle and pleasant. It is a good way to start you day.
What do you smell? Do you have a favorite candle you can light or another scent that you enjoy? Make it a point to pay attention to this neglected morning sense. Stay away from the morning breath!
What do you feel with your skin? Are you still in your comfy pajamas? Is there a soft blanket or robe that you can use to keep warm if it is cold outside?
What do you taste? Have you made a cup of tea or perhaps some fresh juice or coffee? Take a moment to enjoy the flavors and wake up with the taste rather than from the chemical effects.
Step 2 – The past – Take a few moments for gratitude. What are you thankful for this morning? Do you have all of your needs met at this moment right now? Are you grateful for your family, for nature, for your friends, for this wonderful blog :) I will share my gratitude list with you. Today I am grateful to be on a new career journey, for my family, for Halloween, for the nice guy who helped me from GoDaddy, for the ability to write this blog, that I have food in my belly, a heart beat, a roof over my head and people to love.
Step 3 – The Present – Take a moment to say an affirmation. This is your special talent and gifts. We all have many of them. I find that the more I mentally feed my talents rather than my short-comings, the more my talents grow. I will share some of my aspirations with you – I am capable of giving and receiving love. I am open to all the possibilities of this day. I know serenity. I intuitively know how to handle many situations in my life. I am confident. I am competent. I am respectful. I am hopeful. I am blessed.
Step 4 – The Future – Live this day intentionally by setting specific intentions. What do you want from today? If you are aware of where you want to go, you have a much better chance for going that direction. Here are some of my intentions for today. I am going to smile and laugh and love. I am going to be open to miracles. I am going to love this day and live it to the fullest. I am going to to live this day with direction, purpose and intention. I am going to post my very first blog!
That’s it. So you might say, I don’t have time for that in the morning! My mornings are crazy and filled with stress. I am suggesting that you if your mornings are crazy and filled with stress, then your day is probably going to be crazy and filled with stress. Take 10 minutes and try these suggestions. Take 10 minutes to invite, gratitude and intention into your day. I would love to know what works for you. What do you invite into your day? What are your mornings like?