Are you choosing stress unconsciously?
How to best set yourself up for the day by taking conscious action over poor habits.
It's common not to fully appreciate how simple (and sometimes enjoyable) habits are actually adding a huge amount of stress to your system.
Consider the following in relation to stress vs acting consciously.
Option 1 - Morning routine;
Waking up to an obnoxiously loud alarm (stress 1) feeling groggy because you didn't get enough sleep (stress 2).
Heading straight to the kitchen for a coffee (stress 3) even though your tissues desperately need hydration, aka a big glass of water.
Checking your work emails (stress 4) over your morning coffee.
Listening to or reading the news (stress 5) and checking social media (stress 6) as you eat your breakfast too fast while standing in the kitchen (stress 7), before you're even properly awake.
Responding defensively to an innocent question (stress 8) from your spouse on your way to the shower because the media you just ingested has made you feel anxious.
Shouting at your kids to hurry up and get ready for school (stress 9) because you're tired and grumpy.
Preparing your second (or third) coffee (stress 10).
And you haven't even left the house yet...
Or option 2 - Morning routine;
Waking up without an alarm because you have an effective sleep routine (conscious act 1), and taking two minutes before you climb out of bed to notice how you feel and what you might need today (conscious act 2).
Heading to the kitchen to prepare a herbal tea or lemon and hot water (conscious act 3), leaving you feeling refreshed and hydrated.
Joining a live 30 minute class on FORME Live, or selecting a class from the On Demand Library (conscious act 4) , to stretch, tone and condition your muscles, hydrating the body further.
Staying in savasana or taking a seated meditation for 2-5 minutes post your movement practice (conscious act 5) to cultivate mindfulness.
Making coffee/breakfast and sharing it with a loved one (conscious act 6) building connection, and eating slowly (conscious act 7) giving your digestive system an opportunity to work effectively.
Perhaps checking in on the news or social media from a more grounded place (conscious act 8), but leaving those work emails until you officially start work (conscious act 9).
Walking or cycling to work for some fresh air and time in nature (conscious act 10) adding to your daily movement quota.
Option 2 adds 30-40 mins to your morning routine. Some days you simply wont have time, and that's ok.
It is important to acknowledge a simple fact - you've got options, and you are solely responsible for the state of your body and mind, so a couple of times each week, choose option 2.
