good mornings
CalmMoment.com 33“My mental health
really benefitted from
the positive mantras”“As a team leader working in
advertising, I often feel very
stressed,” says Danielle
Stevenson, 28, from Sheffield, UK. “I’ve started
to use mindfulness to help me cope with my busy
life, so I was keen to try a new morning routine.
“At the start of the two weeks, I was struggling
to sleep well. I would wake up a lot during the
night, so I never felt very well rested. I managed
to fit in the routine every day, but there were days
when I ran out of time to make breakfast.
“I particularly enjoyed doing mountain side
stretches in the morning. Previously, I would just
jump straight in the shower and start getting
ready, but I found myself feeling less stiff and
tense after doing the stretches for two weeks.
“I also found the mantras to be really helpful.
I made up my own each morning and chose
something that would help me face a particular
activity. For example, on one day I knew I had
a huge ‘to do’ list so I chose the mantra: ‘I can
achieve every task I do today’ which provided
motivation throughout the day.
“After two weeks, I definitely felt like my stress
levels had improved. I’ve started taking breaks
throughout the day to breathe and notice the
things around me, which helps me to keep calm
and ensures I’m looking after myself.
“I feel that my mental health has really
benefitted from the positive mantras and that
being mindful in the morning really sets me up
for the day so I’m definitely going to continue.”
Stress level at the beginning: 8/10
Stress level at the end: 3/10
“I’ve learnt to take
things more slowly”“As a busy mum to two-year-
old twins, I’ve struggled to find
a calm morning routine,” says
Sally Pamplin, 34, from West
Sussex. “Before I started, I was worried that I’d
struggle to fit everything in with two toddlers, but
actually, I only found it difficult on a couple of days.
“To begin with, I found it hard to be mindful first
thing in the morning. I’m a subconscious worrier
and therefore a busy dreamer, so my mind is busy
as soon as I open my eyes but I did manage to
fine-tune this exercise.
“After a few days, I noticed that my mornings
were feeling less like a race to get everyone out of
the door. I also felt more motivated to exercise and
bring some yoga stretches or a walk into my day.
“My children reaped the benefits too as I’ve
incorporated stopping and taking three breaths
into both mine and the children’s days. If the
children get worked up or upset, I sit with them
and tell them to breathe with me and it has the
most incredible effect. The twins have even
started to join in with my morning stretches!
“I feel that parts of the routine are totally
ingrained in me now – I’m planning to carry
on taking time to sit at the table for a wholesome
breakfast. Overall, I’d say I’ve learnt to take things
more slowly and I no longer leap out of bed as soon
as I wake up. Instead, I stay still and take stock.
And I listen to my mind and body. It sounds obvious
but with the whirlwind of life with a young family
that often gets muted. This process has completely
opened my eyes to it.”Stress level at the beginning: 6/10
Stress level at the end: 3/10DOES IT WOR K?
Changing your morning routine might feel risky, so we want to show you that
it’s worth a try. So you know it works, we asked 5 readers to test these morning
rituals for 14 days to see what a difference a fresh start to their day makes