wellness
34 CalmMoment.com
“The routine
makes me a
much nicer
person in the
morning!”“I work as a busy
reception manager in Leicestershire and
often have to get up very early for work,”
says Estelle Rogers, 40. “But I’m not
a morning person so I was grateful for
something calming to do first thing.
“At the start of the two weeks, I felt like
a bear with a sore head every morning –
sad, anxious and depressed. I found that
having the morning routine gave me
something to focus on other than the
stress and anxiety that I usually feel.
“In theory, I should have been more
stressed over the two weeks: I had a very
busy diary with first aid training, a job
interview and I was working a lot of
hours – and yet I felt so much more in
control than I usually would.
“I also found that my mood improved
over the course of the two weeks.
Basically, the routine makes me a much
nicer person in the morning! Usually,
I am given a wide berth as I can be a
‘stresshead’ and can quite easily have
an argument with myself, but I haven’t
woken feeling like that since day three.
I particularly love the aromatherapy
part of the routine. Most mornings my
smell was orange as I found it really
energised me; this was the smell of my
shower gel. The exercises calmed me,
the daily motto empowered me, and
the chamomile tea (after my coffee!)
also calmed me and made sure that
I was ready to embrace the day.
“The breakfast didn’t work for me,
so I’ll go back to my old faithful of peanut
butter on crumpets. Honestly, there have
certainly been less arguments in the
morning since I have been following
the routine so I’d be silly not to
continue with it!”Stress level at the beginning: 8/10
Stress level at the end: 4/10“I now wake up refreshed
from a good sleep”“I’ve been trying to bring some self-care
into my day, meditating and knitting for
relaxation, but I still find the idea of ‘me-
time’ a bit alien,” says Gail Cadogan, 48,
from Fife, Scotland. “I run my own business making and
selling copper enamel jewellery, and I have three sons – two
at primary school and one at high school, so my life is very
busy and I don’t find it easy to switch off and relax.
“Before starting the morning routine, I was finding it
difficult to fall asleep and I was suffering from symptoms
of stress, with headaches, irritability and a racing heart.
“In the mornings, I’d wake feeling sluggish and unable
to motivate myself. The routine has really helped with this.
Both my sleep and my waking have improved. I enjoy the
morning mantra and stretching and I now feel as if I wake
up refreshed instead of dragging myself out of bed.
“It was harder to follow the routine at the weekend and
I found it difficult to fit in a good breakfast, as I tend to grab
my porridge on the go, but overall I feel more in control
and able to deal with whatever the day holds. I’ll definitely
be continuing to start my day with positive thoughts
and stretching and I’m now trying to integrate more
nutritional breakfast foods into my family’s diet too.”Stress level at the beginning: 8/10
Stress level at the end: 4/10“I felt more in control
of my time”“Lately, I’ve been feeling that there are
not enough hours in the day. As I head
into the menopause I need to find more
calm in my life,” says Julie Evans, 50,
a yoga teacher and holistic therapy trainer in Cheshire, UK.
“For the first week I fitted in the exercises easily – I
struggled a little in the second as I was away from home.
The breathing exercise, along with my use of essential oils,
helped me to start the day with a clear mind and as the
weeks went on, I felt that I had more time during the day
and I was more in control of my time.”Stress level at the beginning: 7/10
Stress level at the end: 4/10