I doubt I am the only one who struggles with motivation during the coldest months of the year. Getting out of my warm bed and preparing myself for the freezing cold world isn't the only challenge. What I find most difficult is to keep myself from switching on the wifi and scrolling endlessly on my phone first thing. As a content creator it is to easy to tell myself that I am "doing research" or "connecting with my community" but really, I am doom scrolling and that is not how I want to start off my days.
Instead I have challenged myself to established healthy habits like soaking up the sun, reading books, and moving my body before I stare into the screens.
One thing that really helps me avoid the addictive quality of my cellphone is that my partner and I never sleep with the wifi on. It is not good for our bodies to have these invisible vibes pulsing through our home at all hours. We turn on the wifi for work and entertainment during the daylight hours only. However, I do certainly have an urge to jump on social media straight away when I awake each morning.
I try to distract myself from the temptation of checking messages and social media with my true loves in life ~ tea, coffee, sunshine and books!
Before coffee I make myself drink a cup of water and prepare myself a really hot cup of tea. Today I made poleo and plantain leaf tea which steeped as I prepped my stuff to go outside. Being outdoors in the early morning isn't always a possibility. In a few weeks the sun will just barely be peaking over the mountain range when I wake up, and other days it will be too cold to be out for long. But, I know seeing true light (as opposed to light bulb light) as early as possible is important.
This morning was sunny but cold!!! I washed my face and put on a few layers of my warm and fluffy clothes then headed outdoors with my kettle, a mug, and a book about mermaids in mythology.
Reading the work of other writer's usually gets me feeling inspired to do some writing of my own. My notebook is full of ideas for future posts here on hive, scripts for future videos, and random ideas for a book I want to write someday. This morning I scribbled out a few lines for a future zine!
As I wrote and sipped my herbal tea the rays of sunshine burst from across the mountain range and crept towards where I sat at my breakfast table.
I went out to greet the sun and soak up some rays. Still feeling very cold I kept my scarf on and my fluffy jacket zipped up tight!
After a few minutes of just standing there and letting the sun do his work I felt warm enough to sit on the ground and engage in a bit of exercise. From indoors I dragged out a rug and began with simple stretches.
Just easy movements like touching my toes, doing squats and reaching towards the sky does a lot to get my blood moving and feeling warmth from inside. My cat, Reishi, was kind enough to keep me company.
I then moved onto doing a few push ups. I am trying to set a goal of doing intervals of stretching and weightlifting throughout the day. I have found that starting in the morning is key, even if I start with "girl" pushups. Then, later on , when I have to do more manual labor on the farm, I am more confident and have better form.
And then, the most dreaded of activities ~ washing plates.
I live in a beautiful place with views of the mountains, sounds of the creek, and trees all around. Inside my house, however, is another scene altogether. It is dark, dank, and really cold. And so, I very rarely film or photograph the inside of my home.
I will capture this aspect of my daily life today however because I don't want to give you all the impression that my life is all tea, stretching, and enjoying the sunshine. I live on a homestead after all. If I am honest, homesteading requires a lot more housework and specifically washing than anyone would like to share.
After the dishes are taken care of I get to move onto to the much awaited coffee time and breakfast!!
A bit of fuel in my belly I then begin some of the outdoor chores of the homestead. Recently I moved my little microgreens garden to the front yard and I am so glad I did. Instead of putting off the garden chores for later (and often forgetting) watering the plants is now a part of my morning to do list and a part I really enjoy.
There it was, my ideal morning. There certainly are days when I have to wake up before the sunrise and rush out the door. On those occasions I usually spend my abbreviated morning routine standing before the heater, sipping coffee, and preparing myself for the world before a mirror rather than all that I have shared here. Other days it is simply too cold to sit outside and instead I read and write by a window indoors. Life is about being adaptable isn't it? And these activities are an integral part of the lifestyle I try to live.
So, let me know, what is your ideal morning routine?
