Some mornings I prefer staying in bed.
Not because I'm still tired, but because I'd rather not hit the play button on the day. Usually it's when things aren't going 100% in my life.
I know - it's kind of juvenile not to face reality and tackle issues, but it just feels warmer and safer beneath the blanket.
I know you can relate.
Then, guilt does its thing and I hit play.
Here's what I've learned about those mornings:
How you start your day sets the tone for everything that follows.
Most people open their eyes and immediately reach for their phone. Emails, Instagram, TikTok - whatever it takes to get that dopamine hit. Dopamine nation we are.
But here's the problem: that sets your dopamine bar for the day. Your brain starts chasing that level for the next 16 hours. And when you don't meet it? You already know how that feels.
Add in a stressful email from your manager, a calendar reminder about that deadline, and suddenly the day feels impossible before it even starts.
So on the days when I don't feel it, I shift gears slowly.
If my schedule allows, I give myself 30 minutes:
Make coffee. I enjoy the process - it's like a small ceremony. (I visited Japan last year and watched them making pour-over coffee. Super satisfying to watch and drink. So now I do it myself 😁)
An addiction I feel totally fine with.
Next. I write gratitudes.
Take a 10-minute walk in the sun, looking toward it (never directly! Thank you Huberman) to let my brain know the 24-hour timer is on.
Ground if possible.
That's it. 30 minutes total. Not too much.
And I feel so much better.
Things look worse from bed. I promise.
Try this tomorrow morning:
Before you reach for your phone, ask yourself: What's one thing I can do in the next 10 minutes that will make me feel more grounded?
It doesn't have to be my routine. It just has to be yours.
Maybe it's stretching. Making tea. Sitting in silence. Stepping outside.
Just 10 minutes. Before the dopamine chase begins.
Q: What's your go-to on the hard mornings? I'd love to know.