13 Morning Rituals for Daily Inspiration and Motivation

1. Meditate
Meditation is a wonderful way to still the mind and really notice your thoughts, and it can be done anywhere at any time. In fact, it’s the perfect way to start the day and can be performed as soon as you wake, without even getting out of bed. You can meditate to soothing music or to silence, but whichever method you choose, just devote a few minutes to breathing deeply, observing your thoughts, and repeating a positive affirmation with regard to the day ahead.

2. Make Your Bed
This might sound like a strange ritual to add to your daily routine, but it is, in fact, a powerful part of being successful in your day to day life. Making your bed means that you have completed a task, which not only affords you a sense of satisfaction but also sets the tone for the rest of the day. This encourages you to tick off another task, and another, and so on.

Making the bed also encourages you to pay attention to detail, and important skill in every area of life.

3. Take a Shower
There’s taking a shower and there’s enjoying a shower, and while the first means you are running on autopilot, the second means that you are being mindful. Starting the day off with a shower which you enjoy can be hugely uplifting, and allows you to really notice different sensations – the heat from the water, and the scent of the soap, for example. It is also a wonderful opportunity to thank your body for carrying you, which is something we all neglect to do.

4. Set Some Intentions
This ritual can be combined with taking a shower, or meditating on waking, or as a standalone task, but it is a powerful precursor for the day ahead. What do you want out of the day? Spend a few moments thinking about that question, and then set the intention to achieve just that. It could be to smile more, or not get stressed, or to do something charitable, but whatever it is, make it positive and your entire day will follow that lead.

5. Play Some Music
Make music part of your morning ritual and you are guaranteed to start the day on a high. Choose a playlist of your most uplifting songs and play it as you get ready; sing-along, or even better dance around as you make breakfast or get ready.

6. Drink Hot Lemon Water
…make lemon water! Drinking hot lemon first thing in the morning is a brilliant way to detox the body and aid digestion, and can give your skin a healthy glow. Not only that, but with powerful antioxidant properties, it can help to ward off infections, and boost the immune system.

7. Picture Success
Whatever the day ahead holds, picture it in your mind as going brilliantly. The law of attraction states that thoughts become things, and no matter what is in store for you – from filing all that paperwork to making a big presentation at work – envisioning it as being a success ensures that it will.

8. Be Grateful
The law of attraction also states that you will attract that which you are thinking and/or feeling. By having a scarcity mindset, you are encouraging more scarcity. Conversely, coming from a place of gratitude will ensure that you keep receiving more of what you are grateful for. Spare a few moments every morning (and any given time during the day) to offer thanks to the universe for all the good things in your life, and you will find yourself rewarded with more good things!

9. Love Yourself
Love starts with ourselves. As you’re getting ready for work, or school, or whatever your day entails, spare a few minutes to look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself how great you are. Simple affirmations such as saying ‘I love you’ to your reflection will work wonders. Alternatively, something along the lines of ‘I am strong, I am happy, or I am beautiful’ will also raise your energy levels and make your day better.

10. Enjoy Your Coffee
Whatever your morning drink of choice is, turn it into an enjoyable ritual. Buy your favorite coffee blend, or those expensive tea bags you covet, and really make a ‘thing’ out of preparing it. Then when it is ready, sip it and savor it, enjoying the smell, the taste, and the warmth as you drink. This is a great way to be mindful and is also a useful exercise in practicing the art in other areas.

11. Treat Yourself
Have you ever heard the expression ‘a little of what you fancy does you good’? Apply it to life as an act of self-love and watch how important those little moments become. If chocolate is your thing, then splash out on a good quality bar and enjoy just one square with that morning coffee. If cookies are your sweet treat of choice, allow yourself one with your tea and really enjoy it. These little moments of luxury can elevate even the most average of days.

12. Appreciate Nature
When you step outside the door to start your day, leave a minute or two earlier and just stand and appreciate nature. Smell the air, listen to the birds, and feel the sun/wind/rain on your face. This is a powerful way to reconnect with the universe and is the perfect reminder that you are part of something much bigger, and something infinitely wonderful.

13. Spread the Love
Helping others is a sure-fire way to help ourselves. Make someone else’s day a little bit better and watch how yours comes alive! Pay for a random stranger’s coffee, compliment someone on their shoes, or smile at someone who looks like they could do with a friendly face…you never know what battle someone else is fighting, and your random act of kindness can literally change their day and possibly even their life.