Moving into Autumn
Every now and then...
...the squirrels in my garden remind me to prepare for winter.
It is the Autumn Equinox in the northern hemisphere and the days are already noticeably shorter.
I thought this might be a good time to remind myself and anybody reading this, how important it is to have a healthy morning and evening routine that supports regenerative sleep during the night and sets us up for a good day ahead.
There is a lot of information out there about the “perfect” routines and I’m not here to tell you what to do. However, I would recommend looking at the reasons why something is suggested as a helpful thing to do and to then evaluate whether that might be good to try out for yourself.
Technically, you already have a morning and evening routine. The question is, are they healthy and helpful?
You might want to adjust your current routines if you:
- wake up exhausted
- can’t make it through a full day without relying on stimulants
- have difficulties falling asleep
- if you wake up often during the night
The above is a short list and of course, there are many reasons for any of those things to occur.
In April, I shared my experience around improving my routines and what a difference it made to my energy levels and my sense of wellbeing.
For me personally, I found it helpful to stop drinking coffee after 1pm, to stop drinking that glass of wine in the evening, to have dinner earlier and go to bed earlier.
One thing I will be more intentional about now that the days are getting shorter is to go outside to enjoy some sunlight and daylight, especially in the morning to start my day. And to continue with my intuitive movement practice before breakfast. I just notice how much better I feel when I do those things before the responsibilities of the day beckon.
Prompts to ponder
What is your current morning routine (aka how are you starting your day, by design or by chance)?
What is working for you?
What is not working so well?
What would you like to change and why?
What is your current evening routine (aka how are you closing your day, by design or by chance)?
What is working for you?
What is not working so well?
What would you like to change and why?
If you would like to adjust your current routines but aren’t sure of how to go about that, I’d love to help you figure this out in a few coaching sessions.
Let me know your thoughts. I’m always curious about your take on things. :)