Wake Me Up: Morning Positivity - Morning Routine - How to Overcome a Slump

Episode Date: August 9, 2021

Life has its ups and downs. This refreshing morning routine will help you make the most of the downs. Enjoying Wake Me Up? Get ad-free access to the entire WMU catalog + bonus content by joining the WMU Premium Feed. Sign up and start your 7-day free trial at https://wakemeup.supercast.com/. Follow the show on Spotify - Apple Podcasts - Podchaser Say hi or request an episode at www.wakemeuppodcast.com/contact. And find the podcast on Instagram and TikTok. **Only partake in the physical movements suggested in Wake Me Up episodes if you are physically able and in safe surroundings. All movements are done at the individual's own risk. Be safe, and always consult a doctor if you have any questions or concerns.** Have a wonderful day 😃 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you'd like to enjoy Wake Me Up completely ad-free and get access to exclusive bonus content, check out the link in the show notes for the Wake Me Up premium feed. Good morning and welcome to Wake Me Up, the podcast where morning people are made. I really appreciate you tuning in this morning. As we all know, life is full of ups and downs. The ups, well, they're easy to enjoy. The downs, not so much. And even sometimes, the down moments may feel like they'll never end.

Though the downs certainly won't be as enjoyable as the ups, we can learn to make the best of them and get through them more easily. And that's what we'll do today. But whether you're currently in a slump or not, I'm sure this episode will leave you feeling refreshed, uplifted, and ready to start your day. So, let's jump right in. Wherever you are, whether you're joining from bed or if you're already up,

take a big breath in, hold it, and then exhale. Let's do one more of those together. So inhale, pause at the top, and then release. Just let it all go. Now, when we're in a slump, one of the best things we can do is to focus. in on our core necessities. One of those is the body. So we're going to do a few stretches to begin today.

These are designed to be done lying down, so if you're in bed, great, just stay there. If you're up and about already, that's fine too. Just find somewhere comfortable to lie down where you have a little room to maneuver. And we'll start on our backs. Begin by bending your knees and bringing them into it. your chest, wrap your arms around them, and give a gentle squeeze, a little hug, if you will.

And while you do that, take a second to just thank your body for showing up today. The body does so much for us, and most of it doesn't require any of our attention, is a real blessing. Now release that hug and let your knees fall over to the right, so your torso is in a gentle, twisted position. Keep your shoulders square on the surface beneath you. Your knees may fall all the way over, or they may not. Only go as far as it feels comfortable to you. We'll rest here for a moment. And like I said, the best way to deal with a slump is to limit your focus to the things most important to you. Cut the distractions and hone in on the things that make you the happiest.

These might be certain relationships or hobbies that you have. And now we'll switch sides. So bring your knees back to center, take a breath and reset, and then let them fall over to the left, repeating that twist on the opposite side. Just remember to keep your shoulders down flat, and don't worry about how far your knees go. While you're resting here,

think about two or three things that bring you the most consistent happiness and fulfillment. Things that allow you to be yourself and encourage you to be the best version of yourself. Maybe it's your relationship with your partner. Maybe it's your art or your exercise routine. Okay, now bring your knees back to center, take a big inhale and give your legs one more squeeze into your chest.

Then release it all on your chest. exhale. And on that note, it's about time to get out of bed and start this day. So let's take one more deep breath in. And as you exhale, roll over, and make your way to standing up. So we've done a few stretches already, but let's do one more now that we're standing up. And as always with these stretches, you should only join if you're able. And if you'd prefer to do something else, then of course, feel free to do that. If you're going to come with me, then take an inhale and reach your hands all the way to the sky. We're going to do my favorite stretch.

Reach all the way out of your shoulders. And then on your exhale, fold forward at the waist. And just let everything dangle towards the ground. Let your arms release. Let your neck relax. And it's nice to keep a gentle bend in the knee, especially since it's still first thing in the morning. Slowly begin to roll all the way back up,

and when you get there, roll your shoulders up and down. All right, so we've done a nice job warming the body up this morning. Let's focus on our minds. So find your way to a comfortable seat, and feel free to grab a sip of water or use the bathroom. Do anything like that along the way. Today's meditation will draw on those couple of things you do. just identified as most valuable to your happiness and well-being.

Since they hold such a special place, they will naturally bring about positive thoughts in your mind. We'll use this and we'll blend it with a bit of gratitude to help focus your mind away from any kind of downs you're experiencing and towards the things that bring good into your life. So by now, hopefully you found a nice comfortable seat. Let's take a deep Keep breath in together, and then as you exhale, slowly close your eyes. Take this first moment to make sure you're comfortable. You want to be seated upright, but try to let yourself relax into the seat. Drop your shoulders, soften your jaw and your brow.

You can breathe at whatever pace feels right to you. Try to keep that breath nice and smooth and rhythmic, though. And as you follow it, it will slowly take you deeper and deeper. So now, bring to mind one of those things you identified earlier as important to your happiness. Whether it's an activity, a person, a place, it doesn't matter. Just bring it to mind and begin to see whatever imagery arises in relation to that thing. See yourself there. with that person or doing that activity

and perhaps notice a few of the more memorable moments in your memory bank regarding this thing. Take note, what is it about this person or thing that is so valuable to you? What about it brings you happiness? Why is it a positive force in your life? Now send out a silent thank you

to that person or thing for all of the good it creates in your life. Okay, you can release that visual now and just bring yourself back to the breath for a moment. All right, begin to bring yourself back into the room. Notice any sounds going on around you? Feel the chair beneath you and your feet on the floor. Let's take one final big breath in,

filling all the way up, and as you exhale, open your eyes, and just take a second to collect yourself. Friends, whenever I'm feeling down, I always find it most helpful to do exactly what we've just done. I focus in on what really matters to me, the people I love, the things that I do that bring me the most happiness. A lot of our problems come from other sources, so it's always nice to remember. that what matters the most is still there for you. Choose today to put a little time into one of those things that matters the most to you. I promise you will get back everything you give.

It's time for today's send-off. We all have slumps in life. Our paths are full of ups and downs, hills, and valleys. Though sometimes, we may wait. wish for more stability. This undulating pattern is important because it's how we're able to progress in life. We take two steps forward and one step back. Two steps forward, one step back. The highs are easy to enjoy. The lows, well, we typically want those to be over as quick as possible. Though we can't get rid of the down moments in life,

we can make them easier to deal with, and we can also make them productive so that our next high is even higher. How? By cutting out the extraneous things in life, by hunkering down and putting time into the people and things that matter most to us. As our core sources of support,

happiness and positivity, focusing time on them will lift our own spirits, make our own problems feel lighter, and remind us that most of our fulfillment in life comes from a few sources. By focusing in on these sources of happiness, we can develop our relationship with these people or things even further. This only increases their value, which is a way. which means two things. Our down moments with them won't feel as bad, and our high moments will feel even better because we've been growing from one of our core sources of happiness.

So friends, remember that slumps will happen to all of us. How else are we to enjoy the good times if we don't have a little bad too? When you're in a slump, return to the core things and relationships. that make you the happiest. Focus on those. They're what you love anyways,

and your love for them will help you through any storm. That's all for today, friends. I really appreciate you joining me this morning. If you'd like to support the show and get access to the entire Wake Me Up catalog free of ads and promos, then be sure to sign up for the Wake Me Up Patreon community. It's truly the best to be best.

way to enjoy better mornings. So I encourage you to join us. You can find more info and a link in the show notes. I'll talk to you all soon. Until then, go out and have a wonderful day. I really hope you enjoyed this episode. A good morning is such a gift, isn't it? It's the key to a happier and more productive day

and ultimately a better life. And that's why I make this show. So if you're enjoying it, why not send one of your favorite episodes to a friend? You never know. You might just make their day and change their life.