Ayisha Qureshi

Since I can remember, I have obsessed about my morning routine, so fashionably called the Morning Ritual now. As my appetite and drive to do more professionally and personally grew larger, so did my desperation to get up earlier. I had forever seen my naani (maternal grandmother) and my mother walk around the house in the dark before the sunrise. I barely registered it and took it for granted. Later with the kids and further responsibilities, I would drag myself out of bed and get some work done in zombie fashion before the entire house erupted with chaos- not good!

And then I started experimenting with my morning routine. And Man!! Did I experiment? Woke up at 5 am. Then woke up at 6 am. Went back to 5 and then tried 4.30. Tried Yoga for half an hour, had green tea, then black tea, then meditation and then affirmations and then soul searching. Read tons of blogs and posts. Here is what I found out:

1. It is useless getting up in the morning if you haven’t slept well or/ and did not sleep at least 7-8 hours during the night. You are just going to sulk for the rest of the day and have a really bad start even with that.
2. Make sure you go to bed at a sane time so that you have at least 7-8 hours of good, restful sleep.
3. Depending upon when your day at home/ work actually starts, just get up ahead of the chaos that is a morning in every home. If you leave for work from home, at let’s say 8, then setting aside an hour for getting ready, just get up another hour or 45 minutes earlier: by 6 or 6.15.
4. A morning routine must be a ritual (whoever coined this word is a genius): a set of habits so strong that day in and day out, you follow them.
5. Believe in the trickle effect: a little every day will reinforce the good effects and make you stronger, bringing you closer to a life better lived.
6. A good morning routine should make you look forward to the day ahead, anticipate it and be better prepared for the tough patches.
7. Here is my morning routine for your reference. Just remember nothing is set in stone and what works for me might not work for you.
8. I get up at 6.
9. I usually wake up before my alarm rings. I stay in bed enjoying the quiet. I adjust my eyes to the room, notice the light and the sounds and then get up.

• In summers, I keep a glass of water covered on my bedside table and drink it first thing in the morning. In winters I go straight to the kitchen where I warm up a glass of water to just ‘lukewarm’. I find the water on the bedside table too cold for comfort. I believe the body is dehydrated as we have been fasting for the entire night and this really helps.

15. Next, I take a tablespoon of coconut oil and start chewing it: a process called “OIL PULLING”. I started doing this a few weeks ago and am finding it quite refreshing. I try to chew it for at least 20 minutes. Usually I am tired by 15. While I do the oil pulling, I pull back curtains, open windows and put things together for the breakfast.
16. I spit out the oil into the trash basket and brush my teeth, wash my face and put on my sunblock.
17. I pray.

• I do my Yoga, at least for 10 minutes every morning. Good days I do it for 15 minutes. I have a set routine which includes a lot of sun salutations, side twists and lunges.
• I follow it up with 25 sit-ups, 5 push-ups (I am embarrassed to admit it), crunches and plank.

1. Now comes my favourite time which is 10 minutes of meditation with Headspace (www.headspace.com). I love it.
2. I finish the routine by going through some of the affirmations that I have noted down over the years: basically I do a little positive self-talk.

Finally the chaos must start in the house as everyone wakes up. But I am way ahead of everyone. I am orientated, hydrated, exercised and ready to face the day. I am hoping to add a half hours more in the next few months so that I can squeeze in some reading. Until then this is working quite well.

And by the way, on weekends I may be lazy and sleep in a little past 6. That is my guilty pleasure.