What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like? – This daily writing prompt certainly likes to investigate my personal life.
I’m up early most days so I’ll flip the outside lights on and peek at the weather and look for nefarious creatures lurking outside before I step out. I’ve always been in the habit of stepping outside first thing in the mornings.
I didn’t want to lose that when I retired. Now I have a few minutes to stand there (if its nice out) and listen to the sounds of nature. Be it the rain or wind blowing through the leaves and trees. Maybe the hoof pounding of the herd of deer that I disturbed.
I’ve never been a coffee drinker. I love the smell of it but no on the taste. So, my morning beverage is a 16.9 oz Coke. Sometimes a Cherry Coke. I’ll pound about half of that and put it back in the fridge.
At this point it’s one of two directions. If in pain, I spend some time stretching and maybe a mile on the treadmill. For some reason walking will sometimes free the back. If pain free, a quick stretch and off to the computer for email check and maybe check a few blogs. Put the headphones in and turn up some music. Start my first blog of the day, maybe 2-3 separate ones if inspired.
I try to write my children 3-4 times a week, so most mornings include a note to one of them. Sometimes one to my best friends. I usually turn the tv on but most of the time don’t watch more than a few minutes if that. Don’t know why I do that still. It has been getting less frequent.
I’ll pick up the dumbbells and do a few sets of various exercises if the stretching earlier was successful and if the pinched nerve in my neck isn’t causing pain or numbness in the arms or hands.
Back upstairs, grab the daily meds/vitamins, maybe plug in the camera batteries, sit back down at the computer and edit a few images while eating a nut bar. By this time the music is sounding really good and I might break into some air drums or guitar. Singing at this time of morning would be disruptive to my better half’s sleep.
Oh, if I oversleep, I watch the sunrise in the first hour of the day.
I’m guessing this morning’s sunrise will look like this with the low clouds on the horizon moving further offshore. Photo by Mike Hartley
What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like? – So the Daily Writing prompt wants to know.
My mornings have changed since retirement. Having worked a night shift for the last decade, my mornings are still being adjusted. Instead of 3-5 hours sleep, I’m getting 6-8. I’m not physically and mentally spent when I wake.
Sometimes mornings start at 3 am, sometimes 9 am, and anywhere in between. So what I do in that first hour changes a good bit. Some mornings I shower immediately, others not.
I’ll grab my morning Coke (always), I never was a coffee drinker. I love the smell of it but not the taste. I go to the front door to see what it’s doing outside and what wildlife or people are lurking.
Scan the overnight email, and start working on a few blog posts. Start to stretch out this old body, some light dumbbells, and maybe some treadmill time.
One thing I’m incorporating is music, early in the morning. Good for inspiration.
Then again, staying in bed the first hour or two of the day isn’t a bad way to start a day either.
But if I’m at the ocean I usually grab my camera at about 5 am and head to the beach for early morning shots and sunrise.
