Today you discover that how you start your morning routine can change everything for the better.

Those of you who are familiar with mirror work might be familiar with how to use it to build self-esteem. But did you know that you can use your mirror work exercises to help heal specific areas of your life?

It’s true. Mirror work can transform how you experience any part of your day. To show you how you can apply mirror work in specific areas of your life, what better place to start than with your morning routine!

Starting Your Morning Routine With Love

Did you know that the first hour of the morning is crucial? How you spend it will determine your experience of the rest of your day.

How did you start your day today? When you woke up, what were the first words that came out of your mouth? Did you complain? Did you think about what wasn’t working in your life?

How you start your day is often how you live your life.
— Louise Hay

What do you say when you first look in the bathroom mirror? What do you say when you take a shower? What do you say when you get dressed?

How do you leave your house for work? Do you just run out the door, or do you say something nice first?

What do you do when you get into the car? Do you slam the door and growl about going to work, or do you bless the traffic on your journey?

Too many people start off their day with “Oh, shit! It’s another day and I’ve got to get up, damn it!” If you have a lousy way of starting your day, you’re not going to have a good day—ever. It’s not possible. If you do your best to have the morning be awful, your day will be awful.

How I Set My Morning Routine

I have a little routine I’ve done for years. The moment I wake up, I snuggle my body a little deeper into my bed and thank my bed for a really good night’s sleep. I do this for a few minutes as I start my day with positive thoughts.

I tell myself things like: This is a good day. This is going to be a really good day.

Then I get up, use the bathroom, and thank my body for working well.

I spend a little time stretching, too. I have an exercise bar in the doorway of the bathroom that I can use to stretch my entire body. I hold the bar, bring my knees up to my chest three times, and then hang by my arms.

I find that stretching my body in the morning is very good for maintaining flexibility and health.

After I do a few stretches, I make a cup of tea and take it back to bed. I love my bed. I had the headboard specially built at an angle so I can lean up against it when I read or write.

Stretching my body and mind is my morning ritual. Then I start to get up. I try to give myself two hours before I face the rest of the day. I like to be able to do things in a leisurely way. I’ve learned to take my time.

If you are a busy mom or dad who needs to get the children ready for school, or if you have to get to work early, it’s important to give yourself some time to start your day off in the right way.

I would rather wake up earlier to have this extra time in the morning. Even if you give yourself only 10 or 15 minutes, this is absolutely essential. It’s your time for self-care.

When you get up in the morning, it’s important to do a ritual that feels good to you and to say something to yourself that makes you feel good.

Set in motion the best day possible for yourself. You don’t have to make these changes in your life all at once.

Just pick one ritual for the morning and start there.

Then once you have the ritual down, pick another one and keep practicing. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Remember: the idea is to feel good.

Let’s affirm: Today I create a wonderful new day and a wonderful new future.

Writing Prompts for Scheduling Your Morning Rituals

Plan out how you will begin your day with positive thoughts and actions by following these writing prompts. Take out your journal and pen and spend some time describing how your best morning ritual would look. Be sure to thank your journal for helping you create your best day.

1. Create a morning ritual for yourself.

Write down all the steps you can take to start your morning routine in a positive, happy, and supportive way.

2. Create an affirmation for each step in your morning routine.

Write down two or three affirmations you can say for each of the steps in your morning ritual. Write affirmations for when you get dressed, when you make your breakfast, and when you get in your car and drive to work.

Example Mirror Work Exercise For A Better Morning Routine

1. When you first wake up in the morning and open your eyes, say these affirmations to yourself: Good morning, bed. Thank you for being so comfortable. I love you. This
   is a blessed day. All is well. I have time for everything I need to do today.
2. Now take a few more minutes to relax and let these affirmations flow through your mind, then feel them in your heart and throughout the rest of your body.
3. When you’re ready to get up, go to your bathroom mirror. Look deeply into your eyes. Smile at that beautiful, happy, relaxed person looking back at you!
4. As you’re looking in the mirror, say these affirmations: Good morning, [Name]. I love you. I really, really love you. There are great experiences coming our way today.
5. And then say something nice to yourself like: Oh, you look wonderful today. You have the best smile. I wish you a terrific day today.

If you would like more examples of affirmations for your daily ritual, see the affirmations in the back of You Can Create an Exceptional Life, the book I wrote with Cheryl Richardson.

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If you liked these exercises from Day 13 of Louise Hay’s new book Mirror Work: 21 Days To Heal Your Life, you can buy the book here. If you want to learn even more about mirror work, Louise has created a free 4 part mini-course with Robert Holden, Ph.D. with hands-on demonstrations of mirror work exercises. Sign up to watch it here.