Before we dive in - I have actually been practicing this for a month and I want to tell you just how significant it is. I should also mention that when I first considered doing this my immediate thoughts were:

“But social media scrolling is how I wake my brain up quickest.”
“I need my phone for music.”
“How will I check the baby monitor if it’s in the other room?”
“I probably wouldn’t last a week so… pass.”

Yeah, excuses. Ha!

But when I let the excuses take a step aside, I found that I actually was craving more than my phone could give.

I craved quiet.

I craved stillness.

I craved creativity.

I craved intentional by myself-ness.

But I didn’t know how to access it. That is where tech-free mornings came in!

A Guide to Getting Started

This practice is surprisingly simple. There are 4 important steps.

You need a really good “why” or else you will find it much cozier to stay in bed or more enticing to jump into your email inbox.
Here are some possible intentions:
1. I crave slowness and I want to give myself the chance to have that.
2. When I care for myself, everyone benefits.
3. Mornings are for me and what I need is time with myself.
4. I deserve the same time + energy I give away.
Keep your devised off and in another room. This includes phones, iPads, tablets, computers. Keep your TV off and if you want music, consider a radio or a record player in place of something with a screen.
Something that helps me is keeping my phone on “sleep” mode so that when I wake up in the morning, I don’t see notifications when I check the time!
Pick your favorite place in your home: your bedroom, living room, kitchen table, front porch, or even your closet!
Think comfort. No overhead lights, no overstimulating sounds or movement ( I am looking at my dogs LICKING hahah), and stay in your jammies! Blankets, pillows, and lamps are a major plus.
Once the space is set, simply be.
You can choose to sit quietly. Some mornings I do this and find myself staring into space while I sip my coffee. Sometimes my brain is full of to-do tasks and sometimes it truly feels empty. Both are fine - the goal is to simply notice.
For some, this might be a time to create! Knitting, painting, dancing, scrapbooking… whatever feels good + right.
You could also consider reading a book that feels relaxing or journaling.

The key is to just be present in your morning. Noticing what sensations you feel, what thoughts pop up, and what this time gives you.

The Reality is…..

This practice is SO opposite of how we function culturally.

As a new mom and business owner, I find that when my eyes pop open, I have a gazillion tasks that feel “urgent and important”.

In fact, when I first started tech-free mornings, I hated the feeling!

I would sit on my couch wanting so badly to grab my laptop or phone and get to work.

I wanted to use creativity in Canva instead of with craft materials.

I wanted to scroll and read captions instead of books.

And to be so real - I hated that it was so hard for me to just leave my freaking devised for THIRTY MOTHER TRUCKING MINUTES.

Our culture tells us that we are most valuable when we are productive and tech-free mornings feel like the opposite of productivity.

But here is what I found…

I have never felt more present than I do during these mornings. Some of the big “Ah-has” from the last month are:

There is no real time for me (again mom + biz owner) where I truly get to just exist and do what I want. This is a gift to myself.
Technology is my addiction. I will find a million excuses to use my tech.
The more I invest in this time for myself, the more I feel energized by it. The guilt of “not being productive” begins to fade and I start to look forward to my solo quality time.
There are lots of thoughts I have that are not related to motherhood and therapisting! I love getting to spend time with those thoughts and learn about myself.
My tech is there when I am ready to begin. There is not rush to get there.
By giving myself this time, I have more energy, capacity, and patience with my day.

There are so many ways to practice self-care, but I think this one has become my most favorite.

I have started to extend the time from 30 minutes to an hour. I have hopes to extend it more and more - increasing my presence. Join me?