Not so long ago, I woke up every morning with a basketball of tension swelling in my stomach.
But this wasn’t your usual bean-burritos-with-copious-hot-sauce-for-dinner kind of tummy bloat. No, this was the product of fear and dread…a sickening belief that no matter how hard I tried, I would disappoint, let down, and generally ruin my clients’ lives.
No, I didn’t have any proof of this. Yes, my clients generally loved me.
But lone rays of sunshine produced by customer compliments or friends cheerleading me on were always swallowed, nearly immediately, by the storm of self-down swirling through me.
Illegitimacy.
Inauthenticity.
Shame.
Ping, ping, ping, like hailstones of misery, each emotion chipping away at my willingness to get up, show up, and do the work. I’d long since ceased promoting myself on Facebook; now I avoided referral emails, too.
Then one day I had a meeting with a brilliant energy healer named Reshma Shah. When our final, gentle meditation came to a close, she gave me a list of daily activities to help release and reframe false beliefs and other mental blocks.
Following Reshma’s advice was easy. In time, I whittled down to a shortlist of what worked best for me. I layered in additional practices from business coaches, physical trainers, time management experts, and my own history of improving self-love.
In time, I managed to completely eliminate that knot of fear and self-doubt. Some of this change occurred when I made conscious changes in my business: getting clear on my message was one major triumph, as was rebranding my website.
But this morning routine deserves SO much credit for helping me get my head on straight. It allowed me to finally, finally start each day with positivity, peace, and self-love.
Without further ado, here’s my morning ritual to flood my day with love:
- 6:30am: Wake up & drink a mug of hot water with lemon.
- 6:45am: Sit in silence for 15 minutes, or meditate using the app Simply Being.
- 7:00am: Stretch it out in downward facing dog OR, if I’m feeling ambitious, complete the Five Tibetan Rites.
- 7:00am: Write in my journal for 10 minutes about whatever comes to mind.
- 7:10am: Write out a long list of specific things I’m grateful for. (“Thank you, Universe, for the ability to speak my mind openly and honestly in safety, confidence, and support from my tribe…”)
- 7:20am: Reaffirm my own self-worth by writing out mantras in my journal. A few favorites include: I am a strong, confident, capable woman. I am worthy of love. I am powerful, free, and overflowing with joy and laughter. I effortlessly attract wealth. I change lives and welcome abundance with grace, ease, and pleasure. My inbox overflows with praise from clients who love me and refer others to me just for being who I am.
And that’s it!
Now, I’d be lying if I said I do this routine every day. Plenty of times I bypass my little ritual completely.
But when I wake up scared, when I feel self-doubt stirring, or when I simply want to feel a flood of universal love and light, I follow this routine.
Now I’d love to know: Do you have a favorite morning ritual or trick for eliminating self-doubt?
