I’m gonna start with a few questions for you today:

Have you listened to Episode 164?

Do you know what challenge we’ve been running here on the podcast for the past few episodes?

Have you been actively trying to NOT look at your cell phone or computer for the first hour of your day?

If so, answer these questions in your journal:

What have you been experiencing during the first hour of your day?

What have you been trying and what are you finding you like?

What’s different?

Is it getting easier?

Did you try the sticky note trick?

Its magic isn’t it?!!

Now, it’s time to move on.

We’ve covered the WHY giving up your electronics for the first hour of the day is a good idea in episode 164

We covered WHAT to do instead in episode 165.

Today, we’re going to talk about HOW to set yourself up for success for this new way of starting out your day.

It’s actually easier than you may be thinking.

Just takes a few minutes before you go to bed at night.

That’s right.

Setting up your environment that triggers what you want to have happen instead of what you don’t want the night before gets you ready to be successful.

– Before going to bed each night, put your phone on airplane mode.

– Take that up a notch by also charge it in another room and use a classic alarm clock instead of your phone.

-When you do this, you don’t even have a reason to touch it first thing.

Here’s how I set up my phone the night before so I’m less tempted by my electronics.

-I keep my phone upstairs, plugged in and face down off of my desk.

-I make sure my ipad is face down on my desk so it doesn’t light up if a message comes through.

-And my laptop is closed down.

-I have a paper (not electronic) checklist I create every month of the things I want to do each morning so I get a little dopamine by checking off items from my list.

-I put out my journaling notebook, pen and glasses on my table so they’re ready to go when I walk into my office in the morning. 

-If I’m doing yoga, I have the youtube set up  and ready to go so I don’t have to search for what workout I’m going to do.

-If I’m hiking or walking first thing, I have my headphones and watch right next to my phone, on my table.

Do you have a routine that you do every morning?  This is a great place to start the day with things you like to do.  Because I love to journal, walk, hike and do my spiritual practice every day, I set that up as my morning routine.  You get to choose the things you want to do most and set that up for your morning routine.  Don’t let anyone else tell you what you should do with your first and most productive time of the day. 

I get the irony of that because these episodes have been me telling you what NOT to do in the first hour of your day.  But that’s what NOT to do.  Build your routine by doing what makes you feel the best and ready for what ever you have to do during the day.

When you have a routine set up, set out and ready to go before you go to bed every night, you’re not having to make decisions first thing in the morning.  You already know what you’re going to do.

What if you don’t have a routine all ready?

-I gave a whole list of ideas in episode 165 of things you can do.  Did you try any of them?

-Maybe you already know how you wanted to spend your time.  Excellent!

-Either way, make a list and just start trying out what’s on your list and see how you like it.

-Make changes to it only after you’ve tried it a few times and decide in what order you’d like to do it.  You know what feels best to you.

Wanna know my morning routine? 

Camp Connection is basically that.

I look forward to my routine every day!

Routines help remove decision fatigue and that helps you to be more effective.

You spend less cognitive energy on your recurring tasks so you can be more focused and creative.

Maybe you think a routine sounds boring.

Not if you choose things that you love to do.

When my dad died 3 years ago, my routines got all messed up, and it was the pull of my routines that helped me get back into my life.  My insides knew something was off once everything was settled after the funeral.  I felt pulled to do the routine again and I am so grateful.  I got to a healthier emotional state faster because of my routines.

Camp Connection is what I developed over a few year period as I worked my way out of depression.

Once I got the medication I needed and got the desire back to do things, I started learning and applying what I was learning.  I slowly found 5 systems that made me feel healthier emotionally than I had in years.  I use them every morning & evening now.  Those who have taken Camp Connection agree with me that the systems I teach are simple yet powerful.

The First-aid Kit I teach you about in Camp Connection helps you remember who you are and what you once wanted in life.  We tend to take care of everyone else and lose touch with what we want.  These systems help you get in touch with that again.  You can put yourself first every morning by doing your morning routine so you’re able to show up more like the person you were always meant to be and can love your people even deeper!

All the information to take Camp Connection is in the show notes. 

Email me at marla@hunkeedori.com and let’s work out a time for me to teach you and your closest family and friends!

HOMEWORK:

–DON’T LOOK AT YOUR PHONE FOR ONE HOUR AFTER YOU WAKE UP.

Pay attention to your feelings. 

Do you feel anxious? 

Are you still  thinking about you phone? 

Do you find yourself thinking and wondering what you’re missing?

None of those feelings are wrong, you’re just going to pay attention to them.  I’d like you to take the chance to give yourself some love no matter what feelings come up.  Let yourself feel the feeling.  Then take deep breaths.

Give your feeling a name.  Meaning, what are you feeling?  Anxious? Tired? Bored?

Sit and feel it.  Think about it. 

Ask yourself “Why am I feeling this?”

Remind yourself that you can handle it!  You’ve felt anxious or tired or bored before and handled it great.

If you stop and do these things, and repeat as often as necessary, your brain will stop sending those signals because it doesn’t feel threatened by the feeling anymore. 

YES!  This is the same assignment as last week and the week before. 

Are you perfect at it yet?  Me either.  So let’s try it again.

Repeat something you enjoyed doing this morning.

Begin building your routine.

Then message me to take Camp Connection! marla@hunkeedori.com