I’m a morning person. I always have been. I feel lucky to be able to pop out of bed with a smile on my face. I know that I’m the worst ever for having this come easily to me.

Here’s the thing, I like to be awake when it’s still quiet. The morning winds around me, acting as my sanctuary. The day stretches before me, ripe with potential.

I also like to accomplish my workout early in the morning. Each repetition, every 30 second hold, in a 6:30 am class makes me feel like a badass. Plain and Simple. The victory of a sweat session is a tool, propelling me into my day. Guns blazing.

The morning is also my opportunity to sit quietly and give my brain a break. When I was involved in a hellish work situation years ago, it was my saving grace. The 30 minutes I sat with my mug of tea, cozy on my couch in the dark before the sun came up girded me for the fuckery awaiting me.

While I’m still processing the time I spent last week with Tafara during Curated Travel, I will mention something that rose to the top —

Her goal list for the week included the wish for a solid morning routine, something that she could stick with and follow. Rather than approaching her time in Mexico with vacation mentality, she wanted to use it as a launching pad to establish solid steps forward in her journey. This routine was something she would carry back home and wherever her next steps may lead.

Our goal was reasonable, rather than lofty.

We sat in our chairs down by the beach and brainstormed together. Me asking questions, her thoughtfully answering. She wanted to incorporate sweat and she wanted some quiet moments as well. We established the time her alarm would go off, and then we talked about what would NOT be a part of the routine.

Social media and mindless scrolling was high on the list of avoidance. Also email. Skype messages, Whatsapp notifications, texts. She confessed that scrolling through early morning notifications caused her heart to race with panic and anxiety.

I fully agreed. Airplane mode for your phone at night still allows the alarm to wake you in the morning without letting all the mind-numbing notifications in. A win-win.

She also wanted to be able to slow her mind in the morning. Another excellent habit. If you’re reading this and the thought of meditating makes your palms sweat, I get it.

But consider this — sitting quietly for even 5 minutes a day can make the difference between a bumpy or smooth day.

I suggested she use the Simply Being app. It has several guided meditations ranging from 5 to 30 minutes, and is only a couple of bucks. Boom. Just 5 minutes a day, that’s all you need to start with or stick with. It’s your choice. She also wanted to incorporate reading time and a workout.

But here’s the best part: she started crushing her new morning time routine while she was still in Mexico. She implemented and we made tweaks along the way.

I asked how she felt after a couple of days, she replied with “calm,” and “less anxious.” She had a proud and accomplished look on her face.

I did as well.