Mornings are hard for writers. Well, they’re hard for everyone, but they’re hard for writers in particular: we don’t have a boss we can curse for making us get up at some godforsaken hour; we can hit snooze a million times; and even when we get up, we don’t have to get dressed and washed or put on our make-up – we can lounge and slob and procrastinate. We can find excuses. But then guilt sets in and we feel unhappy and unproductive and that is much worse than having a demanding boss.
So, we need techniques. Small rituals that get us springing out of bed and to the desk. The first thing I do is to make myself a cup of warm lemon spiked with cayenne: this is non-negotiable, my cleansing ritual that sets me up for the day. Once you get used to the kick, you’ll crave this more than that that cup of coffee you’re addicted to, and you won’t get the jitters or crash and burn later in the morning.
Second, I do a 3 minute dry skin brush. It’s an ancient practice that enlivens the lymphatic system and cleanses the skin. Put away your expensive exfoliators and lotions and potions and pick up a lovely wooden brush with natural bristles; brush in smooth upward strokes from the feet, up the legs, to the stomach, the torso, up the arms, then the chest, the neck, the face (gently) – always towards the heart. If there’s one thing we sedentary writers need it’s to get that blood flowing round the body otherwise we, and our ideas, will stagnate. This will do it for you. I can’t tell you how it’s transformed my mornings.
So, two rituals to build into your mornings. They will both feel alien at first but once they become a habit, you’ll wonder how you lived without them – and so will your skin, your liver, your energy. Get sipping and brushing and then pick up that pen!
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