Practicing the fine art of balance so you can start and finish your day feeling good.

Whoever says they are a morning person and doesn’t need coffee is either lying or needs to bottle and sell whatever it is they are using. I need coffee first thing in the morning, plain and simple. Otherwise, I feel it for the rest of the day. That said anyone who relies solely on coffee to get them through the day might want to learn the fine art of balance. If I don’t also incorporate some yoga and meditation first, I may as well throw the coffee out with the bath water.

After I pour myself a sweet cup of joe, I take the time to sit and enjoy it. I’m fortunate to live in a place where I can watch the sunrise over the mountains from my living room window. While the coffee wakes my brain, the beauty wakes my soul. In an effort to complete the trifecta and also center my mind, I follow this practice with focused meditation for about 10 minutes. It really helps set my energy and intentions for the day.

And I can’t forget about my body! After the sun rises, I do a brief stretch/yoga session. Soon I will find myself at work — sitting at a desk — so it’s important to loosen my muscles and joints before I plop down on the old office chair. In fact, before I even get to my desk I reset with a quick 10-minute walk. This helps get my blood pumping once again after being in the car shuffling the kids to school and myself to the office.

As you’ve probably noticed by now, my routine consists of various 10-minute bursts of wellness breaks — for the mind, body, and spirit. If I divide these exercises up into short intermittent sessions throughout the day, focusing on different areas, it helps me maintain energy and focus all day long. Even once at the office, I continue the brief time-outs. I might take my dog for a walk, do a Desk Yogi session, or even take a phone meeting for a stroll around the block. Obviously you have to customize it to your environment, but be creative!

No matter the routine, the important thing is to keep moving, keep the balance, and keep it up. Over doing it often causes burn out. Take the slow and steady approach and allow yourself a constant dose of wellness right at your desk — not just in your morning routine, but repeat it all day long!

*Originally published on Thrive Global on 01/13/2017