I will tell you a secret, I am not a morning person.
Actually, I am more of a night owl: I tend to stay up until late, burn the midnight oil and feel way more focussed at night, when the house is quiet and all I hear is the light tapping sound of raindrops on my windows. Add a cup of herbal tea, some music and here it is me doing writing, marking my students' essays, reading and more.
I have always struggled to wake up early and dreaded early morning flights or even simple meetings. The truth is, isn't it better to sip hot coffee at the local shop when the sun is up rather than getting stuck in traffic and dealing with typically-British morning road rage?
Sure. But waking up after 8am, eating freshly baked cakes, treat yourself to slow stretches and warm duvets are a luxury not everyone can afford. At I least I can't.
So, to my very own disappointment, as I grew up, I also realised there isn't much room left for compromise in real life and adulting is a lot about choosing between sleepless nights or working hard to create rituals that will fit my internal clock and what my job requires.
Self-help books, blogs, courses and various attempts later, here I am sharing what I think it's not a perfect, but surely useful morning rituals that have changed my grumpy moods and negative morning thoughts and turned me into a nicer and more productive person.
Yes.
And, as I've found out, English learners can also benefit from creating morning rituals to help them approach the language in a more personal and friendlier way.
Indeed, establishing a morning ritual is the secret to jumpstarting your day with positivity while simultaneously enhancing your English language skills.
Not only does a well-structured morning set the tone for productivity, but it also infuses a sense of tranquillity within the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
In a society filled with uncertain days and the constant urge to always do and be more, that feeling of never really being enough, living a life filled with creativity, surrounded by our own people, with the things that motivate and make us feel alive is becoming increasingly important for our wellbeing.
A morning routine is not only a fancy thing for middl-class people who can afford expensive private English tutors or gym memberships, is a our way to reclaim our space and presence in this world.
And as you probably know, life's too short to let someone else make us feel small, unwanted or constantly "not enough".
So here are 5 things I think you should try to feel good and make mornings yours, but also a chance to find the time and work on your English skills.
Ritual 1: no rushing through your day
Begin your day early; an early start affords you the luxury of time—a scarce commodity in today's fast-paced world.
Beginning your day early gives you the time to DO things you would only postpone and end up not doing at all, creating that circle of anxiety that will affect your sleep.
But if you set your alarm clock at least 60 minutes before your usual wake-up time and make this extra hour a bonus, a "quality me-time" experience, a moment to yourself and yourself only, things might end up feeling very different.
I understand that if you - like me - have a family, waking up without distractions isn't easy. But one thing you can do to stay consistent is to avoid keeping your new rituals a secret and instead communicate these changes to your family members/partner.
The goal isn't to take away all the magic of your sweet morning ritual, but, on the contrary, to set healthy boundaries and gently help your family/partner to understand why is this new ritual important to you and to respect it.
Your desire to maximise this morning moment is valid as much as their confusion and questions they might have; after all, they aren't being moved by your same needs and might want to support you or simply make sure you're happy with your changes.
It might take a week or a month, life will get in the way and some days will be easier than others, but in the end opening up and sharing your thoughts with your family/partner is the first step to creating a new routine and to create dialogue, to talk and be seen, heard.
It's a very healthy step that can already change your morning dynamics and relationship.
Though your family might question your reasons, remember you're doing this because you want to feel better and, as a matter of fact, if you feel better, everybody else will be happier, too.
So, once you communicate your new morning ritual and give yourself and your family some time to adjust, remember:
it's ok to foregt to set the alarm or turn your back to the clock, especially if you've never done this before. You will try again tomorrow, be patient.
it takes about 3 / 4 weeks for a new habit to form, be kind and patient with yourself and your family if things don't work out as planned at first
if you're reading this blog in summer, don't wait until September to change your routine and instead start now: you could try with 2 mornings per week and then do 3....4 and so on.
some people break the early morning rise ritual during the weekend, it's entirely personal and the best thing you can do is to try and see how it feels to break it or if it's better to maintain it for consistency reasons
Ritual 2: greet the day
I am not a summer person, don't let my black eyes and skin complexion mislead you to think I love the warm weather.
Because for some reasons my look doesn't match the way I feel inside, and trust me, I am a very northerner (almost nordic!), cold-lover person.
I love a grey sky, my favourite moment of the day is well...a full moon, and I could never do without an autumn trip to the lakes, deers and falling leaves as I watch the sunset.
That said, you can imagine how greeting the sun in the morning isn't my cup of tea, at all! 🥹
And it wasn't for many years, until I started doing yoga in the dark, cold winter morning air of my Manchester flat and discovered the magic, lightness and power of quite winter sunrises.
There is a quality to winter dawns that can make even the grumpiest person grateful.
The purple and yellow sky covered by floating clouds, the light drizzle, everything feels special.
And I am sure summer lovers - I know many of you love the warm weather! - can and will find summer mornings as magical as I find winter ones.
The beaming rays of light making everything golden and still. Summer can be very welcoming.
And spring: the singing bird and the curious lizard, the blooming flowers and the buzzing bees.
Or autumn. Think about the sound of a falling leaf and that amazing orange-purple morning light that falls upon us in all its glory.
The world holds up the light for us, as we take a bow, give thanks and flow.
All the things we see are under the same sky and our lives present endless possibilities.
So, to go back to our morning ritual, the first thing I like to do - and you probably know what I'm about to say! 😉 - is to greet the day with a refreshing stretch and my yoga session.
You don't have to have go the full length and try your hand at extreme backbends or deep stretches, it took me a long time to get there, but you can certainly enjoy short to medium (15 - 30 minutes) video practices that will fit your level.
Just go on YouTube and find a teacher that:
teaches yoga in English
has level-appropriate classes
makes you feel motivated
Subscribe to their channel and don't worry if their classes range from beginner to advanced, most teachers have a "playlist" section on their YouTube page where you'll find classes by level or length.
And remember it's ok to practise the same class more than once, it's actually a good way to:
learn and memorise new vocabulary
become familiar with technical language
learn to flow without watching the video all the times as you'll only need to listen to the teacher
Early morning movement - slow or fast paced, whatever is your rhythm - lowers blood pressure, boosts your metabolism and improves brain performance.
This activity not only invigorates your body but also sharpens your mind, preparing it to absorb new information effortlessly.
And if you don't like yoga, you can grab your headphones and go for a walk as you listen to an English podcast or music to set the tone for the day. Consider playing a podcast or an audiobook in English. This passive listening practice will enhance your comprehension skills and introduce you to new vocabulary in an organic context.
Once you’ve revitalised yourself physically, shift focus to your first educational endeavour of the day.
Ritual 3: you rise to BE not to work
Have you ever noticed how the pressure of our career/job falls on us first thing in the morning? If you have a family or pets (or both!), you probably know that even before getting ready for work your mind is already working to plan their day.
But really, let's be honest: we were born to be, not to fit into labels and CVs.
I am not a teacher, I am sarah Catherine and my job is to be a teacher - luckily I love my job - but before becoming one I've had other jobs and besides teaching I can do yoga, sing, play the piano, draw, I am a decent listener and I have learned a lot about photography over the years, I have published a book, as a child I wanted to be a vet, I love making vegan food...the list is endless...we are HUMAN BEINGS and life is BIGGER that a CV.
Remember this.
Read it again if you have to.
Yes.
Above all, tell me: who are you? Could you describe yourself without identify yourself with your job? Can you write a paragraph (yes, being a teacher now: c'mon, do your homework and send me an email if you want, I'd love to get to know who you really are!)
Your life is bigger than your job.
That is why we rise to BE, to do the things we love, that motivate us, that make us FEEL ALIVE.
The WORLD COMES ALIVE when we FEEL alive.
Dear reader (being my best Bridgerton fan, here),
The world needs you. It's such a lovely place with you in it.
Don't let anyone take that light way from you.
So wake up, stretch, give thanks and focus on yourself.
Your first REAL self-care ritual of the day is to shift the focus from the sky to your inner universe: grab a pen and start writing everything down.
In a word: journal.
A chapter from an English journal you write 1 year ago is the perfect example that you COULD not do certain things back then, but you CAN now.
You don't have to write a novel or a scholarly article.
But you can write anything that you want: how you feel, what are your goals for the day, did you have that strange dream again, what would you like to do this weekend, is there a new word you learned while listening to the podcast or watching a yoga video....anything!
Besides, if you're looking for journalling prompts, I've recently published the right article for you: read it here.
Select something that challenges you or that fuels your creativity.
Use colours, stickers, write vertically, in circles or using different pens/pencils. The goal here is to immerse yourself in the nuanced forms of the language, grasping the delicate interplay of syntax and semantics.
Journalling has no fixed structure, is not like writing a thesis or a scientific article, is all about your and your feelings.
So, remember:
nobody will read your journal except you
make mistakes and allow yourself to write freely
let your words surprise you: you might even end up feeling good or have a laugh
voice your thoughts and feelings - positive and negative - and...
....if you feel you don't have the right words, get a dictionary (yes, old fashioned paper-based one!) and savour your quite me-time browsing through its pages: paper-based books have a meditative power that in a digital-based era we have (unfortunately) forgotten!
You can write long paragraphs or short sentences, dedicate a whole page to explaining why's that you like a certain word or jot down lists of dreams and goals, hopes and fears like there is no tomorrow. You can include pictures and quotes...make it creative.
This exercise is twofold in benefit: it reinforces what you’ve learned whilst fostering a habit of writing cohesively in English. Don't shy away from consulting a thesaurus here and there, aiming to diversify your lexicon.
Ritual 4:find a little room for daydreaming
Following your writing, pen down and coffee cup on the table, open your favourite English book and give yourself some daydreaming time to boost your imagination, hope and practise your reading skills.
The magic of books is endless, I know we love a good book in this little and powerful community that The Language Bee has become, so I will not dwell too much on this ritual.
But there are a couple of things I'd like to talk about.
First, reading as a "part-time commitment" means only getting "part-time results", and I mean it.
You have to commit and really include ut in your daily rituals.
If you read without a purpose, randomly, when you're the most tired, or between one task and another, you are not paying attention, you are not understanding the nuances of the culture and the language.
And no goal can be reached without a clear idea of what one wants to achieve.
I know, I know.
I've been there and done that: #bookstagram, #ticktockmademereadit...
The Internet is packed with reading ideas, lists, "MUST" read books you can't miss. Until we end up stacking up books we'll only sell on some second-hand app to make room for more "must-read" books we will never read...
We all long to be magically beamed into a fantastic world with our favourite characters and the book industry produces so many books I wonder if writers aren't but a team of people these days. It doesn't take a minute to write a book, right?
Yet, in the "insta" era, more books are published and advertised as "THE BEST" book you'll ever read at an incredible fast pace.
Shame is, my friend, that has nothing to do with our morning rituals.
The true purpose of creating a sustainable, healthy, positive routine that will make you feel good is based on doing things that make YOU feel good.
Not social media.
Not some stranger who said the book is great on social media.
Not paid-for bloggers who sponsor the book.
Nope.
Only you.
So, and since we all know we're living in world that can easily break us down, we have to work on building rituals that build us up: our confidence, our joy, our sense of being alive.
That is how I invite you to choose a book to read: with purpose, based on our interests, fort he sake of learning something new in English, with an open heart.
Show yourself how deep is your love for reading and the English language by choosing something that adds value to your day.
Maybe you want to improve time management or are looking for a fantasy novel, maybe you've watched a movie based on a book and are curious to see the differences, or maybe that little English novel had been looking at you from the bookshelf for a year now and the time has come....time to read!
Get the book, grab a pencil/highlighter, get a notebook, set a timer.
Five or twenty minutes, it doesn't matter, just set a timer so you'll be off your screen for all the time spent reading. You can also silence your phone or put in "focus" mode as notifications will only appear at the end of your reading time.
The notebook, on the other side, will serve you as a vocabulary bank where you'll write all the new words and expressions you'll encounter while reading.
Writing new words isn't only a way to become familiar with their spelling, but it's also a good way to strengthen memory and create your very own dictionary.
As you keep this little ritual and develop personal techniques to choose which word to write and which one not to, you'll see it getting bigger, more interesting and you might end up making it your primary vocabulary source.
BONUS: whenever you write a new word/expression make an effort to actively use it in a sentence or record yourself reading it.
Most morning-students I work with, come back the following day using the words we learned together the previous day, as morning lessons - they say - help them memorising new language more easily, faster and they feel calmer and more focussed, but are also able to find moments during their day to go over our classes' notes.
Ritual 5: get active
Next, engage in a conversation with someone fluent in English, be it a friend, a colleague, or even someone you meet online.
Practising spoken English daily bolsters confidence and hones pronunciation.
Start with discussing mundane topics; gradually navigate towards more complex subjects, thereby testing the waters of your linguistic capabilities.
I am not suggesting you call your English teacher at 5am (😭) but if you can, book an early English class before heading to school/work or join an online course/group that allows you to actively participate at different times during the day.
Last year, for example, I create ☕️The Speaking Lab, a WhatsApp group for busy people who couldn't attend a regular class, but wanted to practise and improve their English at their own pace.
The concept is quite simple: it's a small group chat of likeminded learners, chat opens and closes at certain times but gives enough time to everyone to share their tasks whenever they can.
No rush but fun and engagement.
Yet, the Lab was very risky of me to create: a WhatsApp course!? What?
Yet, because I know that most people prefer private classes and worry other classmates will judge their pronunciation. And I understand how busy our lives can be...
...but I REALLY wanted to create community and support for those who loved the flexibility of a chat more than anything else.
And it worked.
It wasn't a magic trick, only looking at things from a different perspective.
Everyone participated at their own pace, and we not only leaned English, but we created friendships and a supportive circle that was there in the morning for a simple "hello" or for our regular meetings to help everyone find their own study method, as they received a personalised feedback.
In a nutshell: immerse yourself in the magic of yourself.
If you love English, its culture, its literature, its food, if you dream to move to the UK or simply want to improve the language to get a better job, don't let external pressure take your light away from you and instead create a ritual that will make you feel alive, good and help you to improve English in a way that works for you.
Various schools and teachers will tell you to stick to the textbook and do what you've always been doing.
And that is a recipe for keep getting the same results: grammar, theories, grammar and more grammar.
You're not the same student you were when you had those teachers and you can now create your own syllabus, study journey and goals.
By integrating these rituals into your morning routine, you cultivate both a serene start to your day and an enriched command of the English language.
The act of consistency, coupled with deliberate practice, ensures a day imbued with productivity, learning, and a sense of well-being.
Doubts? Questions? Are you planning to create a new morning routine?
Feel free to write me, I love reading your emails and messages.
Sarah Catherine
🐝
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