I'm up at 5 a.m. for this very purpose. I give myself one hour of 'me' time, because after this my work day is on until I go to bed at night. I start my day by making my bed and I never skip it. It may sound weird, but that's calming to me.
Gets rid of visual clutter/messiness while I'm getting ready for work. After breakfast and coffee, I pray for about 45 minutes. Sometimes that includes journaling, sometimes daily devotionals. But always a good chunk of time in simple conversation with God.
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Right now, this prayer is part of my daily prayer routine. It's borrowed from a prayer card I received in the mail from the Padre Pio Foundation of America:
Prayer to Honor God's Gifts
I come to You to seek Your blessing on all I say and do this day. Guide me to see and appreciate the good in everyone I meet.
Help me put into action the gifts, talents, and abilities You have entrusted to me. Enlighten my eyes, my mind and my heart to recognize and value all the beauty that surrounds me. Free me from fears and doubts so that I generously offer love and understanding to my family, kindness to strangers, and charity to the poor, the needy and those who are suffering.
Continue to direct me on life's journey, so that when You call me home, I can say with pureness of heart, that I dedicated my efforts and energies, not for material gain and success, but to serve You well, honor all Your gifts, and make a positive difference in the lives of others. Amen.
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After prayer time, I'm off to the shower. I have also found that it helps me to have the TV on while I'm getting ready for work in the morning. If not, my thoughts can easily stray to things are bothering me...things that I almost always have no control over and can obsess about if I don't have a strategy for distraction. A tiny morning cure for the codependent in me.