9 Minutes Before the Chaos

There are many mornings when I wake up and, for a moment, I am not exactly sure where I am.

It sounds more alarming than it is. I travel often, so before I open my eyes I sometimes try to guess: am I at my mum’s, in Santa Barbara, at my mother-in-law’s place in the English countryside, in London, or visiting a friend somewhere in Europe?

Even at home, the light can be unfamiliar. One morning I had slid down at a strange angle in bed, and in the odd in-between of sunrise I thought: Wait, where am I?

That small moment reminded me that the way we wake up can shape the whole day.

A softer beginning

I have never understood people who wake to blaring alarms. I tend to wake before I need to get up, and if I do set an alarm, it is always something soft and gentle.

Mornings can be peaceful, but they can also be heavy. We can lie in bed worrying about what is coming, about the news, or about messages already waiting on our phones. One glance at the headlines can send us into a spiral before we have even brushed our teeth.

So I have been asking myself: what can I do to soften that moment? How can I step into the day with calm instead of chaos?

One helpful practice has been removing Facebook and Instagram from my phone. The temptation to scroll in bed has diminished. The other practice grounding me is listening to meditations on Insight Timer — and lately, creating some of my own.

Nine minutes of presence

I have made a short guided journey called 9 Minutes Before the Chaos. Think of it as a pause button between sleep and the rush of the world: a chance to return to your body, breathe and centre yourself before the day begins.

Tomorrow morning, before you reach for your phone, before you dive into headlines or email, consider giving yourself those nine minutes.

Nine minutes of breathing.
Nine minutes of presence.
Nine minutes of remembering that you are here, safe and ready to step into the day.

You do not need a perfect morning routine. You only need a small moment that belongs to you.