Before I understood I had a traumatized nervous system, I didn’t even know you could have a morning routine that actually set you up for the day in a positive way.
You mean not being launched out of bed like I’d just been tasered wasn't normal?
You mean the crackling anxiety that flooded in before I even opened my eyes wasn’t just 'another Tuesday'?
That wasn’t just “being a morning person” vs “not being one”—that was my body bracing for survival before the day even started?
Yeah. That was news to me.
For so much of my life, I lived in default mode.
Subconscious programs doing the driving, while I sat in the backseat wondering why I was always exhausted, always overwhelmed, always running on empty.
That’s what trauma does—it steals our choice.
We aren’t “lazy,” “moody,” or “bad at mornings”—
We’re just living life in a loop of protective responses that once kept us safe, but now? They’re just keeping us stuck.
Here’s the good news (because yes, there is some):
We CAN begin to shift.
Not overnight, not perfectly, and definitely not with another to-do list taped to the fridge.
But slowly. Somatically. Gently.
Awareness is the very first step.
So today, I want to gently challenge you (with love and zero judgment):
Examine your morning routine.
And yes—if you don’t have one? That is your morning routine.
Ask yourself:
✨ What’s one thing I do every morning out of habit, not choice?
✨ What happens in my body when I open my eyes—do I brace, rush, scroll, shut down?
✨ Can I notice it without judgment… just a little curiosity?
Because this is how we reclaim our mornings.
And then, slowly, our days.
And then, quietly, our lives.
And always remember that if doing this inner work alone is too much for your nervous system and you are in need of co regulation (which we should have gotten as children but most of us didn't) then don't forget to check out my live weekly zoom meetings in the School of Transformation - which to me is like nervous system rehab!!! school-of-transformation.circle.so/checkout/monthl…
Michele Lee Nieves Coaching
Before I understood I had a traumatized nervous system, I didn’t even know you could have a morning routine that actually set you up for the day in a positive way.
You mean not being launched out of bed like I’d just been tasered wasn't normal?
You mean the crackling anxiety that flooded in before I even opened my eyes wasn’t just 'another Tuesday'?
That wasn’t just “being a morning person” vs “not being one”—that was my body bracing for survival before the day even started?
Yeah. That was news to me.
For so much of my life, I lived in default mode.
Subconscious programs doing the driving, while I sat in the backseat wondering why I was always exhausted, always overwhelmed, always running on empty.
That’s what trauma does—it steals our choice.
We aren’t “lazy,” “moody,” or “bad at mornings”—
We’re just living life in a loop of protective responses that once kept us safe, but now? They’re just keeping us stuck.
Here’s the good news (because yes, there is some):
We CAN begin to shift.
Not overnight, not perfectly, and definitely not with another to-do list taped to the fridge.
But slowly. Somatically. Gently.
Awareness is the very first step.
So today, I want to gently challenge you (with love and zero judgment):
Examine your morning routine.
And yes—if you don’t have one? That is your morning routine.
Ask yourself:
✨ What’s one thing I do every morning out of habit, not choice?
✨ What happens in my body when I open my eyes—do I brace, rush, scroll, shut down?
✨ Can I notice it without judgment… just a little curiosity?
Because this is how we reclaim our mornings.
And then, slowly, our days.
And then, quietly, our lives.
And always remember that if doing this inner work alone is too much for your nervous system and you are in need of co regulation (which we should have gotten as children but most of us didn't) then don't forget to check out my live weekly zoom meetings in the School of Transformation - which to me is like nervous system rehab!!! school-of-transformation.circle.so/checkout/monthl…
1 month ago | [YT] | 152