The 9-Minutes Morning Reset: Movement, Mindful and Mindset (3M) | Blog 111
- muktisantos
- 1 day ago
- 10 min read
Working full-time which I am loving, raising a family, studying and building my coaching business left me waking with headaches, a tight jaw and aching shoulders. Discover how just nine intentional minutes of Movement, Mindful and Mindset (3M) each morning helped me reconnect with myself and reminded me that small daily habits create lasting transformation.
Sunrise on the mountain
Introduction
Before we dive in, I just want to say thank you.
I know it's been a little while since my last blog. I looked at the date recently and couldn't quite believe my last one was back in March 2026. Somehow, I blinked and we're already at the end of July.
Life has been beautifully full.
I am working full-time in the office, continuing to build my coaching/blogging business outside of work, keeping up with my studies to become a Holistic Mind & Body Practitioner, being part of an incredible mastermind, and most importantly, continuing to be a wife and mum to two beautiful children.
There have been so many moving parts.
Although I haven't been writing here, I've been learning, growing and living the lessons I'm about to share with you.
So, thank you.
Thank you for your patience, your support and for continuing to be part of this beautiful community. It truly means the world to me. I hope these fortnightly blogs become a little pocket of calm in your busy week, and if today's blog resonates with you, I'd love for you to share it with someone you care about.
Because wellness is one of those beautiful things that grows when we share it.
When My Body Asked Me to Slow Down
This year has also been one of the busiest seasons of my life.
And the funny thing is... I loved every part of it.
I love helping people through my coaching. I love learning and continuing to grow. I love being a mum. I love supporting my family.
But if I'm honest, somewhere along the way I stopped supporting myself.
For months, my body was trying to get my attention.
Most mornings I woke up with a headache before my feet even touched the floor. My jaw felt tight before I'd had my first sip of coffee, and my neck and shoulders constantly ached. Some mornings I wondered why I felt so exhausted before the day had even begun.
Sound familiar?
As women, we're often so good at looking after everyone else that we forget to check in with ourselves.
Earlier this year I bought a Shakti Mat after hearing so many wonderful things about it. At first, I used it every day. It became part of my evening routine and gave me twenty minutes to simply pause.
It helped.
It really did.
But as life became busier, every day became twice a week. Twice a week became once a week, and before I knew it, I was telling myself the same thing I hear so many women say...
"I'll do it tomorrow."
Deep down, I knew the Shakti Mat wasn't the whole answer.
The pain wasn't just coming from my muscles.
It was coming from the pace I was trying to live.
One evening, as I sat quietly reflecting on everything that had been happening, I realised something that stopped me in my tracks.
I didn't need another thing to add to my already overflowing to-do list.
I needed to give myself permission to slow down.
That was a much harder lesson than I expected.
Like many women, I had somehow convinced myself that slowing down meant I wasn't being productive enough. That if I took nine minutes for myself, I was taking time away from everyone else.
But what if the opposite was true?
What if those nine minutes actually helped me become a better mum, a better wife, a better coach, a better colleague and a healthier version of myself?
That question changed everything.
Instead of searching for another wellness trend or another habit to squeeze into my day, I came back to something beautifully simple.
The 9 Minutes Morning Reset: Movement, Mindful and Mindset (3M)
Three minutes of Movement.
Three minutes of Mindful.
Three minutes of Mindset.
Just nine intentional minutes before the rest of the world asked anything of me.
Nothing complicated.
Nothing expensive.
No hard rules.
Just nine minutes that belonged to me.
Over the past month, my 9-minutes morning reset has helped me begin each day with more calm, intention and connection.
Not perfectly.
Consistently.
And this week something happened that honestly made me smile.
For the first time in a long time, I woke up without pain.
No headache.
No tight jaw.
No aching shoulders.
Now, I'm not saying nine minutes is a miracle cure.
Life will still be busy.
There will still be stressful days, deadlines and seasons that feel overwhelming.
But these nine minutes have reminded me of something I've believed for a long time, yet somehow needed to experience again for myself.
Small daily habits create lasting transformation.
Not because they change your life overnight.
But because they slowly change the way you show up for yourself every single day.
And when you begin showing up differently for yourself...
You naturally begin showing up differently for everyone else.
Why We Think We Need More (When Sometimes We Need Less)
One of the biggest lessons I've learnt this year is that wellness doesn't have to be complicated.
Somewhere along the way, many of us have started believing we need an hour-long morning routine, a perfectly colour-coded planner, the latest wellness trend or more time before we can finally look after ourselves.
I used to think that too.
But the more I tried to fit everything into my day, the more overwhelmed I became.
The truth is, most of us don't wake up to peaceful mornings.
We're making lunches.
Helping the kids get ready for school.
Looking for lost shoes, keys or our Opal card.
Answering texts messages.
Thinking about work before we've even walked out the front door.
Life isn't perfect.
It's beautifully messy.
And that's okay.
What I've realised is that wellness shouldn't ask us to escape our lives.
It should support us in living them.
That's exactly why I created my 3M Morning Reset.
Not because I needed another thing to do.
But because I needed something that actually fit into real life.
Just nine intentional minutes.
Three minutes of Movement.
Three minutes of Mindful.
Three minutes of Mindset.
Nine minutes that remind me before the day begins that I matter too.
Because when something feels realistic, we're far more likely to keep doing it.
And every time, consistency beats perfection.
The First M: Movement: Waking Up your Body with Kindness
If you've followed me for a while, you'll know I've always been a big believer in movement.
Not because I want to burn off last night's pizza or earn my food.
Because I genuinely love how movement makes me feel.
Movement isn't about punishing your body.
It's about thanking your body.
After six, seven or even eight hours of sleep, our muscles naturally tighten, our joints become a little stiffer, and our circulation slows down. Even just a few minutes of gentle movement increases blood flow, wakes up the brain and helps deliver more oxygen throughout the body.
In other words...
Your body is simply asking to wake up.
The beautiful thing is, it doesn't need to be a workout.
Some mornings I stretch.
Some mornings I go for a short walk, and some I go to the gym.
Some mornings I put on my favourite music and have a little dance while the kettle is boiling.
It all counts.
Movement doesn't have to leave you sweaty.
It simply needs to leave you feeling more alive than you did five minutes earlier.
If there's one thing I'd love you to remember, it's this...
Your body was designed to move.
Treat it with kindness, and it will often thank you in ways you never expected.
The Second M: Mindful: Giving Your Nervous System Permission to Exhale
Looking back, I don't think I realised just how "switched on" I'd become.
Wake up.
Think about work.
Pack lunches.
Catch the bus.
Meetings.
Dinner.
Homework.
Study.
Business.
Sleep.
Repeat.
I wasn't just living a busy life.
My nervous system thought it had to stay busy too.
No wonder my body was waking me up with headaches, a tight jaw and aching shoulders.
It wasn't trying to work against me.
It was trying to protect me.
That changed the way I looked at mindfulness.
I stopped seeing it as another task on my to-do list and started seeing it as a gift I could give myself.
Three minutes of slow breathing.
Three minutes of journalling.
Three minutes of gratitude.
Three minutes sitting quietly with my coffee before reaching for my phone.
Sometimes it's just walking outside and doing a couple of inhales and exhales while enjoying a little sunshine.
Sometimes it's simply doing some initial breathing before or after my movement.
There are no hard rules.
Because mindfulness isn't about doing it perfectly.
It's about creating a small moment where your mind and body finally realise...
"I'm safe."
Those few minutes don't remove life's responsibilities.
But they completely change how I respond to them.
The Third M: Mindset: The Conversation That Shapes Your Day
Before anyone else speaks to us in the morning...
We've already been speaking to ourselves.
"I didn't sleep well."
"I'm already behind."
"Today is going to be stressful."
Have you ever noticed how quickly our minds look for evidence that those thoughts are true?
Our brains are incredible at confirming whatever story we tell ourselves.
But what if we chose a different story?
One question has become part of my own morning routine.
What would the healthiest version of me choose today?
I love this question because it doesn't ask me to be perfect.
It simply helps me become intentional.
Maybe the healthiest version of me drinks another glass of water.
Maybe she chooses to go for a Reformer Pilates class at lunchtime instead of scrolling on her phone.
Maybe she speaks to herself with kindness instead of criticism.
Maybe she goes to bed a little earlier.
One choice may seem small.
But small choices have a beautiful way of becoming bigger ones.
One healthy decision leads to another.
And before you realise it, you're no longer trying to become that person.
You're already becoming her.
Small Habits Create Lasting Transformation
One of the greatest lessons this season has taught me is that our lives rarely change because of one extraordinary day.
They change because of hundreds of ordinary ones.
Nine intentional minutes probably won't transform your life tomorrow morning.
And that's okay.
Transformation isn't built in one day.
It's built through the small choices we make every single day.
Imagine giving yourself those same nine minutes every morning for the next twelve months.
That's almost fifty-five hours spent looking after your body, calming your mind and intentionally choosing how you want to show up in the world.
Not because someone else told you to.
Because you decided you were worthy of those nine minutes.
And here's something I'd love you to do.
Don't wait until next Monday.
Don't wait until the kids go back to school.
Don't wait until life feels less busy.
Start tomorrow.
Set your alarm just nine minutes earlier.
Spend:
3 minutes moving your body.
3 minutes calming your mind.
3 minutes choosing your mindset.
That's it.
No expensive equipment.
No perfect morning routine.
No pressure.
Just nine intentional minutes.
Then tomorrow night, ask yourself one simple question:
"Did I feel even 1% better today?"
Because that's how lasting transformation begins.
Not with one giant leap.
But with one small step, repeated consistently.
One ordinary morning at a time.
One Reflection
Before you close this blog and continue with your day, I'd love you to take a quiet moment to reflect.
If you gifted yourself just nine intentional minutes every morning for the next 12 months, how might your life feel different?
Not what you might achieve.
Not what you might tick off your to-do list.
But how might you feel?
More energised?
More present with your family?
Calmer?
Less reactive?
More connected to yourself?
Sometimes the biggest transformation begins by asking ourselves one simple question.
Tomorrow morning, try the 9-minutes morning reset and notice how you feel afterward.
Cup with a moment to pause
Final Thoughts
If there's one thing this season of life has reminded me, it's this...
Our bodies are always communicating with us.
Mine wasn't asking me to become more productive.
It wasn't asking me to work harder.
It wasn't asking me to add another thing to my already full schedule.
It was simply asking me to slow down.
To breathe.
To move.
To reconnect with myself before giving my energy to everyone else.
The beautiful thing about my 3M Morning Reset is that it hasn't made my life any less busy.
I still work full-time.
I'm still building my coaching business.
I'm still studying.
I'm still a wife and a mum.
Life is still beautifully full.
But those nine intentional minutes have changed how I move through my days.
With a little more calm.
A little more intention.
A little more energy.
And a whole lot more compassion for myself.
If you're reading this and life feels busy right now, please know you don't need to change everything overnight.
You don't need the perfect routine.
You don't need an extra hour.
You don't need to wait until Monday.
You simply need to begin.
Tomorrow morning...
Gift yourself nine minutes.
Three minutes of Movement.
Three minutes of Mindful.
Three minutes of Mindset.
Your own 3M Morning Reset.
Because sometimes the smallest habits become the biggest turning points.
Not because they change your life overnight...
But because they slowly change the person you become, one ordinary morning at a time.
I would Love to Hear From You 🤍
One of my favourite parts of writing these blogs is knowing they're not just my thoughts; they're a conversation with this beautiful community.
As I return to writing fortnightly blogs, I'd love your help.
What would you like me to write about next?
Is there a wellness topic you're curious about?
Something you're finding challenging right now?
Or a question you'd love me to explore in more depth?
My next blog will be published on Sunday, 9 August, and I'd genuinely love to create content that supports you where you are right now.
Feel free to send me a DM or reply to this blog and let me know your ideas.
And if today's blog resonated with you, I'd be so grateful if you shared it with a friend, family member or someone who might need this gentle reminder today.
Because wellness is something we can all grow together.
Live your Life on Purpose.
Until next time,
Mukti 🤍
Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live. Jim Rohn
Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out. Robert Collier
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