Do either of these morning scenarios sound familiar?
When the alarm goes off, you are still tired so you hit snooze several times.
OR You sleep until your kids wake you up. You're grumpy. You're behind. You don't have a lot of hope for your day to be anything other than playing catch up all day.
Both of those scenes were how my mornings played out for most of my life. This year, I am on a journey to be more mindful with how I spend my time and that all starts with a
In the research I have done, I have learned that a morning routine is crucial to having a more mindful, productive and peaceful day. I have broken my morning routine down into 12 easy to do steps.
The entire routine takes less than 15 minutes. And that 15 minutes is time well spent, setting me up for success.
First things first, you have to get up early. If you're thinking, why in the world would I want to get up early? I'm not getting enough sleep as it is. Getting up earlier would never help me! Believe me- I get it! Read on!
I've never been a morning person. I've always believed that mornings should start at 10am. My husband, on the other hand, is the sunshiniest person in the morning. Yes, it's just a bad as it sounds!
He wakes up at the crack of dawn e v e n o n t h e w e e k e n d s to read, work out and have time to himself. By the time the rest of us in the house are awake, he's totally energized and ready to perkily talk, sing, whistle and interact. barf
After hearing me complain of my lack of time for myself, he patiently and v e r y g e n t l y (he values his life) suggested that I try waking up a bit earlier. I've never been so mad at him and of course I completely ignored his advice f o r a w h i l e. Secretly, I observed his morning happiness
(while rolling my eyes) for several weeks and decided I didn't have anything to lose except of few minutes of sleep and had everything to gain by starting my day off right!
How I eased into a mourning haha morning routine
I started by setting my alarm for the time I wanted to wake up and got right out of bed. I didn't hit snooze 3 times like I normally do. Know what? I wasn't any less tired. In fact- I was a little bit more energized. Gradually I added a few other things and before I know it, I had a morning routine!
Morning Routine for Moms
Prepare to get up before your kids!
I know how it feels to be sleep deprived. But I promise, getting up 10-30 minutes before your kids get up will be game changing. You will not be any more tired than you were before and you will have time to take care of yourself before attending to the needs of anyone else.
Get up right when the alarm goes off
One of the best ways to do this is to put your alarm out of reach. Snoozing and getting "10 more minutes of sleep" is actually not extra sleep and will not make you feel better. In fact, going back to sleep can put you into an incomplete sleep cycle which will lead to sleep inertia. Sleep inertia is what causes the grogginess that lasts for hours.
Stand up and take 3 deep breaths
or do the 5 second rule by Mel Robins by counting 5-4-3-2-1 and GO into the bathroom. Moving away from your bed prevents you from crawling back in!
Brush your teeth and wash face
The mintiness of toothpaste and water on your face will help you wake up. Brushing your teeth gets rid of the bacteria that have formed in your mouth over night. Fresh breath also makes you more likely to stay awake. And it makes you much more pleasant to be around!
Make your bed
Making your bed takes less than a minute but has a major impact on your day. You will have already accomplished something and it will encourage you to accomplish more. see 5 reasons to make your bed
Say your prayers
or if that's not your thing, fill your heart with gratitude to the universe for all that you have. We all have MUCH to be grateful for. The more you notice what you have, instead of focusing on what you lack, the happier you will be!
Drink a glass of water
Sleeping all night dehydrates your body. Replenishing water increases energy, fuels your body and jump starts your metabolism.
Read Scriptures
Is there any better way to starting your day peacefully than reading the word of the Lord? It only takes a few minutes to read a chapter of scripture, (or you could read any uplifting book) but it puts thoughts and goals into perspective!
Journal
Grab a notebook and record your feelings, thoughts, actions you need to take, daily events, things you're grateful for, tender mercies, your hopes and dreams. Get all of the stuff that's floating around
in your head onto paper.
Plan Day
What do you need to get done? What goals do you have? When I had toddlers, my main goal was to keep my kids alive while maintaining the house. It seemed like I barely had time to do anything else.
That's ok if that's the season you're in. Don't judge yourself. Seasons are fleeting and everything changes. Now- my goals are different. I want to make a difference in the world. I want to share knowledge on my blog. I want to be present when my kids are home from school. I plan all of that into my day because
Spend a few seconds visualizing your goals and the steps you will take to reach them. Ask yourself what can you do today to get closer to your goals?
Exercise
I know...... even I can't believe I put that on this morning routine list. Along with not being a morning person, I've never been a fan of working out! So you can trust me when I tell you that if you do a tiny bit of exercise in the morning you will feel better!
First of all, get it out of your head that E-X-E-R-C-I-S-E means running 5 miles or going to a 45 minute spin class. I mean, if that's what works for you, then you totally should go for it. But for me, doing that much exercise = death! I aim for sneaking in exercise. I do a small routine, run up and down my stairs a few times and stretch.
Read or Listen to a Podcast
Read a book, read a quote or read a positive affirmation. Or listen to a ted talk, a talk from a mentor or a podcast. Put good thoughts into your head. I'll be posting about some of my favorite podcasts soon!
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So even if you don't think you have time,you can get into a morning routine!
Prepare to get up before your kids
Get up right when the alarm goes off
Stand up and take 3 deep breaths
Brush your teeth and wash face
Make your bed
Say your prayers
Drink a glass of water
Read Scriptures
Journal
Plan Day
Exercise
Read or Listen to a Podcast
It isn't difficult. It isn't time consuming. It makes a difference
and you're worth it!
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Do you think you would benefit from a morning routine?
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