Some days, you just wake up on the wrong side of the bed.
Your blankets and pillows turn into quicksand.
Or, you slept through (snoozed) your (seven) alarm clocks, scramble out of bed to throw on the first pair of clothes you see, maybe grab shoes and a protein bar, and run out the door.
It happens. We all have mornings that feel like Mondays.
But, if stressful, running-late mornings are starting to become your routine, we should be best friends, cause same.
I've said this before, but it's so important–how you start your day affects how you perceive the rest of it.
I used to be that avid-alarm-clock snoozer and peanut-butter-toast-in-the-car girl (still am sometimes, but working on it).
It wasn't fun waking up every morning in a panic and rushing to getting ready. I was never able to fully get ready for the day, eat a good breakfast, and do all the things I wanted. It framed my day with unnecessary stress and rush that would sometimes carry into other responsibilities and activities.
The antidote? A morning (and maybe night) routine.
Morning routines are for go-go-goers and the stay-at-homers. Really, it's self-care for the successful.
Here's the DL on how to craft your morning in a way that's right for you.
Why are mornings so bad?
Determine what makes your morning so ~bleh~.
For me, it's being too scrambled, rushed, and not feeling fully awake.
I seemed to press snooze one too many times, wasn't able to get 100% ready, started the day at 100 mph, and felt a bit foggy.
Find the root of your bad-morning blues.
What are you seeking?
Think about where you're at in life. What do you want more of? Less of?
Do you need more routine, organization, and consistency or more spontaneity, freshness, and change?
Does your mind feel more cluttered, or does your body need more attention?
Waking up a *bit earlier for a morning routine can grant you the time and resources you've never had the time for to allow more calm, motivation, creativity, or whatever self-improvement goals you have.
The waking-up part
Hopefully you didn't got to exit out of this tab as soon as you read “early.” Just hear me out.
There's a good chance you spend a good chunk of your morning on your phone right after you wake up. Multiple studies show that this habit might be hurting you, increasing stress, anxiety, negativity, and damaging self-esteem (**FOMO).
I'm just as guilty of this as the next person, but it's good to be aware of the potential harm waking up to social media can have on our mental health and emotional health.
So, eliminate that or any other bad habit out of the equation. You just gained another 5-20 minutes of time in the morning. Set your alarm clock 15-20 minutes earlier (hold the snooze), and you just gained 20-40 minutes solely for the purpose of starting your day right.
Getting enough sleep will also help you wake up on the right side of the bed. Try getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep and setting a routine time to wake up each morning. Maybe even sync your sleep schedule with your body's biological sleep cycle.
*nerdy fun fact: Our bodies go through ~9–minute sleep cycles, and we naturally wake up at the end of one. If you've ever woken up in the middle of the night with ~full~ energy, it was probably at the end of one of these cycles. Try going to bed at a time that will allow you to sleep for approximately a multiple of 90 minutes/1.5 hours (7.5 hours, 9 hours, etc.), and it may be easier to get out of bed.
**If you're having a hard time getting out of bed in the morning due to depression or other health issues, it's okay to seek help or talk to someone about it. Cute blog posts, hacks, and tips might not seem to help much, and that's okay. There are people and resources that can and want to help you.
Crafting the routine
Go back to the why your morning sucks and what you're seeking.
Let's make a morning routine out of that.
I want to feel more awake and less rushed. To self-improve. Even more, I want to take care of my physical and mental health, so I can learn, serve, and grow more each day. I could also use more day-to-day spontaneity, freshness, and change.
Since I value more fluidity, I comprised an ever-changing list of items for me to choose from each morning (stars next to the never-changing items):
*Pray
Meditate
Journal
To-do list
Set an intention for the day
Stretch
Yoga
5 minute run
Self-care
Affirmations
*Makeup, hair, etc.
*Breakfast
Besides the starred items, I've planned to pick out 1-3 other activities to do each morning, depending what I feel my mind or body needs and how much time I have.
If you are seeking more routine, organization, and consistency, maybe try picking a set 1-3 activities you do every morning or on certain days of the week.
Here are some ways successful people start their days:
*Breakfast (not optional)
Family time
Go outside
Exercise
Garden
Yoga
Journal
To-do list
Meditate
Self-care (whatever that means to you)
Visualize your goals
Affirmations
Read (self-help book, scriptures, or even your favorite fantasy novel)
Listen to music/podcasts
Walk your dog
Paint, color, or sketch
Consider a pre-morning routine
If your biggest barrier to mornings is time (like me), you might want to consider a night routine.
Think of it as a pre-morning routine.
If you often find yourself rushing to get out the door or accidentally forgetting/leaving things at home, try crafting a night routine.
Here's what I've drawn up for myself during the school and work year:
Pack bag/backpack
Fill water bottle
Make packed lunch
Meal prep if I know I'm going to have a busy day tomorrow
A pre-morning routine can help you feel better about yourself, more organized, and decrease morning hectic-ness.
How do I actually do it?
You know yourself when it comes to goals or mornings. Be realistic.
Get up tomorrow, and do the full routine. How did it feel? Was it too much? Not enough? Modify accordingly and try again the next day. Self-improvement doesn’t happen overnight.
Do that till it feels right. Do it for one week. If you don't value or see the results, then maybe it's not for you.
But if your mornings seem a little bit brighter, your days a bit breezier, your mental health a bit clearer, your watch a bit slower, and you feel more purpose and structure, then keep going.
Don't give up if you miss a day. Keep going till you don't even have to think about it anymore--good, self-improvement habits can change your life forever.
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