The title of this post may be misleading – I am NOT a morning person. I never have been and in fact, I would often find myself angry by the time it was time to go to school or to work. Mornings were the worst way to start my day. Since I can’t change the fact that morning comes, I need to find something else I can alter within my realm of control.
Here are some of my ideas I’ve tried that help my mornings go a little bit smoother. I hope some will help you too:
- Before you go to bed, do a quick clean up of clutter. I mean quick. In 5-10 minutes, put as much away as you can before you go to bed. Put dishes in the dishwasher, toys back in the box, shoes lined up, etc.
- Write out your to do list or any other ideas you want to remember the next day so you can fall asleep without trying to sort through your thoughts in bed. This is huge for me.
- Turn off technology. Studies have shown that playing with your phone or watching TV in bed actually create insomnia. 20-30 minutes before you go to bed, shut off all electronic devices.
- Go to bed and get up at a consistent time. This includes weekends. Adults on average need about 6-10 hours of sleep while kids range from 9-13 hours (depending on the age). Our bodies live on routine! If we allow ourselves to stay up later, we will naturally want to sleep in longer. If we wake later, we may not be tired at our normal bedtime which creates insomnia and alters how lightly or deeply we sleep as well as our REM cycle. Stay consistent!
- Start your day with positivity through thankfulness. Before you do anything else, think about the things you are grateful for in your life: your home, your family, your bed, the fact that you woke up to start another day. Thank God for another day to fulfill your purpose.
- Wake before your children. It can be so challenging to do this when you have babies who wake you at all hours of the night but once your kids are sleeping through the night, get out of bed before they do. Spend alone time focusing and preparing for the day. This could be in your mind, heart, or in other ways.
- Read your Bible and pray over yourself and family. I don’t always do well with finding scripture to read on my own so I find plans in my Bible app or the First5 app in my phone. Grant yourself silence to allow God to speak to you for the day.
- If you wake early enough, exercise and shower! I work full-time so I do not have time during the day to exercise while my kids are in school. I have found 15 minute mini workouts through Betty Rocker to be the most beneficial for my busy life. She is inspiring, positive, and you are guaranteed to sweat in those 15 minutes!
- Shower and get dressed! One thing I learned in business school is that you dress for the job. There’s something about putting on clothes, makeup, and brushing your hair and teeth that makes you feel more confident and happy. I find if I’m in sweats all day, I tend to stay lazy and do not accomplish what I set out to do.
- Put down the technology. It is so easy to look through Facebook, Instagram, or watch the news every morning. Instead take the time to sit at the table with your family and look them in the eye while you eat breakfast. What are their plans for the day? What are they most excited about? Who had the funniest dream last night?
- Eat breakfast! Don’t rush your day so much that you skip breakfast. Take the time to make yourself a healthy breakfast that will give you the energy you need to start your morning well.
I’m sure there are many more ideas out there for how to wake up positive and joyful. What other suggestions do you have?
Such a great post! I set my alarm with a pandora station that always makes me happy and I try to remember the “why” behind my actions. What change am I trying to bring about? I hated mornings for a long time, but now I crave those early morning hours of peace.
You are my inspiration for this post! I admire your early morning dedication and love your ideas! : )