Ah, mornings. My nemesis. If you know anything about me, you know that I am not a morning person. Never have been, hopefully never have to be. There's something so heartbreaking about having to leave your warm, fuzzy sheets in favour of cold, crisp air and responsibilities. I'm a millennial, okay? I want to make money for sleeping.
Anyways, over the years of school and work, I've developed a few daily habits that really help drag me out of bed in the morning, or at least make that angry-groggy stage dissipate a little faster.
1. Let There Be Light!
In the beginning, one of the first things God did was speak light into the darkness. I'll take a hint from that and say, let's start the day with a little bit of brightness. Opening your curtains in the morning to the beautiful sunshine outside does one of two things: first, it physically gets you out of bed. Unless you have one of those automated curtain sets, your tush is peeling off the covers to get this done, and at that point, it'll be easier to move on to the next task. Secondly, daylight is great for melting away grogginess because it tells your brain that it's time to get up. If you don't believe me, leave your curtains open one night when you go to sleep, and tell me you don't wake up with the sunrise. I'm a lover of natural light, so this habit is essential for me.
2. Make Your Bed
This one is very controversial. My husband likes to say that there's no point in making your bed if you're just going to come back and lie in it (haha). Granted, it may be a seemingly endless cycle, but! It's amazing what effect a made bed can have on your mental state. Think of making your bed in the morning like emptying the trash bin on your computer desktop. Satisfying, right? Not only that, but coming home to the comfort of a peacefully made bed just waiting for you to cuddle it can be so relieving after a particularly stressful day. Do your future self a favour and pick up this easy morning habit!
3. Breakfast
Now's where it gets really exciting...food! I've had a love-hate relationship with breakfast throughout my life, where I used to feel sick to my stomach if I ate too early in the morning. I've been able to work my way into the habit of eating since then, but I still refrain from large breakfasts unless I have lots of down time. What I used to do is just eat a few nuts or pack some dry Cheerios to snack on as my body woke up. Now that my body is able to handle a little more, I just make one egg every morning before work/school/whatever. This gives me enough energy until around 11AM when I have a little snack. Every body is different, however, and this is just what I do, having been someone who previously couldn't handle any breakfast at all. Whether you go all out with eggs, bacon, toast and pancakes or you just have some yogurt and fruit, the point is to get at least a little something in your stomach before you head out to help prepare your mind for the tasks of the day.
4. Spot of Tea
Another daily habit to incite you to get out of bed in the morning is the promise of a deliciously warm cup of something. Personally, this is not something that I do on a daily basis (more on a seasonal basis), but I know lots of people who say that their cup of coffee is the reason they can get out of bed in the morning. It doesn't have to be limited to coffee or tea, my childhood go-to was hot chocolate, and I fondly remember waiting for the school bus on chilly November mornings with my Thermos. If you don't like any of those things, maybe you like to buy cinnamon buns or scones that you like to munch on in the morning. Decide to eat/drink/do something that you love that you can look forward to as you go to bed the night before. Whatever it is, try to make it a morning-only habit so you either don't overindulge, or it allows you to convince yourself that it's the only time you're going to get it so you better get up!
5. Devotions
I've organized this list in the order that I do them in the morning, but for me, this is priority numero uno. If I do nothing else in the morning, I want to have done my devotions. Spending time with God is important for my faith and relationship with Him, and doing this on a daily basis makes my days go a lot smoother. I like to start my devotions with Bible reading, I follow a plan on the ESV Bible App that does a mixture of Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms & Proverbs (my favourite) so you don't read too many 'begats' in one day 😉. Then, I like to begin my prayer time with gratitude and thankfulness, writing down something I want to intentionally be grateful for that day. I go on to pray for myself and others, etc. If I'm honest, I have always struggled with my consistency in my daily devotions... but discovering a format that works for you has really helped me to be excited to spend time with God every day. I'll share a more in depth account of my devotional routine in an upcoming post. This habit is now something that I look forward to in the morning, and has greatly impacted my perspective going into the day, leading to one that is more productive and enjoyable.
6. Cleaning Blitz!
If you have your own place, you know how quickly dishes, dust and junk piles up in your home. Even if you live with your parents you know that your bedroom can go from clean haven to garbage dump in a few short minutes (read: half an hour) of you trying to pick your outfit in the morning. Whatever the case may be, taking a few minutes (5-10) to blitz clean your space will leave you feeling happy and stress-free when you come home after a long day. It also means that that one pan you seem to cook everything in is actually free to use when it's time to make dinner. For me, this habit usually includes putting away the clean dishes and repositioning the pillows and throw blankets on our sectional. Any other cleaning bits and bobs that you can squeeze into a condensed time can make maintaining a clean home more manageable.
7. Plan Your Day
This is a simple one that can make a huge difference. Take a few minutes to look over your calendar for the day so you make sure you don't forget anything. (This only works if you have the habit of actually putting your activities and engagements in your phone or planner). I'm a list person, so I like to put errands and to-do lists in my phone so that I can keep track of them. My husband and I use a family organization app called Picniic, which helps us share calendars, lists, our meal plan for the week, etc. That way, we can collectively keep track of what's going on and who's doing what. Having a general idea of what your day will look like will help you be more prepared, whether mentally, physically (oh right, I need a sweater for the bonfire tonight!), emotionally (great, I have a meeting with that client today), and more.
8. Talk to Your Family!
Last, but certainly not least...make time for your family in the morning. I know this isn't always possible depending on work schedules, but making even the shortest morning interactions a priority can really boost your mood. After all my other morning habits are done I love to go back upstairs and cuddle my husband for a few minutes. It gives me a chance to make his morning (because he gets up a little later than I do), while rewarding myself for all the things I did by talking to my favourite person. This doesn't need to be limited to husbands and wives, this could be a few short minutes spent with your parents, your siblings, the family dog, even texting your boyfriend or best friend! Prioritize at least one important relationship to you in the morning, and I guarantee you you'll have a better day!
Overall, each person is so unique in what they love or dislike doing. This list of things that have made my mornings and (overall days!) better are things that cater to my needs and personality. If you're trying to be more organized or charged in the morning, I encourage you to try out some of these habits and see if they really do make a difference for you. We can fake being morning people, can't we?
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