The early bird gets the worm. You snooze, you lose. Wake up early and you’ll find success. Early to bed, early to rise. First come, first served.
Any of these sayings sound familiar:
They are all around you, trendy word signs in the home decor section and memes all over social media. All saying the same thing: It will benefit you to get up early. Personally, my favorite part of my entire day is in the morning. I love being up before the rest of the world. Before phones start to constantly go off. Before other people need me for anything and I can just be with myself and my thoughts. The mornings are quiet and calm. You have the possibilities and potential of your whole day ahead of you, but none of it has started quite yet.
If you told my teenage and college self that I would be willingly getting up early in the morning and not snoozing until the last possible second; I probably would have laughed in your face. But here I am with a 4:00 AM alarm set for Monday-Friday. This is 4 hours before my 8-5 workday starts. It sounds like a ton of time but mornings are also some sort of time vortex, because it goes by so quickly. I have made it a priority to have a morning routine that gets me in the right frame of mind for the day. If something comes up or happens with my alarm, and I miss my routine; I will start by saying that it’s not the end of the world, but it really throws me off.
Here is what you could have time for in the morning if you wake up early.
Workout
Get a sweat-sesh in before anything else. Set your workout gear out the night before so you’re set up for success. Sleep in it if you have to but this is one of the most important parts of my morning. Without getting too science-y it’s ideal to get at least 30 minutes of sustained, heart raising activity everyday. Many of us sit at a desk for long periods of time throughout the day, but getting the blood flowing and endorphins pumping is not only good for your body but good for you and your creativity and energy. Trust me, I know it sounds like a total oxymoron to workout when you’re already tired but you really will feel so much more energized throughout your entire day if you do this.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness can look like a lot of different things. Whether that is journaling, guided meditation, silent meditation or even prayer. We are constantly surrounded by negatives: on the news, on social media, gossip and in general people’s bad attitudes. Taking some time to think about relaxing your muscles or acknowledging what you’re grateful for makes you focus on the positives in your life instead of all the negative.
Meditation apps
- My favorite: Relax Melodies
- Headspace
- Calm
- The Tapping Solution
Journals:
- Chalene Johnson makes the Smart Life Push Journal
- Moleskin Journals are classics for a reason. I have used their yearly planners for years and still love them.
- Paperage Journals come in fun colors in a similar format.
Get Ready
Having the time to take a shower and do anything else you need to such as shaving or any makeup and skincare will have you feeling nice and put together for the rest of the day. You won’t be putting mascara on in the car when you’re stuck in traffic because everything is already done.
Have lunches to make or kids to get ready too? Not panicking and rushing around reduces stress and you’re less likely to forget something going out the door.
Coffee + Tea + Breakfast
I know there are some people out there that don’t enjoy breakfast but I will never understand it. “Hangry” is real and it’s not cute. Sure, you can make a smoothie and take it with you out the door but doesn’t it sound so much more enjoyable to sit down and actually enjoy what you made? It doesn’t have to be an elaborate spread every morning but enjoying the moment is something I believe to be worth it.
Read + Study
Have a good book that you have been meaning to read? I have piles of books all around me and a long list of recommends from friends and family. Most of the time I am opting to skip the news and social media scrolling to sneak in a few pages before heading off to work.
Enrolled in school? Or have a professional exam looming over you? Mornings are a great chunk of quiet time and if you’re feeling rested and refreshed from your night’s sleep; it could be the most efficient time of day to do this vs when you get home from a long day at work and are too tired or too stressed to even consider cracking that book open.
This is also a good time to have breakfast or drink your caffeine of choice, just sayin’.
See all my tips for squeezing more reading into your day: Here
Really the whole goal for a morning routine is to take care of yourself and do the things you need to get done. being in the right mindset helps so you can be better prepared to do all the things that other people need from you, like your boss or family and friends. For this short time you can fully live in the moment without thinking about future worry.
Note: none of the links above are affiliate links, simply products I love and use myself or have heard about.
