There are two types of people in this world – those that panic and run at the mention of structure and those that smile peacefully at the idea of any kind of order. Or maybe there’s a whole bunch of people stuck right smack dab in the middle. A little bit of structure goes a long way. Whatever your fancy for schedules, a morning routine that consists of more me time, outside of just your morning bathroom visit, is sure to bring any busy mom a little more peace. And that’s something I know we all can get behind.
But what’s the point? Really, what’s the reward for getting up early and starting your day in a similar fashion, everyday? I’m glad you asked!
I love to hear how other people start their day. It’s going to be a huge part of our podcast and is almost as fascinating to me as someone’s birth story. There is countless research on the benefits of getting up early – sleep studies, books, podcasts and celebrities raving about being part of the “5 AM Club.” But when you’re a mom – sleep can often become more of a priority than anything else. If you are prioritizing your sleep on purpose, then great. That means you – new moms, moms of tiny non-sleeping tots or multiples, or moms working in and out of the home with hours that only allow for sleep and snuggles. If you are prioritizing your sleep because you are so tired you don’t have the energy to even think about something else? That’s a problem.
I get it. The cycle is brutal. You can’t get up early because you’re too tired. You roll out of bed at the last minute and struggle bus though the day. You finally get to crash at 11 PM and can’t sleep for 2 more hours because you’re brain is still running wild. Then the cycle begins again the next day. You feel stuck. You feel like you can never be that person that doesn’t hit snooze. Who invented the snooze button anyway? I’d like to hug and punch them just a little bit. You feel like you’ll never be the kind of woman that starts her day feeling put together. “Maybe when summer gets here I can start my day a little slower,” you think. Or “maybe when my kids are older, in college or out of the house, that’s when I’ll start my day like I want.” Why is it that we are always waiting for life to get better? We all sit around with child-like smiles, waiting, wishing, daydreaming, like the life we want is going to fall out the clouds and land in our laps. For most of us, it’s not. We have to shift, swerve, duck and leap to get what we wish we could have. And most of us simply just don’t do it. We don’t think we can, we don’t think we should or we don’t think were worthy. Oh, but we are.
Working on your mindset is definitely one huge missing piece of this puzzle. But you also need some other pieces to succeed if you want to change up your morning routine.
You need awareness.
Awareness is the first step to changing any habit. If you don’t know what the current reality really is, how can you make a better one? And if you’re like me, your idea of reality isn’t exactly reality. If you told your morning story would it be the same as if your spouse told it? Let’s get real ladies. It takes 30 minutes to put on a face…not 10! Spend a few days tracking and recording your current routine. Don’t change anything, even if it hurts a little. Write down all the activities you do and times you do them before you start your actual day. Yeah girl, it really did take 9 minutes to pluck that ‘stache.
You need a plan.
The best way to plan is to write. Your brain learns twice when you write it down. There is not nearly as much room up there as you think. Get it out and onto paper! Write out your current ideal morning schedule. If it’s different on the weekends, make two schedules. Don’t worry about season changes just focus on the current one. Be sure to include times and be as detailed as possible. Even including time to brush your teeth, curl your hair, pack lunches, find your toddler’s shoes, wake your teenager 15 times – each individual task!
Now write yourself in.
You probably made a schedule that included all of your necessary tasks. Those for you, your children, pets and maybe even a few things for your spouse. Now I want you to back that wake up time by 30 minutes. Yep. You’re going to get up 30 minutes EARLIER than you have to. And you know what you’re going to do with that 30 minutes? WHATEVER THE HECK YOU WANT. That book you’ve been wanting to read? Now you’ve got time for 2 chapters a day. That 20 minute workout? You even have 10 minutes to rest after. That 1 mile loop around the neighborhood? You might even be able to run it twice after a month. This is your morning grounding time. Mama, it will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. You can meditate, pray, take a bath, journal, exercise…whatever you need to ground you that you have been missing. I promise you won’t miss that sleep. The hardest part is starting. You might not make it the first few days. You might only get 10 minutes. You might mess up every other day. Just do it anyway. Let go of perfection and do it because you are worthy of it. ❤
If you need a little inspiration – you can find my current morning routine here.
❤ MA
The Well Mom Collective 
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