Are you a night owl or an early bird? Are you craving order and preparedness with your morning routine?
My entire adult life has been that of an early bird. My class schedules in college reflected that, my work schedules, my social life, and even my mom-routine. Getting an effective start in the morning gives some peace to the rest of the day. Without my early morning wakeup, I often am left feeling groggy and discombobulated.
I am the mama to five young children. When my babies wake up…it is understandable chaos. Creating a morning routine that worked for me was truly necessary when trying to “organize the chaos” occurring within our family dynamic. If you are struggling with the routine inside of your home, trying a new morning ritual might be the thing for you!
Make a To-Do List
Every night I make a to-do list for myself in the morning—reasonable goals that I would like to complete. I prepare those items, making sure they are accessible and ready for the morning. An example list for me might be:
- Fold one load of laundry
- Shower and dry hair
- Read one chapter of my book
- Make kids breakfast
Make your list reasonable and always be sure to include something that fuels yourself for the morning. Waking up early helps complete household tasks but you would be missing a perfect time to nourish your own self by not including things you enjoy on that list.
Mornings are the perfect time of peace to read a book, listen to a podcast, pray, or work out!
Set an Alarm
My phone is used as my alarm clock and I have standing routine wake-ups programmed as an alarm. Starting a new routine is difficult at first, however, consistently waking up with an alarm will help your body readjust. On top of my morning alarm, I also have an alarm at night to remind myself that going to bed at a decent time will help me wake up early. Going to bed at midnight after a good Netflix binge won’t help your efforts toward a healthy routine. When choosing to wake up early for a successful day, you may consciously have to decide that staying up late might not work anymore.
No Phones
Don’t get lost in the scroll. It is easy to lose time scrolling your phone first thing in the morning. Losing time scrolling is NOT why you’re waking up. Commit to a phone-free hour in the morning while you get your routine completed. Enjoy a cup of coffee before the sun rises and prepare your mind for the day without your Facebook feed.
Remember that you are waking up early to build a healthy and motivating ritual. Scrolling around on your phone won’t aid in that. Stick to your list to start and watch your day fall nicely in place.
Give it Time
Routines take time. Habits don’t happen over night. Babies don’t sleep through the night. If you need to take a day to sleep until the babies wake, take it! Allowing yourself grace is an absolute must. You are not a failure because you sleep in sometimes. It is okay! There are so many days that I stay hidden under the covers trying to soak in more zzz’s. Yet those do tend to be the days that are more stressful and unorganized. That is okay!
Start slowly. Do this by waking up just 15-30 minutes earlier than normal. Gradually increase when you feel prepared to do so.
Reward Yourself
If you think that I wake up at 4 a.m. without rewarding myself, you are very wrong. I make sure that I serve myself the fanciest homemade coffee and a breakfast that the kids cannot steal from my plate. I time out my to-do list so that I can walk the dog during the sunrise, read my book in the hammock outside in the beautiful weather, or have a face mask ready to treat my skin to in the shower. Mornings are the perfect time to focus on yourself before the hustle and bustle of the day.
Waking up early sets the tone for the day. Morning solitude gives me the chance to center myself before the loudness that wakes up after me. When asked how I organize my days and feel organized as a mom and business owner, I ALWAYS give credit to my morning routine.
