“I love mornings.”
That’s a huge statement coming from me, considering that I used to believe I was a ‘night owl’ and that mornings were repulsive things sent to torture me for all my earlier wrongdoings.
That might seem a little over the top--but when you’re a drinking half a bottle of ‘something’ to put you to sleep at night--you can understand why I thought mornings were the work of the devil.
Today, it’s a different story.
I’m up as soon as the early dawn light filters into my bedroom and the dawn chorus of the birds begins in earnest.
I’m filled with a sense of each new day bringing new opportunity and I can’t get past the overwhelming feeling that I can start each new day fresh.
It’s clean and unspoilt and beautiful.
Having this attitude to the morning also has an effect on the rest of my day. While I’m sitting around drinking herbal tea and feeling ‘zen’ in the company of the dog and the cat, I can make plans and set my course for the day before I’m interrupted by anything or anyone.
This is why making over your own morning routine might be in order.
“First thing” is about so much more than the first couple of hours that your eyes are open.
One of the benefits of working for myself is that I’m not at the mercy of the alarm clock, so there is never any temptation to roll over and hit the ‘snooze’ button. I wake when my body and mind are rested and I’ve had enough sleep.
If you’re reliant on the alarm, you might set it a little earlier to have some much needed “you time”. You have every intention of getting out of bed, but when the alarm screams “get-outa-bed” the urge is to tell it to “F*ck off!”
I’ll bet that those days don’t go as well as the days you actually do get up and take that walk, or go to the gym, or do meditation, or take that extra time to read a book. I’m certain that the days you did get up and do something for you went much better than the days you pulled the covers over your head and tried to pretend that the daylight wasn’t calling your name.
I wouldn’t be surprised if you told me that the days you pulled the covers over your head and went back to sleep were the days that didn’t go so well. You were always playing ‘catch up’. You couldn’t quite get anything to work during the day--you set the tone for how the day would proceed when you refused to get out of bed and face the world.
That seems like a harsh statement--but I’ll bet it’s the truth.
How about starting the day on the right note every morning?
If you struggle to resist hitting the ‘snooze’ button, simply put the alarm clock on the other side of the room, so you have to get out of bed when it goes off. Once you’re up, stay up!
Pull on a pair of track pants and take that walk, or go do that yoga or meditation. Make that cup of tea and write your journal, or plan your day.
Starting your day in a positive and productive way reaps benefits for you throughout the next twenty-four hours.
Don’t believe me?
Put the alarm on the other side of the room and give it a go!
Over the next few blogs, we’ll take a look at making over your morning. I’m certain that not only will you enjoy your mornings more (like me!) but that it will make the rest of your day much smoother.
Lots of love,
Toni x