Morning!!!!!
Why I love my mornings and how getting up early makes for a better day!!
I didn’t always love getting up early, as I love my sleep, but from a very young age my parents never really let us sleep in during the week or on the weekends.
They kept us busy either with extracurricular activities, sports, or family outings.
Sleeping in was not a thing in our house and as much as I don’t think I appreciated it then, I really appreciate it now!
Getting up early does take some getting used to and it is hard in the beginning but the more you do it the more your body will adjust.
I can’t even sleep in on the weekends anymore, even if I try. My body has now adapted to the early morning and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
How To Get Up Early
Mornings are not for everyone as some people feel more productive at night. However, for me, I realized I was most energized in the mornings and early part of my day, so I wanted to make the most of that time.
I also realized by the end of the day I was too tired some days to want to get to the gym or do much else, so getting my workout finished in the morning always made me feel so much better.
I realized I needed something in the morning or a routine to look forward to that would excite me to wake up no matter what time.
For me, it was my morning coffee routine.
Instead of making coffee at home, I get in my car, turn on my favorite song, jam out and drive down to my go-to coffee shop.
Not only am I so excited for my first cup of joe. But I love the quite time I get when no one is on the street. Also, it forces me to wake up and not crawl back into bed. 😉
The sun hasn’t fully risen, it’s still dark out and I feel like I am in my own little world. It really clears my head and I set my intentions for the day… which first and foremost are: stay positive, don’t stress, and smile.
After I get my coffee, I typically drive to my morning workout (3 days a week).
The drive is 30 min so I have a good amount of time for myself, and on those days even more time to set my intentions and also run the day’s to-do list over in my head. On the days I don’t have my morning workout, I still drive to get my coffee, but then come home, sit on the couch and set my intentions (30 minutes) and then another 20-30 minutes to go through social media or online shopping (anything that I may get distracted by later). I try to allot that time and that time only before I get to work.
However, a huge part of starting my day off right is making sure I always getting to the gym early, I am talking 15-30 minutes early depending on the day.
Being early has been helpful for my overall stress level.
I know that might sound crazy, but I don’t like being late and I don’t like being rushed.
Starting your day off rushed can sometimes throw off the entire rest of your day. If I ever feel like I am rushing to get somewhere or know I am running late, I spend the whole-time dwelling over that instead of thinking about all the other things that are more important and just being present in the moment.
…and this above, starts with you and your alarm.
Set your alarm early enough to allow wiggle room in your schedule and DON’T press snooze. The second your alarm goes off, reach for your phone turn it OFF and get out of bed. This really helps, I promise.
Once I turn my alarm off, I jump out of bed, grab a glass of water and start getting ready.
This is all easier said than done, but my trainer recommended a great book to help me break my “Snooze Button” habit.
Book: “The Five Second Rule”
Author: Mel Robbins
Order here: Amazon
The Five Second Rule helped me get on track in the morning AND with so many other areas of my life.
*When you start respecting and seeing the value of time you learn to not waste it as much.
I remember the morning after I finished reading the book, my alarm went off, I pressed snooze and closed my eyes but instantly, my head started counting backwards 5, 4, 3, 2, … I hoped out of bed. That jolt of energy alone allowed me to feel more awake, as I feel I didn’t have time to even think about how tired I was or how I wish I could have 5 more minutes of sleep.
It truly jump starts my day – because after all, it simply boils down to mind over matter.
If you don’t tell yourself you’re tired, you won’t be as tired (I am very guilty of that haha).
Last but not least, getting up early and feeling rested actually starts the night before… You need to go to bed earlier.
If you spent your morning being productive and finished your workout its already less for you to do when you get home. So, get to bed EARLIER!
I need more sleep than average, so I figured out how many hours I needed and counted backwards from the time I have to wake up that morning and aim to get into bed at that time.
My Schedule:
My typical bed time is 10pm. I need 8 hours, but realistically get that on the two days I am not working out and then 7 on my earlier days, which still works for me.
My alarm goes off anywhere from:
5:15AM – 5:45AM on the days of my early morning workout. If my workout starts at 7:00, I wake up at 5:45. If it starts at 6:30, I wake up closer to 5:15.
7:00AM -7:15AM on days I don’t have early morning workout (on those days my workout is 4:30PM).
A Little Recap:
- Pick something you will do right when you wake up that will get you so excited (like a kid on Christmas morning).
- Go to bed at a reasonable hour – figure out how many hours of sleep your body needs.
- Try reading The 5 Second Rule or Miracle Morning
- Schedule a workout class or grab a buddy in the morning to hold you accountable. You are likely to get up when 1. You don’t wait to waste someone’s time, 2. don’t want to waste your money or 3. BOTH.
- Don’t press Snooze.
Would love to know your if you are a morning person or a night owl and if you are a morning person, whats your routine? Happy Thursday!
