I know, I know, some of you are probably reading this at 1am while trying to fall asleep and are like why the eff is The Tipsy Realist trying to make me think about the morning! lol To those people I say, bookmark this B and GO TO SLEEP! To everyone else, keep scrolling. ;)
Some people are truly NOT morning people. I know because I used to be one of them. Late nights, late mornings (or early afternoons sometimes) and with that came a feeling of guilt caused by the unproductive and lazy behavior that followed. You know, that 'half the day is over so why try' mindset? Honestly, I used to think "I'm young, it's fine, there's always tomorrow" and then one day a couple months ago I realized, I spent more than a quarter of my life not utilizing the most of my time and ability because of this reasoning that being half invested in my life was OK. Then I got really upset because I don't want to be half invested in anything, let alone my life! Being half invested is ABSOLUTELY NOT OK! Sooooooo I used this quarantine time over the last few months to figure out not only my sleep schedule, but my morning routine and let me tell you... it has CHANGED MY LIFE!
I know, I sound like a commercial for something lame like vitamins or something (take the damn vitamins BTW), but I really mean it when I say that re-framing the way I start my day has impacted me in the most positive ways and literally jolted my way of thought. I feel like I am setting myself up to win each day that I practice my new routine. There is something even spiritual about starting your day off in a place of gratitude and peace versus hitting snooze, waking up to chaos, and literally being late for your life.
I've been reading a lot lately and came across the book 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 by Mel Robbins. She talks about how at her lowest point she hit snooze every day of her life and would wake up in this fog. Even though she knew what she had to do to get her life in order, there was no motivation. One night she saw this rocket launch and heard the commentator counting down... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 TAKE OFF! That was it! She was going to use the same method to get up in the morning. When the alarm rang the next day, she counted down Five, Four, Three, Two, One, GOOOOO! So I've been trying to apply the Five Second Rule to my life starting with the way I get myself out of bed in the morning. Let me tell you, it works! Of course some days are easier than others but that method has really helped.
Great, now I'm up an hour before I need to get ready for work.... now what? Now get yourself organized and use the time to focus on solely YOURSELF! I used to wake up to emails or people calling me, needing me for this, that, and the other... I would literally be annoyed from the second I opened my eyes because it felt overwhelming. I was giving others my attention and my energy before I even had a chance to give anything to myself. This new routine I created devotes the first part of my day to absolutely NO ONE but myself and my intentions. I have found it so invigorating that I even increased the time to be TWO hours before I need to get ready for work in order to set the foundation and tone for my day. Here is a snapshot of my mornings...
Morning Routine:
6:00 am- Wake Up Time- 5,4,3,2,1 GET THE F*** UP!
Oh, and I don't look at my messages/emails/calls/etc. for at least the first hour.
6:20 am- Take off for my morning walk/run at the park.
I try to listen to motivating music ("Back That A$$ Up"= motivating AF! lol), take deep breaths and do some light focused meditation (after Juvenile that is), and challenge myself to do 'one more'. One more lap, more more mile, one more something to add to my workout. I have found that moving my body first thing in the morning really helps with my mental health and energy for the day.
Remember"What's going on with your body is a physical representation of your mind!"- Rachel Hollis
7:20 am- Return for stretches/weights
7:30 am- Tea or Coffee and Journals
I have been writing down a minimum of 5 things that I am grateful for in a gratitude journal as well as ten dreams that I will make happen over the next ten years along with the one goal I am specifically focusing on now. I write them as if they already happened (remember The Secret).
I then write down an empowering belief for the day, three things that I absolutely NEED to get done and what obstacles might arise. I go hour by hour from the time I wake up from the time I go to bed going through my day and fill in time to work on those dreams I have. I include my morning routine, work schedule, breaks/meals, passion projects, and quality time with people I care about.
BTW, did you know that you're more than 42% MORE likely to accomplish something that you write down? Google it.
8:00 am- Get ready for the day, have my #fab4 breakfast smoothie, and TAKE VITAMINS! lol
9:00 am- Start work
Now, I know that we all have obstacles that may stand in between us and a perfect morning routine. Maybe you work at night (which I did for years and hated it), maybe you're a mom who has small kids to attend to, or someone who deals with insomnia. My advice would be to just try to start off your day (at whatever time you can) an hour early and use it for yourself before you're required to give yourself to others. Maybe it means waking up before your kids to prepare the day for yourself and them. Maybe it means just waking up a little bit earlier to write in a gratitude journal, a planner, or listening to a motivational Podcast. Or taking 30 minutes first thing in the morning to stretch and move your body. Play with different routines to see what fits your lifestyle best.
Starting my day with self-care has positively impacted all areas of my life. I have gained momentum in my health journey (physically and mentally), I have found clarity in my passion projects, and I have been more inclined to show up as my best self for MYSELF and the people I care about. I am definitely not perfect at this new routine, there are some nights I can't get to bed on time (yes, I am a baby that NEEDS a minimum of 8 hours of sleep or else I'm pissed and don't function well) and my morning routine has to be altered a little. But I have found that the consistency over the last few months every single day (because your goals and life still exist over the weekend) has made me feel better about myself. I feel more in control of each day and intentionally include bite sized daily tasks that will help me get closer to my large goals over time. SELF-CARE IS NOT SELFISH, IT IS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO BE THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF!
I think back to all the time I wasted in the past with my inconsistent sleeping patterns and wonder what I could have accomplished in that time. Moving forward, I know that I don't have to wonder about the "what if's" because I'm not going to sleep walk through my life anymore! For the first time, I am wide awake and facing my triumphs and challenges head on with more strategy than ever before. I am setting up my day for success from the moment I wake up until the moment I close my eyes. At the end of the day, I feel like the gap between the person I want to be and the person I showed up as is narrowing and that makes me so incredibly proud of myself. I am celebrating my small wins and I encourage you to do the same!
Please follow The Tipsy Realist on Instagram & Facebook and share your morning routine with me!
XOXO-Mary
Resources:
Check out Mel Robbins TED TALK on the book and the notion behind the method HERE.
The journals I use are also from Rachel Hollis and The Start Today Brand. I love them because they have all the prompts I mentioned already included in them. The Priority Planner even has weekly and monthly reflections so you can see where you are with your goals and all the progress you're making.
Also, before I started these journals, I watched Rachel's video's on The Start Today Brand to learn how to get the most out of them. Here is the link!
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