How many times you find yourself waking up barely half hour before your 9 to 5 begins, searching for clothes with mouth full of half chewed food, tripping over your own feet while realizing that you're already late for a meeting, and running out the door with your hair wet, while praying for enough red lights to at least put some mascara on?
Hello anxiety, hello stress, hello "can't wait for Friday" torture.
Mornings Can Be Beautiful
Yes they can, and I'm going to tell you how to make them beautiful. In fact, I'll tell you what I have learned to make my mornings stress free. It is possible, and it's not as hard as you think. All it takes is a little bit of planning and determination, and once you create certain habits, you won't even have to put any effort into it, because it'll be a second nature to you. So let's begin!
1. You must begin the night before.
This is one of the most important steps in the process. Skip it, and watch your morning fall apart before you can even say 'coffee'. And I get it, you're tired, exhausted, all you can think about is your pillow and it's a miracle you haven't passed out yet. I get it. But that's where the choice come in. Make the choice to begin preparation the night before: pick your work clothes the night before and lay them out. Accessorize, from top to bottom. Pack your work bag, paperwork and keys and place them in strategic place where you just won't miss it. Prepare.
2. More Time.
Give yourself extra time in the morning. Set the alarm half hour earlier than normally. What works for me is setting at least 3 alarm times. Seriously, I have 6:15, 6:30, and 6:35 going. I'm having hard time waking up early and this works for me. 6:15 wakes me up for the first time, I turn it off, I don't want to get up, I snooze, 6:30 wakes me up again, I'm already annoyed and half asleep anyway, so I get up because I know I'll just be more annoyed come 6:35. Do whatever works for you, but get up half hour earlier.
3. Hello Today
Welcome the day with gratitude that you're alive and have a job. Project a good day ahead and leave negative thinking behind. Even when bad things happen, do not allow this to set the mood for the day. You're above it all. In the morning, bundle up if it's chilly and go outside for 5-10 minutes. Look at the trees, leaves, flowers, watch them wake up and unfold. Take 10 breaths, inhaling and exhaling deeply. Don't rush. Feel your heart beat and think what a wonderful living miracle you are.4. Lemons and Honey
Warm up some water, add some lemon juice and a tablespoon or two of honey, stir it up and sip through a straw. Shouldn't take more than 5 minutes to make it. Then take it outside with you. Sipping it will allow you to slow down and gracefully enter the day. No rush. Plus, lemon water will help your body and mind feel better. It helps your liver after hard night's work, detoxifies your body and starts your digestion the right way. And warm water is much more soothing to the stomach than cold. You can also make fruit water. Slice up half a lemon or a strawberry and let is infuse your water. Fruit waters looks so fresh and pretty, so allow your heart to smile at its beauty.
5. Morning Me Time
Set aside at least 15 minutes for your personal Me Time. It has to be inspirational, motivational, positive, uplifting and reinforcing. Whether you read, look at motivational pictures, read inspirational quotes, write down things you are grateful for... it's up to you, your life, your heart. My morning Me Time consists of 3 things. One, I do organic coffee enema cleanse, which detoxifies my liver. It's a lovely, peaceful process where I lay on my right side for 15 minutes. Two, I read a paragraph of inspirational quotes from either the Bible or a Christian writer. Something we call a devotion. Three, I quietly pray to God, my Creator, thanking Him for waking me up, keeping me safe and for blessing me with so many beautiful things. I also ask for peace, love for others and guidance in stressful situations.
In A Nutshell
Give yourself 30 minutes in the morning and watch how it changes your day and your attitude. Watch how it changes your health, and how you react to and handle stress. Watch how you can positively influence other people. Only 30 minutes can do so much!
-5 minutes to prep your lemon water
-5-10 minutes outside
-15 minutes of Me Time
It's easy, it's simple. I invite you to give it a go. And I'd love to hear how it made your morning beautiful! <3 div="">
Very Niven I am always a little stressed in the morning. It's probably the lack of routine!
ReplyDeleteYes, having a set routine helps a lot! Great point! :)
DeleteLove this post!
ReplyDeleteThank you Dawn, I appreciate your feedback!
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