The mornings are the start to our day. I’m wildly observant, I know. Why does it matter that the mornings are the start to our day? Because we get a period of time to set the mood, tone, intention or whatever you want to call it for the rest of the day. Most of us often feel rushed and frazzled in the morning which doesn’t quite set up a productive, peaceful day. Most mornings I felt like this, barely having enough time to throw food down my gullet. So I made a decision to wake up an hour earlier: at 5:30am instead of 6:30. The difference it made is remarkable.
Sleepy puppy
No longer am I rushing around screaming, “Time check!” to Hungry as I scramble to get my things in order. My mornings are filled with exercise, wholeness, and clarity. I set my alarm for 5:31am. That doesn’t necessarily mean I get out of bed at that moment, but it isn’t too far after. Noke is waiting for my on her bed at the foot of our bed, for me to say good morning and rub her belly. We get up together and either go for a run or a long walk, usually before the sun has had a chance to wake up. Morning walks or runs are peaceful–there are few people out, the birds are singing, and you are there with your thoughts. I come back feeling refreshed, if not sweaty as well if I ran.
All the tools I need for my morning workout
As a rule, we normally don’t feed the babies until 7am, so by this point (around 6 or 6:30am), they are roaming around, acting crazy waiting to be fed. However, since I have plenty of time before work, I do a 10-minute meditation. This helps clarify everything for me and put things in perspective. I may take the time after to shower or simply go right into breakfast. Breakfast! What an important part of my morning. I want something that will satisfy me for at least two hours and make me feel like I can wrangle the day ahead. On days that I want to stay on top of my game, I eat Post’s Great Grains granola with some greek yogurt. It’s a wonderful combination that fills me, but doesn’t weigh me down at the beginning of my day. I highly recommend it (get dat whole food)!
Yummo!
I then spend some time on my emails so I don’t feel them in the back of my mind during the day. Each part of this morning routine satisfies me in some way, so that I can start the day feeling whole: loved ones, exercise, meditation, shower, breakfast, and catch-up. And I can do all of this and still have time left over to do what I please. This leads me to have a good morning and not be grumpy with my coworkers. This also sets the tone for the rest of the day. A big part of this is going to bed at a decent time, so you wake up feeling rested.
My current meditation companion
When you are designing your morning, think about what is important to you. What makes you feel good? What leads you to power through the day? What do you want to think? What do you want to feel? Weigh the options. Maybe waking up early so you can have a slow morning like eating a wholesome breakfast in bed and reading the newspaper gives you a peaceful, happy start to the day. It all comes down to happiness. Think about what makes you thrive and make it happen. And as always, stay hungry and fit!
Awesome to hear what a great change waking up earlier has been!! I currently wake up at 6:45 and have wanted to wake up earlier to get a workout in to start my day, but I haven’t been able to make the plunge–5:45 seems SO early!! Hearing about your positive experience is making me rethink my decision! Did you ease into the earlier wake up time (go from 6:30 to 6:00 to 5:30) or just make jump all at once?
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