A Morning Person’s Morning Routine
Some people have noticed that I am a “morning person”.
Guilty as charged! I LOVE mornings, they are my favorite part of the day. It’s interesting though, because I have not always been this way. I actually worked at it.
It all started about 10 years ago when Jesus radically changed my life.
It was then, that I began to love living.
And I don’t mean living as in breathing and not being dead. I mean living in the way that coincides with John 10:10.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10
This is life. Life to the full. Life that Jesus came to give. Life that Jesus died to give. Life that brought him back from the grave. The life that He extends to us. This is life.
And ever since I started to see life that way - to be LIVED, and not just endured - I began to love the new mercies of mornings and I began my journey to be a “morning person”.
That being said, I wanted to share my morning routine in hopes that it could inspire you to love mornings yourself!
Wake Early
I wake up early every morning. Consistently. Even on the weekends! Actually, that’s the trick, if you wake up at the same time every day - even on the weekends - it will soon become automatic. Here’s some tips to wake early:
Set a goal “wake-up time”
This needs to be a time that is well thought out, that will still leave you with 7-9 hours of quality sleep. You may have to change your bedtime for this!
For example: if you want to wake up at 6am every morning, you need to be in bed and sleeping sometime between 9 and 11pm.
Use an alarm
Step by Step
If you currently wake up around 9am and want to wake up at 6am, you’ll need to set your alarm for 8:30 the first day, then 8:00 the second, 7:30 the third, etc.. meaning that it will take 6 days to adjust.
If needed, adjust your bedtime by 30 minutes a day as well.
Consistency
Every morning. Even weekends.
Welcome the Sun and Breathe Some Fresh Air
The first thing I do after I go downstairs, is open the curtains and let in the sun. It’s amazing what some vitamin D does in the morning! And no matter how cold/hot/or wet it is, I step outside for a few breaths of air.
Drink Water
I drink a full glass of water, sometimes with lemon, to wake up my body and help out my lymphatic system.
Stretch and Move
Every morning, I do yoga in my living room. I use either Yoga with Adriene on YouTube or the Down Dog Yoga App. When the kids want to do yoga with me (now every morning) I put on Cosmic Kids Yoga for them.
If it’s nice out, this is done in our backyard.
Tea and Read
I drink tea every morning. I do not drink coffee (except for sometimes before a run or decaf). I mostly drink green tea, but sometimes herbal, or earl grey. This is the only caffeine I have all day.
I drink my tea while reading. I begin my day by reading the Word and then, if I want, I move to whatever book I’m in the middle of (always something!)
If it’s nice out, this is done on the back porch.
Organize and Prioritize
This is where the rubber hits the road. Every morning, I look over my planner for the day and week. I meal plan every week, shop accordingly, and I write everything down. I use the Passion Planner because I prefer pen and paper and I just love them. You can use whatever you’d like as long as you stick to it! If everything is written down at the beginning of the week and as things come up, you should have no surprised and should be prepared for the day. This is when I am reminded to take the meat out of the freezer for taco Tuesday, or to change the water filters.
Nourishing Family Breakfast
Finally, I finish the morning routine with breakfast around the table with the family. Every week, I make a batch of granola for the family and that is normally the breakfast go-to. On Saturdays, however, we tend to go for eggs and smoothies. On Sundays, of course, we have pancakes!
If it’s nice out, we eat on the back porch.
Obviously, there is not just one “right way” to enjoy your mornings, but this is my routine. I hope it inspires you to see the beauty in the sunrises, and get out of bed to enjoy them!
