I’ve been chasing mornings for years.
I can’t ever seem to catch them, though. I always say that I am a morning person trapped inside a night person’s body. I just love the idea of a quiet morning, where you collect yourself and prepare for the day.
Two years ago, I really started trying to wake earlier. It seemed, though, the harder I tried, the later I ended up staying up at night, so the more difficult it became to wake up before my kids. Most nights, I don’t fall asleep before 1am, which means any hope of waking earlier than 7:30 is a pipe dream.
This year, though? This year will be different. If you read my 2016 goals post, you know I’m trying to take back control of my day.
I’m searching for the best morning routine (for me).
Over the years, I have collected a few ebooks, email series, handouts – you name it, I’ve probably found it online somewhere and tried it out. I’ve come to realize, though, that it doesn’t really matter whose method you choose (or even if you invent your own). The best morning routine starts at night.
And the night? Now that is something I can handle.
Here’s how I am going to give my night’s some meaning, in order to find the best morning routine –
Get a real alarm clock.
My phone is my number one biggest distraction at nighttime. And you always read about how you need to limit the blue light from screens an hour or more before bed. Well, I bring mine right to bed with me. I end up playing a game, or mindlessly scrolling social media, and before I know it, it’s been an hour or more – just eating up time I could have been sleeping.
I need a real alarm clock, so I don’t have a reason to bring my phone to bed. I also have a habit of subconsciously switching off all my phone alarms (plural, yes, because I try to set three or more, 30 minutes apart, thinking that will force me out of bed. It has yet to work.) at some point in the night, so I’m hoping maybe having a real alarm clock will mean I can’t turn the alarms off as easily.
Make the bedroom more sleep-inducing at night.
No more piling laundry that needs to be folded on our dresser. Stop leaving cups on the nightstand, to the point that it becomes some kind of weird cup graveyard. No more stacks of things to sort or put away in other places (kid toys, books, random socks…). The bedroom isn’t a dumping ground.
More than that though, I’m specifically thinking about pillows and blankets. I don’t know how frequently you’re supposed to get yourself new pillows, but I’m guessing it’s shorter than eight or more years. I can’t even remember when I bought my pillow I’m currently using, but I can tell you I think it’s the reason I wake up most mornings with a stiff neck.
We have a king size bed, and only one sheet set that I picked up at Kohls (on sale) right before we moved in to this house, two years ago. It’s a fine sheet set, but we need at least one more to make laundry not such a hassle (and to make up for the fact that I always forget to put our sheets in the dryer so that means staying up an extra hour while we wait for it all to dry…).
Give myself a ritual.
I’m thinking a two-part ritual.
The first part will involve setting myself up for success in the morning by getting out everything I will need. My perfect morning is a mixture of bible study, writing, and coffee. I will set up a basket with all of my supplies (minus the coffee…because that would just be a mess) and place it somewhere in the bedroom that’s visible, but doesn’t contribute to clutter.
I can’t do much in the way of nighttime prep for coffee. We do a pour over method, so I can’t set it up the night before, but I can get my mug out.
The second part of the ritual will be skin care related. The morning of my 32nd birthday, I noticed something. A wrinkle. I have my fair share of fine lines, which doesn’t bother me because they mean you’re living your life, but a wrinkle? No. I’m not even halfway through my years yet. It’s time to get serious about moisturizers (which is maybe one of the silliest things I’ve written, but it’s true). So, I will incorporate some kind of skin care routine (I think this deserves its own post, since it’s something I really need to research) to my nighttime ritual to help me relax at night.
And that’s it. Three simple steps that will put me on my way to the best morning routine – no phone, a relaxing atmosphere, and some winding down rituals. Seems easy enough. Now the question is, will it work? Well, I’ll have to get back with you on that. In the meantime, wish me luck and thanks for reading 🙂
I am you! I relate to this so much! I actually USED to be a major Morning person. I LOVED waking up early and getting going with my day. Kids have changed that about me, as I now relish that time in the evening with my husband and no kids. But I miss some of that “me” time I would get in the mornings. I think I may borrow a few of your ideas and try to make more out of my mornings as well!
Yes! I’ve got the evening thing nailed down, lol. I do like that time, I just wish I was more productive.
I enjoyed reading your tips very much, Amanda. When I was your age our bedroom stayed a real mess with clothes on chairs, etc. A couple stopped by one day to visit and insisted on seeing our house. I was mortified when she saw my bedroom. Over the years I have learned and now put into practice — when I undress, that article of clothing goes in its place, whether that be the dirty clothes hamper, back into a drawer if it’s not dirty, or it gets hung up. It never gets placed on a chair, etc., ever! This has helped me so much. I am excited about your blog!
Oh my gosh, yes… our bedroom is *always* the last place I clean, it’s the messiest place in our house, by far. I have a terrible habit of tossing clothes everywhere, leaving clean laundry on the dresser but not putting it away, leaving cups on my nightstand, etc… It’s a good practice to put things where they go right away – that’s what I need to start doing. Thanks for the comment, Sherri! 🙂