Good morning is not just a word, it’s an action and a belief to live the entire day well. Morning is the time when you set the tone for the rest of the day. Set it right!  ~Fain Blake

Last week I wrote a post about why I believe creating a morning routine you love will change your life. This post builds on that, so if you haven’t read that one yet, go check that one out first!

This a topic I am pretty passionate about and I hope I convinced you to at least give it a try! I know it can have a dramatic impact on your well-being and life, because I’ve experienced the benefits in my own life. There are plenty of other people out there that will back me up on this! People with a plan for their mornings will tell you they are more productive, healthier and happier!

I know it can be a challenge to get a new routine going, so I want to share some additional thoughts to help, if you are trying to get a morning routine into place.

There are a few big obstacles that can trip you up initially, and you may never get your routine off the ground. Or, you won’t find yourself loving it, like you want to. But, I know you’re not one to let any old obstacles stand in your way, and there are plenty of positive actions you can take to overcome them!

Let’s start with the obstacles:

#1

The snooze button.

Here’s what I think. If you keep hitting the snooze, you aren’t yet in the right mindset about this whole morning routine thing. You’re not excited enough about what that first morning hour holds. By hitting the snooze, you are beginning your day with resistance (and resistance is the worst! You can read more about resistance HERE) You’re essentially declaring that staying in bed is more desirable that getting up. You’re tired, I know, but you’ll still be tired after hitting the snooze. You think you’re getting a precious few more minutes, but you’re really just making yourself groggier and less motivated. If this is a habit you struggle with, try putting your alarm on the other side of the room. Once you’re up to turn it off, you’re up! (Plus, the snooze going off 5 different times does not give the love of your life sleeping next to you a great chance of going back to sleep and you may have unwanted company for your precious hour!)

#2

Erratic sleeping hours.

It’ s pretty difficult (impossible) for your body to set rhythms if you keep an erratic sleep schedule.Try to go to bed and wake up at approximately the same times every day (including weekends!) Your body wants to know when it is going to bed and when it is waking up. There are always times when we have different hours for all kinds of reasons, but in the flow of regular daily life, try to stick to regular sleep/wake times as much as you can. It is much easier to get up in the morning if your body knows it’s time to get up. You’ll eventually stop needing an alarm at all, which is a much more pleasant way to wake up!

#3

Checking your phone, first thing.

Resist this urge with all the strength you have within you. I know this is hard, it is really hard for me. But checking your phone draws you into a black hole of texts, emails, messages and social media notifications that you will be almost powerless to escape from. The black hole of social media alone can eat up your entire hour if you start scrolling. All of these notifications will create a sense of urgency about things that need to be done and responded to and it will be very difficult, if not impossible to disconnect from this feeling.  It also affects your ability to process information and limits your attention span. This is your chance to connect with yourself, to reflect, to dream and to escape the online world that absorbs so much of our days.

This is not an exhaustive list of obstacles. I’m just covering a few. You probably have your own unique set of challenges, but there is always a solution. Do your creative best to find one. It will be worth it!

You may want to try some of these positive ways you can set yourself up for a great morning routine.

#1

Make a conscious shift in your mindset about the earlier time. Have you ever noticed that it’s really no different getting up at 7 as getting up at 5 or 6? The process of getting up/waking up is the same. You’re waking up, you’re going to be tired. It doesn’t really matter what time it is. I said this in my last post, but if you are excited about what you are doing in the first hour after you get up, it’s easy to get out of bed, no matter what the clock says.

#2

Set yourself up for success the night before. Get the coffee ready in the evening, so you can just press the “on” button in the morning. If you’re going to add exercise into your hour, get your clothes out and ready to put on when you roll out of bed. Take care of whatever miscellaneous details you can. You want as much ease in this first hour as possible and these little chores done the night before, make a big difference.

#3

Prepare for a deep sleep. In my experience, being tired comes more from a lack of quality in sleep, than quantity. Rest and unwind before bed and set up a ritual. For me, it’s essential oils. I either diffuse a combo of lavender and frankincense or I apply lavender topically to the bottoms of my feet, every single night. I cannot tell you how drastically my sleep has improved since incorporating essential oils into my bedtime routine.

#4

Wake up positive. Mornings are full of possibility. Remember you should be genuinely excited about what you’re going to do this first hour of the day (if you’re not, then reconsider what you have planned) so it should be super easy to be positive. Starting on a positive note, rather than being rushed and stressed, will give you confidence and power as you go through the rest of the day.

Need more encouragement to get up in the morning? I put together a list of inspiring quotes and verses that inspire me to get out of bed every day! You can read them HERE.

I would love to know if you have ever tried to create an early morning routine, what challenges you faced and how you overcame them to create a routine you love. Please let me know in the comments!

Live nourished,

Heather

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