How To Take Back Your Morning
Each morning, you wake up with the opportunity to own the day and not let it own YOU! But maybe this is currently how your morning looks?
Alarm off (or in our case, dog whimpers to be let out)
Roll over, pick up fully charged phone, and allow the piercing white screen to tug your eyelids into an open position whilst checking your social media accounts, news, and drowning yourself in new emails
Step in shower and begin to process all the things that were just thrown at you in the 10-20 minutes you spent with your face to a screen
Lastly, you check your bank account - way to go. Your day just got suckier.
Mood is sour. Stress is mounting. Your mind is spinning out of control and you lost any time you had to work out or eat a leisurely breakfast. Congratulations. You just spent what small amount of personal time you had on scrolling aimlessly to see what everyone else is doing and ignored your own needs.
The thing about this scenario is.... you're allowing the world around you dictate your day and your mood. Not cool. Think about it this way: Everything staring back at you from that back lit box is telling you, 1- you've got a lot to tackle today to be successful (friend who posts about how he/she is climbing the career ladder and making boat loads of cash), 2- you're not fit or healthy enough (a friend shared that they ran their 4th half marathon which they asked you to train with them for and now you just feel like lumpy garbage with fat calves), 3- you don't vacation enough (pics of a friend's recent trip to Hawaii just topped your FB feed and everyone looks freaking gorgeously tan), 4- you need to change the world TODAY (news about another terrorist attack or poverty stricken country, so now you're REALLY not taking vacations because you're fearing public places and airports), 5- you don't spend enough time with your children (friend who is volunteering again in their child's classroom like she does every single week), 6- everyone needs something from you today (already checked your work email and the requests and demands are climbing to unmanageable heights), 7- you must go shopping now. RIGHT NOW (all the blogs shouting the latest trends and must haves at you through their utterly flawless IG feed). DOESN'T THIS FEEL GREAT?!
Queue the panic attack.
There is hope! Sure, you may have 'fomo' when you're not on top of the latest greatest newest and most current whatever by 6am, but is that really a goal? What purpose does it serve to you? If you find it's only causing you grief and kicking your day off like a stubbed toe on the corner of the dining room table, then let's change that.
First and foremost, when you rise, LEAVE YOUR DEVICES WHERE THEY SIT.... then give yourself 15-20 minutes of YOU time.
Sit up in bed and breathe in and out 4 times, slow moving breaths, before your feet hit the floor. Once they do, don't take your phone along with you
Pour your body on to a mat to stretch, meditate and practice quieting your mind ( TIP : leave the mat next to your bedside as a reminder each day to get on it!)
Sit down with a journal and just write - thoughts, gratitude, and goals
Dance in the kitchen for 5 minutes while the blender does all the work to produce your favorite smoothie or protein shake
If you don't already, make a habit of eating breakfast. Not just packing something for the car ride to work, but actually sitting down and enjoying your crafted creation of goodness.
Sit with your feelings. In the quiet. Maybe you use this time to have a nice healthy cry, but let grace and gratitude be the theme
Pray or study a devotional plan
Read a book
Play with your animal(s) and get some fur-baby snuggle time
Snuggle with your non-furry kids in bed while you gently wake them - starting their moods off on the right foot is also important!
Turn on some mood matching music while you get ready for the day
The obvious // incorporate an exercise routine that makes you feel good and do it because you actually enjoy it - not because you feel like you're supposed to/have to! Even if it's just going for an actual mother lovin' walk. Walk it out!
To my hard working, driven friends... I see you. You, who feel like work is constantly in the waiting for a reply. There is a wonderful feature on our phones called "Do Not Disturb". Please use it to your benefit. Set the DND time for the evening when you want to be left alone to nestle in with your somebody, and have it update as you see necessary in the morning.
Just like everything in life, moderation is key. I'd like to tell you that I don't struggle with jealousy, depression, anxiety, fomo, and fear // pause here while I roll my eyes and laugh to myself // if you say you don't, you're a robot. Social media has a wonderful way of luring you in to it's black hole, with promises of 'likes' and cat videos. But once you're in, you're soon drowning in un-welcomed pity and self-doubt. Don't tell me this has never been you. Again, if you do, I'm seriously considering calling you Johnny 5.
We can lean on the understanding that the day is made good by believing it has so much to offer. Like a burst of confetti before a race kicks off, you can choose how to takeoff running towards the finish line of your day... and at your own pace.
Take back your morning! It's the start of what can be the most incredible day of your life. Make YOU the owner once again! Make satan SHAKE when you WAKE, because he's worried about all the good, the amazing, the awesome that you will do with your day!
โI love that this morningโs sunrise is not defined by last nightโs sunsetโ
