It's safe to say I am not a morning person, especially with the season change into winter. I'm possibly the worst person to get out of bed. I snooze for approximately 45 minutes and I do absolutely nothing, except for dip my body in water, brush my teeth, make a mild attempt to make my face look more awake, put on some clothes and get out the door. My morning ritual is terrible. It makes me late for work and I feel frazzled on occasions. I must say my mid week meal prep has improved during meat free may but things could still get better.
I'm constantly finding myself blaming time for everything. Never is there enough of it! However there are 2 untapped hours in the morning that I need to claim back! If I woke up earlier I could tick off so many more things from my list of things to do. I could actually find time to exercise or catch up on reading. The mornings are also generally quiet and people free, two of my most favourite things.
So this week I have been testing ways to work towards a 6am wake-up,compared to a 7.50 peel out of bed.
I have been stuck in my ways for some time, I couldn't just go cold turkey! I needed to ween myself off sleep-ins. Each day I tried to wake up 15 minutes early. Now that can't be too hard can it? Pffftt I tried for 3 days and didn't get any closer to an earlier wake up.
Ways that have helped me get up earlier.
Be a granny
Going to bed early really helped as the days went by. I took 15 mins from the morning and went to bed 30 mins early at night, I was actually getting MORE sleep time by the close of the week.
De-clutter your space
Tidying before bed ensures you have a carefree experience in the morning and can get cracking on other tasks (other than cleaning). Tidying up also tires you out so you drift off to sleep quick smart.
Sugarless
No sugar in the evening will make falling asleep a breeze. You can also meditate or use a sleep sound app to get you off to the land of nod.
Affirmations
Now for me getting to sleep is the easiest part, waking up is where it gets tough. So I have come up with some morning affirmations to help my mind get that extra kick in the butt it needs in the morning. Maybe you would like to try them, all you have to do is say the affirmations out loud. You can even make up your own.
Today is going to be a good day
I am looking forward to the tasks ahead
I will give today my best shot and
I will be mindful in everything I do.
Natural light
Opening up curtains and blinds before bed lets all that natural light shine in and wake you up, you could even end up waking up before your alarm some days. Fancy that!!!
Think of all the cool stuff
When going to bed try and make a small and achievable things to do list in your head. Don't think of it as chores but get excited about it! It will help you jump out of bed.
Don't waste the time!
Don't check emails, Facebook or Instagram. Use your new found time to get stuff done that you don't usually have time for.
Don't give up
As the days have gone by I have had successes and failures. I have managed to get out of bed earlier and am no longer late to work. I haven't quite reached a 6am workout sesh yet but I'm getting there slowly. Practise makes perfect!
I would love to hear your feedback on your morning rituals! You can contact me in the comment box.
Stay simple.
