A tale of two different mornings in my house:
Day one: I woke up late, and swiped through my phone, leaving me with reminders of what I’d forgotten to do yesterday and the latest stressful headlines. I groaned getting up, got myself together (sort of), and went downstairs, straight into the thick of the morning, which included scrambling to make school snacks and lunches and launch my school-aged kids out the door. Then the toddler was awake, and nothing slowed down, whereas my bad mood was just getting started. By early afternoon, I was exhausted, cranky, and feeling burned out, complete with snapping at my family and whining about the never-ending to-do list. And that was all before the craziest part of the day, with after school activities, dinner, homework, and bedtime. By the time I went to bed, I was exasperated.
Then came day two, which ended completely differently: tired, but the good tired that follows a satisfying day, realizing that my frustration hadn’t completely taken over and my angry-cranky-monster mom hadn’t come out for a visit.
What changed? Day two included an intentional morning routine that truly transformed my day, even though the one before was full of mistakes and disappointments.
This morning routine is simple, loose and low-key. There’s no pressure to keep the same routine every day. It’s adaptable for a busy and ever-changing schedule, and a good attempt is just as welcome as your most perfect offering.
The very first step, before anything else: do not touch your phone.
Or maaaybe use it to check the time, and then put it away fast. This is critical. Don’t scroll. Don’t check your email. Don’t look at the news. Don’t peek at your text messages.
Instead, open the window, or step outside, and get some daylight (or at least fresh air at this time of the year when the sun doesn’t come up until it’s time to leave the house for the day). Give yourself half an hour to an hour without using your phone if you can help it. I don’t know the science behind it all, but it does affect your natural circadian rhythms.
Mama, no shame, though. I get it, phones are necessary to keep track of schedules and deadlines and to-dos. And I’m not above using it as a handy escape in a moment when you need it.
But try as I might to avoid it, I get sucked into my phone from the first look, and the burdens it puts on my brain before I’ve even connected with God (or myself) in a morning are not good for my heart. They send me into a tailspin before I even get out of bed.
Whereas when I start my day differently, it affects the rest of the time I spend awake.
Next, do the following in any order.
Read your Bible. Don’t feel pressure to read for any set length or time. Read a chapter, follow a Bible study, or simply meditate on one verse and let it sink in. I also like to try lectio divina, a practice of praying, reading a passage three times, and seeing where the Holy Spirit directs your attention and notice.
Move your body. Whatever feels doable in the morning for you, give it a try. Take a walk, go for a run, do some Pilates or some stretches. Get your blood flowing and heart pumping a bit faster. Exercise allows your body to release stress and set yourself up with a clean slate for the day.
Pray. Talk to God. Praise and thank him for a new day, spend time in gratitude and worship, Ask for help with needs for the day, for yourself or on behalf of someone else. Invite God into your day, and ask him to help you see his hand throughout. Pray for his perspective in your interactions with others, and make yourself available to what he has for you to do that day.
Be still and listen. Take time to pause. Sit still or lie down. (If you can be quiet and still without falling asleep!) Focus on one verse or word to help you slow down your mind, and imagine just being with God, without expectation or added words. Listen for anything he puts on your heart in this time. (For more on contemplative prayer, read my post on the topic on All Mom Does!)
Write down three intentions or goals for the day. As someone who gets overwhelmed easily by all my to-dos, it helps me to narrow it down to just three goals (if I can!) and focus on getting those done. Three simple things I can actually accomplish before I close my eyes for the night, outside of the normal things I do daily anyway.
No, it’s not magic, and there’s no secret hack.
Maybe you were expecting some life-altering advice or wild new exercise to try out. But I promise you–the simple things make all the difference, and consistency in them builds a lot of good for you and your family.
Again, we’re moms. Let’s be realistic. Every day is not going to look the same. Some mornings we wake up far too early with a sick or restless kiddo, or haven’t slept more than a few hours the night before. Some days we have plenty of time and space to do what we need to do, and others we’re just barely brushing our teeth before heading out the door.
Do what you can with what you have. These things do not have to be kept as daily doctrine. They don’t have to be replicated in exactly the same way to be effective. You don’t have to read and pray for hours to feel close to God. (Thankfully!) Doing this even one day a week doesn’t change all the things but it makes a noticeable difference in the others for me.
That second day, I woke up a bit early, and instead of rolling over or scrolling for hours, I got up and did a Pilates routine, followed by continuing on in my Bible study, and saying a prayer alongside mindful time with God. Please believe me when I tell you the difference was extreme from day one to day two.
We can’t get rid of the chaos of the day, whether it’s the normal chaos or whatever life throws at us unexpectedly. But we can set ourselves up well with practical steps and consistency as best we can. Try it out, and see how it transforms your day.
PIN THIS!
Read more of Jenn’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.