The perfect morning…
Are you a night owl or an early bird? Do you like to take your time or can you roll out of bed and out the door? All of these differences that you prefer affect your morning completely different than it may affect someone else’s. Believe it or not, there is no one “right way” to wake up and start your day, which may be why those trendy lists of exactly what to do end up failing you or not working out in the long term.
In order to start your day how you would like, you need to dive into who you are and what makes you relaxed and productive, and understand what does the opposite for YOU. I don’t have much leisure time during my day as a college student, so if you want to learn how I make a perfect morning for myself despite my busy schedule, keep reading!
For myself personally, taking my time to wake up and having extra time to get to my destination or activity is perfection. Below are a few ways I try to achieve that.
I should warn you, I work at 2 am (sometimes 1) Monday through Friday, so if I can do it so can you!
1. Identify what time you need to wake up.
In order to do this most effectively, you need to decide what your priorities are. Are you aiming for 8 hours of sleep? (I hope you are) Do you have a family to wake up and care for? Maybe it’s important to complete some morning stretches or yoga. This will determine how much time you allow yourself in the morning to get your goals accomplished. As an example, because this isn’t everyone, I need time to eat breakfast, time to get somewhat ready, and of course time to commute to work. Therefore, I wake up one and a half hours before my 2 am shift, yikes! This is because for ME, getting up earlier is way better than being rushed out of the house early.
2. Decide what YOU can do to allow yourself to wake up at your chosen time.
Number one for me is to go to bed at a decent time, for MY wakeup time. For some of you that may be 11 pm, for me that is 5:30 pm latest for 7 hours of sleep. Another thing I do is start cooking dinner at a certain time, and make sure that I am done with any school work or life stuff once I start dinner. The reason for that is because that is my winding down time. After I eat, there’s no time for anything except to get into sleepy mode and complete my night teeth and skincare routine. Maybe for you it’s taking a shower to calm you, or having a family game night so kids are tired and ready for bed when you are, maybe go on a family walk! Choose activities that can support your wake up time. This also includes step 3: Plan ahead.
3. Plan ahead.
Planning is Key.
Just like with the other steps, this can look different for everyone. Maybe planning ahead looks like laying out your outfit for work so you don’t have to think about it in the morning, or preparing your ride if you don’t have your own vehicle and can’t walk to where you need to go. For myself, planning ahead involves choosing what I will wear to school (because I rush to school after I get off of work) and most importantly making my lunch the night before. I have no time to prepare a sandwich or slice some apples between the time I get home and the time I head right back out. So unless I am just grabbing an ice pack and leftovers, which I often do, I need to also prepare any snacks I want the night before so I’m not stuck with another granola bar.
4. Keep yourself motivated.
You know what makes you happy. Those moments will be not just a REASON to organize your morning the way you want, but also the REWARD for organizing it in the first place. Maybe you enjoy a luxurious breakfast, or a nice morning walk to wake you up. Use these steps to help you enjoy these rewards. My morning treats are for sure COFFEE <3 and secondly just having a good day. The time I give myself to make sure I have food, an outfit to wear, stuff packed and minimal stress is what causes me to start my day in a good mindset and is what I need to get through my long day.
5. Take care of yourself.
The way you can accomplish this is by completing steps 1 through 4. Prepare and plan ahead to give yourself enough time for the things that are important to you. Feed yourself, hydrate yourself, and accomplish your morning goals!
And if you don’t have any, that’s okay to. I WISH I could just roll out of bed and head out, but I’m not confident enough to step into my workplace with an unwashed face and my pajamas. Maybe one day!
With my work and school schedule, I am one busy person. I have chosen what I need to do for MYSELF to follow these steps and complete my goals for the morning I want. I hope you can too!
Stay balanced, Alyx.