Getting up in the morning can be ROUGH. When my first alarm goes off, all I can do is think of how awful the idea of getting out of my bed sounds. Yet, I would definitely consider myself to be a morning person. Once I begin readying myself for the day, everything looks a little happier and brighter and I cannot wait to tackle whatever life throws my way.
So how do you make yourself a morning person?
My schedule with work, student teaching, and classes calls for me to be cheery-eyed and bushy-tailed before the sun is shining. While I evidently need to improve my attitude at the sound of my alarm, I have figured out something that I can do to make morning the highlight of my day.
Establish a nightly routine. This has been key to making my mornings stress-free and even allows me to get a few extra minutes of sleep! Your nightly routine will be unique to your lifestyle, but I will explain what I include in mine.
Shower: I have been trying to include a daily workout into my routine and it usually happens in the afternoon or early evening. If you workout in the mornings, then showering at night may not work into your routine.
Wash dishes: Ew. I used to hate washing dishes and would cram as many things as possible into the dishwasher to avoid this sometimes-tedious task. However, since I am only preparing food and using dishes for one person, this task does not take much time at all. For those using a higher quantity of dishes, I would change this to cleaning the kitchen at night. It is amazing how much better you’ll feel starting your morning with clean dishes and a clean kitchen.
Decide what is for dinner tomorrow: Meal planning can be extraordinarily beneficial to your daily schedule and your budget. I have not yet mastered the art of taking a day to make a ton of meals, but having a couple meals prepared in the freezer makes rushed Wednesday nights a walk in the park. Knowing what will be for dinner the next day also allows one to lay things out that may need to thaw or have things in a crockpot for those cold fall days.
Pack your lunch: Most days my schedule does not allow time for me to run home for lunch and my budget does not have room for a daily trip to Chick-fil-A. Preparing my lunch for the next day makes it easy to grab on my way out the door in the morning. You can leave your bag on the counter or a note on the fridge as a reminder to grab anything that could not be packed the night before. This is a much healthier option than going out every day, too!
Make your breakfast: Or at least know what you will be having. Some days I throw a granola bar into my lunch bag, while on others I have overnight oatmeal in the fridge ready to go. Deciding and planning for breakfast is great because it removes another thing from my morning to-do list and keeps me from skipping the most important meal of the day!
A nightly routine has proven to be incredible for my mornings. I have a better attitude after I wake up and can get ready without stressing over a long list of things. Mornings have the ability to impact the rest of the day positively or negatively. Choose to prepare ahead of time so that your mornings can be the bright start of a brand new day.
“Wake up every morning with the thought that something wonderful is going to happen.” ~Anonymous
Writer Bio
Shelby is a college student with one year before she becomes an Elementary school teacher. She loves Jesus, her family, sports and coffee! Although she would rather have control over everything in her life, she is learning that God may just be more capable. When she isn’t working or studying, you can find her spending time with her family and friends.
