Picture this. It’s 6 am (or maybe even 5 or 5:30!). It’s early, but you are gloriously happy (really!) sitting in your comfy chair or on your back patio, with your coffee. The house is quiet because everyone’s still in bed (smiley face) You are just staring into space, waking up. In the silence you find the space to reflect, pray or just be. This is your time, set aside just for you. Your time to do whatever you want, before the world (and your kids) starts making demands. Want to read your book? Read! Want to journal? Journal. Flip through a magazine? Do yoga? Go for an early morning walk?

Let’s begin here.

How you begin your day affects not only your day, but your entire life. It affects your health, your mindset, your relationships.

Do you ever feel like there aren’t enough hours a day? That’s sort of a rhetorical question, because I live in this crazy world too, so I already know the answer! Twenty-four hours are no longer enough, at least not for the way we design our lives in 2016. Personally I feel like 24 hours isn’t even enough time to read and respond to the excess of emails each day, much less conquer the to-do list. But that’s not really what this is about. We all have the same 24 hours.

This is about creating space in those 24 hours to do your soul-work, to feed and nurture it, because if you’re not living with soul, you’re not living.

What is a typical morning for you? It is stressed and fast paced or is it relaxed, with rhythm and flow? Be honest. Are you happy with how you feel going into each day, or do you rush carelessly into a hectic day?

Since it seems our days will continue to be hectic, is there any way to add more peace, joy and love to our day? I believe there is, because I have experimented with this myself. Here’s a HUGE tip that has worked wonders for me, no matter how stressful the day is ahead.

Creating a morning routine you love, will change your life.

Does this morning routine involve getting up earlier? Unless you’re already an early riser, yes it probably does. This morning routine ideally happens before anyone else is up. An hour or more works best for me, but it may be different for you. You are the designer of your own morning. I know you are thinking, no way am I getting out of bed one second before I have to. I am not a morning person. But this is TRUTH.

When we are excited about what’s going to happen in the hour after our alarm goes off, it is EASY to get out of bed.

Even if the clock says 5:30. Even if you don’t think you’re a morning person!

This is what I have found. You actually look forward to your alarm going off. Quite possibly (this is what happened for me) you won’t even need your alarm!

You can create whatever kind of routine you want.

Design your ideal hour.

Here is what my hour (or sometimes 2) looks like most days, but I do switch it up, as well. (Because never switching things up is BORING!)

Coffee + Silence (prayer, reflection, contemplation or just staring at the wall)

Inspirational Reading (I usually do Bible or devotional, plus one other inspirational/personal development book I’m reading, or sometimes fiction)

Journaling (Reading sparks ideas, so now is the time to get them down, before they disappear into that black hole where ideas go when you don’t write them down! I journal about the inspirational ideas I have just gathered from my reading or thought about while reflecting and or staring into space, OR I just write out a plan for my day)

Walk Gracie (my sweet 2 year old yellow lab) or Run (if it’s a running day)

So this is my ideal routine and it may look very different from yours. The key is that what you are doing that first hour is completely pleasing to you and leaves you feeling connected both to yourself, God or the world around you.

It brings you a sense of peace and inspires you to move forward into your day on a beautiful and positive note. You will accomplish more, feel less stressed, have more ease and joy in your day.

I’m not going to lie. Once everyone is up (peace disrupted!) and the day gets rolling, I may still feel like there aren’t enough hours, but at least I’ve had this soul time. I’m in a better frame of mind to deal with what comes my way, whether it’s working on something with a deadline or driving kids around for 3 hours in the car.

I have created that time and space to set my day up right. I am more productive and energized.

TRY IT!

Design your ideal hour, decide what time you need to get up to make it happen and start tomorrow! Try it for a week and see how it works for you. If you hate it, stop doing it. But I think once you realize you are a nicer, more connected, less stressed person because of this new morning routine, you might just stick with it!

Please let me know what your plan is in the comments! I’d love to know what an ideal morning looks like for you. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it went! And if you know someone who might benefit from a routine like this, please share this with them!

Live nourished,

Heather

Like this post? Share it!