sunrise and birds: productive morning routine
Hello everyone! It seems that life is starting to become busier and more active each day! I see more people on the roads, at restaurants, and at stores! Yay! It feels a little bit better out there in the big world! Like most everyone, this year has become much different than I had anticipated and we have adjusted schedules, not to mention added Baby Boy to the household! I really don’t feel he is completely dressed without a headband to put on! It sure is difficult to get used to! No, I have not put a headband on him, but his sissies have crowned him with clovers!
I must admit, mornings have been difficult to get used to this year. I love watching the sun rise and hearing the birds chirp in the morning and the feeling of a fresh new day with hope and possibility. With four little girls, two of whom need help getting dressed and a newborn added in January, and the need to get dressed and feel somewhat presentable myself, I have adjusted and tweaked our morning routine a LOT! In college, I went for a run each morning with my track team or cheerleading team. In seminary, I made coffee, went to class, exercised in the afternoons. Now, it takes twenty minutes to get everyone lined up for toothbrush time! Regardless of your situation in life, whether you are a college girl or married with big kids, a morning routine is always helpful to get the day started well and set the pace. I have found several ways to help this happen! Some days are clearly not as wonderful as others and, let's be honest, some days just start out badly. However the day begins, even when I was up all night with a crying baby or had a headache and am now trying to get myself going, we can choose joy for the day. Regardless, God is full of grace, and there are ways to set the day up for success!
Bed. It sets the atmosphere for the dorm room, apartment, and home. Even if everything else is a mess, a neat bed eliminates visual clutter, which keeps anxiety away. It also keeps sheets smelling fresh and who doesn’t want that? Tide-fresh bed? Yes, please.
Dress. Of course the occasional day of pajamas is amazing and everyone needs that! We dress in pajamas the day before Thanksgiving while we cook and bake in preparation for the next day. However, pajamas every day is not healthy for the long term. How we dress affects how we act! The occasional jeans are nice, although most days lately we are at home and take walks and play outside, so shorts and a t-shirt suffice. No matter what the outfit, getting dressed is important to set the mind for the day ahead!
Bible. This is my priority. I know the quality of my day and, life, begins with spending even just a few minutes with my heavenly Father and I am humble enough to admit I need his help every second of every day. In seminary, I read first before anything else. Now, I actually exercise second since I work out at home due to the closing of gyms for now. I know if I get in the workout before the little people rise, I can read the Bible in peace while they watch a little tv. When I can go to my gym classes again, I am sure I will go back to quiet time with God first.
Water. It really sounds gross to drink water first thing in the morning, especially when my feet hit the carpet at 6 a.m. It becomes much easier if I drink during the workout, though, and I am able to consume more as I work than simply walking around. My sister drinks tons of water at work just by keeping a big bottle by her desk, so that works too. Whatever it takes, treat your body right and hydrate! Get that glowing skin!
Laundry. Not everyone really needs to throw in a load of laundry each morning. As a college girl, once a week worked well. Even in seminary and married, we did laundry on Saturdays while we enjoyed watching movies. Now with seven people in the house who wear clothes, in addition to towels, and anything else that gets messed up somehow, it is really helpful to stay on top of the baskets by dumping a load in and get it working for me while I get working on something else. I just hate when I wash and forget to put it in the dryer and find a wet load I have to wash again to get rid of the gross smell. Oh well, life happens!
List. I love lists! Crossing stuff off a list really energizes me to keep going and conquering tasks, even fun things! Even for those who hate lists, jotting a few attainable goals down in the morning helps to stay on track. I can get sidetracked with many little tasks and never get to what was really essentially for the day. Keeping track of a simple realistic amount of to-dos really helps simplify life. For my college girls, this can keep classwork on track when balancing so many activities in a day!
As a side note, watch out for the social media entrapment. It can become a time suck and keep you from real life. Choose a workable time to check up on your people and send messages when you have a great start to your day. It has been shown to be much more productive to avoid social media and emails until after the day has begun and people have accomplished the usual early morning activities like getting dressed, breakfast, working out, and whatever else is essential for the day.
How do you begin your day? How have your days worked recently? I love to hear fresh ideas that I am able to incorporate into my own routine! I hear a Baby Boy getting worked up, so I will go rescue him from his nap. God bless you all! Talk to you soon!
Love,
Charis
