The importance of morning time for Mama

I was always a night owl. From being a teenager I’d stay up half the night reading, and reluctantly drag myself out of bed if it was a school/work day, otherwise, you’d rarely find me up before mid-morning. Even after having kids, I was still in the same routine. With no school run to do, the kids tended to go to bed later and get up later. I’d wake up when the kids woke up in the morning, then stay up late to get some ‘me time’.

I had bouts of trying to get up earlier, but it never happened until this past year. Insomnia meant that I was forced to be up early. At first, it was hell. 6am was not a time I was used to seeing {apart from when I was coming home from a night out}. Slowly, however, I started to relish a slower start to the day. I found having time to myself in the morning, before the chaos of family life kicked in, meant that I had more patience and more stamina to face another day.

Having had a good nine months now of being a morning person, I am converted. I’m up at 6am most days and tucked into bed long before midnight {most nights it’s more like half ten!}. The biggest change for me is that it’s given me time to be me. Time when I don’t have to be Mama, and I can do what makes my heart sing.

You can’t pour from an empty cup.

For too many years I’d put my needs and wants at the bottom of my list. I always said evenings were my time to do what I wanted, but often by the time the kiddos were all tucked in bed, I was too tired to actually do any of those things. So taking an hour in a morning means I can fill my own cup first, start the day off with a smile on my face and a heart full of gratitude.

My morning routine

Most days I wake around 6am, sometimes Beastie stirs, will have a little boob and then doze back off. I usually crawl out of bed, grab a cosy sweater and pad downstairs. The radio goes on, as does the kettle. While the water boils and the tea brews I fill in my gratitude journal. If the weather is fine I’ll grab my tea and sit outdoors, otherwise, I curl up on the sofa in the den, with the fairy lights giving a gentle morning light.

While I sip my tea, I’ll read a book or write in my journal, sometimes I’ll just allow myself to daydream for ten minutes. Once my tea has been drunk, it’s workout time. I’ll quickly change my clothes and fit in 20 minutes of HIIT and 15 minutes of strength training. I can’t tell you how much of a difference adding exercise to my mornings have made {I actually have a separate post all about this in the pipeline}.

I have time for a quick shower, I’ll set the breakfast things out on the table, get the kettle boiling ready for a coffee, check over and add anything to my to-do list so I know what the day looks like and by that point, there’s usually at least one kiddo awake!

Create your ideal morning

We’re all creatures of habit, they say it takes something like 30 days to make a new habit stick, so commit to a month of early mornings and see if you feel the benefits!

If you’re forever rushing around in the morning, starting your day off stressed out and anxious, then maybe it’s time to make a change. Taking some time to plan out your mornings, and allowing yourself some time to be ‘you’ before you have to be ‘Mama’ can make a whole world of difference.

Step One

Wake up earlier… I know, I know! SO many people have asked for my secret to getting up earlier! Honestly, I don’t have one. At first, it was out of my hands {hai insomnia}, but then I grew to love the quiet, stillness of an early morning to myself and now I actively choose to get up at 6am! Start setting your alarm ten minutes earlier than normal, then twenty, then thirty…

Step Two

Create a ritual you look forward to. For me, it’s that first cup of tea. Hot tea. Tea I can drink with no interruptions. Nothing tastes as good as a hot cup of Earl Grey, sat in the glow of the fairy lights, with the radio softly playing in the background and writing down the things I’m most grateful for. Maybe you need a good cup of coffee, five minutes to meditate, a chapter of a trashy novel… whatever fills your cup up, do that!

Step Three

Exercise. I love to workout first thing. For one, it gets it out of the way before I can come up with any excuses as to why I can’t work out that day. It gives me a boost of energy first thing, and increases those endorphins. I also find if I work out at the start of the day, I make better {healthier} food choices for the rest of the day.

Step Four

Make a list of your must do’s that day. I write everything down – I am a compulsive list maker. Once it’s on paper, I don’t have to try to keep everything in my mind, and I can see at a glance what I need to do each day {plus, checking things off a list gives you a real sense of achievement!}

Step Five

Stick with it. The first week or two are the hardest, especially right now when it’s dark outside. Though actually, I love that – I usually light the candles on our dining table while I’m making tea and it feels so peaceful and magical. Commit to getting up every day, filling your cup, and see what a difference it makes.

Are you a morning person? What does your morning routine look like?

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