How often do you jump out of the bed, get ready and rush out the door to work or getting the kids off to school? It may only be a few minutes from my house to my workplace at 99 City Road in the heart of London but most days, I still struggle to get there on time.Do you often feel stressed and constantly on the go or even behind in everything you have to do?
Your morning routine plays a big part in how you handle the day and often determines how the rest of your day will go. If you can create some quiet time in the morning, to ease into your day, you’ll be better equipped to handle what life throws at you. Starting your morning with quiet time won’t make all your troubles go away and it won’t prevent the day from trying to tackle you, but it will give you a better foundation and a better mindset to deal with the problems and issues that come along during the day.
Try getting up half an hour earlier, especially if you have children and need to get them up, dressed and out the door for school. By having some quiet time to yourself, you set yourself up to handle things better. If you’re the kind of person who hits the alarm, jumps out of bed and immediately has to get everyone else in the house awake, your morning time probably feels hectic. Just getting half an hour of quiet time to enjoy coffee or tea and get your head together can do wonders for you.
If getting up half an hour earlier than normal seems impossible to you, try shorter times. Even ten or fifteen minutes can be a huge help.
What can you do in this extra time to prepare your mind for the day?
For one thing, you can sit and enjoy that first cup of coffee or tea, or at least enjoy the first few sips. You can spend time in prayer or reflection or you can write in a journal. Many people start their day by writing in a journal. These people usually achieve more during their day and handle problems better. It’s definitely worth trying out to see if it will work for you.
Some people start their day with a bible verse or inspirational quote and then journal about their thoughts on it. Others journal to plan out their day and write down how they want to handle the day. What you write about isn’t really the important thing. The key thing here is to spend a few minutes getting your mindset ready to face the day.
In today’s society, too many people start their day on Facebook, other social media outlets or the news. When you start your day like this, you are allowing other people’s moods and situations dictate how your day is going to go. No one needs to start their day worrying over what their friends are doing or what bad thing happened in the world while you slept.
Spend time on yourself in the morning before grabbing your phone or sitting at the computer. You’ll be in a better place mentally and emotionally to deal with all the chaos in the world. Take care of yourself first and your friends later.
Try to create a good morning routine for yourself. Start easy and gradually add to it. Within a few weeks or months, you’ll be glad you did.