Embracing the Early Hours

I remember when I was in high school, I used to spring out of bed, get ready to head out to early morning softball practice, and from then on my day was set. However, after my high school days and into my college years, I found it harder and harder to find a reason to wake up early and would stay in bed until the very last second. This would cause me to constantly rush and be in a hurry. I would be running to class, back to my dorm, to class and to work and back home. I was always constantly running. At first, I would tell myself how I liked being "busy" and that constantly being rushed was part of what having a full schedule and what living life was about. (Ohh how I was wrong!) Then after a while of that, I started to find it difficult to get out of bed at all. I was more content with the idea of staying in bed rather than facing the world. SO I would stay in bed, I would miss class, call out of work, bail on commitments. Sleeping in my dreams became more enjoyable than living.

In short, I lost all motivation to live or even get up. I had reached a point where I was in a rut and I realized a change needed to be made if I was ever gonna feel better about my days again. I had to find some time to do something for myself so that I would be able to do everything else. I then stumbled across a book called The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins. Basically, she discusses how your mind takes about five seconds to start questioning yourself, so you have about five seconds to just get up and do what you gotta do. This helped me to start my habit of waking up early. (5:30 AM) Now below I will list seven steps I take every day that have helped me to become and continue to be an early bird in order to have time for myself before I begin my day.

Step 1 - Set your intentions.

Decide why it is that you want/ need this shift. What is lacking in your life or what do you want more of that you can't seem to fit into your schedule already. Write this down and put it someplace you can see it every day! This is your why! It will help on those days when it feels harder than others.

Step 2 - Create your ambiance.

Most of us these days are always "connected," meaning either watching TV before bed or checking social media or emails via laptops or smartphones. These items and activities keep your mind awake telling us that it's still time to do work when you really should be getting ready for bed. I would get rid off all these distractions by placing your items to charge in a separate room if possible or on the furthest corner from your bed. Invest in incense/candles or a salt lamp to help create a sense of calm, then stretch a bit or do some reading before bed to get your body ready for rest.

Step 3 - Go to bed late, wake up earlier.

Now on the day you have decided to start waking up early, go to bed at your normal time, but set your alarm to wake you up an hour earlier than you normally would. This is where the 5-second rule will come to play. Don't allow time for a snooze, countdown from 5 out loud or in your mind and just jump out of bed. Once you're up. it becomes easier. If you have placed your phone away from your bed as instructed before, it would be easier to get up to turn it off.

Step 4 - Do not check your phone.

After you have shut off your alarm and are about to freshen up, refuse the urge to check your email, social media, etc. THIS IS YOUR TIME TO FOCUS ON YOU! Hold off on checking in until your personal hour is up. Because once you check in, you get sucked in and it's harder to come back out.

Step 5 - Move.

After you have freshened up, and have set your coffee or tea to make, take some time to move your body, get the fluid flowing, and your body awake. I recommend doing some morning yoga, as it helps to awaken your senses and allows you to be one with yourself as the sunrises. Or if you go for a brisk walk or do some light cardio, all that matters is that you allow your body to move and get flowing because if you're like most of us, you will be spending the rest of your day sitting at a desk in front of a computer for a while. Giving your body some play time in the morning allows you to feel more in tune with yourself and have more energy throughout your day.

Step 6 - Coffee + Planning

Now that you're all up and awake, have a set with your beverage of choice and your planner/ journal. Take time to reflect on your day ahead and what you need/want to accomplish. Then set a list of the top three priorities of the day and then everything else below. Make it a point to get your TOP 3 done These are your no-matter-what tasks and everything else falls along to get done if there's time but can be moved to another day. This allows you to still feel like you have accomplished your goals but not feel overwhelmed to get everything on your list done.

Step 7 - Put to action.

NOW it's time to put it to practice! Like most things in life, it only works if you put it to work. So go on and try these tips and feel free to check out Mel Robbins' The 5-Second Rule for more tips and tricks to embracing the early hours! I hope these tips will help you to create your own morning routine, do something for yourself, and allow you to own your days feeling less stressed.

NAMASTE