Wake Up...and Smell the Coffee!

(That is one of my favorite sayings!)

Are you a morning person or a night owl?  

When I was still teaching I had to get up around 6:00 a.m. every morning.  My husband learned not to speak to me for the first 10 minutes or so, but I am much better now that I can get up at my leisure…one of the benefits

of retirement😊  Even though now I could sleep as late as I want, I am usually up between 7:30 & 8:00 a.m.  However, I do tend to be a night owl and my 10:00 work bedtime has now turned into more like 11:00-12:00 or sometimes even later.

So…do you have a morning routine?  I am a person who likes organization, schedules, and routines…I just function better.  Lately I have been thinking a lot about how I can make each day the best I can make it, and I’m finding that how you begin your day can make a LOT of difference in how your day goes.  If you search the internet you can find MANY, MANY articles with ideas of how to set up a morning routine or things you can do to start your day off right.  Everyone is different and what appeals to one person might not work for another, but here are some ideas that I incorporate into my mornings.  See what you think.

1.  Gratitude for the New Day.  Because I am a Christian I believe in prayer, and so each morning before I get out of bed I try to remember to simply say, "Good morning, God.  Thank you for another chance to live my life and be with my family."  Just smiling & realizing that each day is a blessing is a wonderful way to face the day... 

“When you smile, it signals your brain to release the feel-good neurotransmitters (dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin), which lift your mood, relax your body, and lower your heart rate. Who wouldn’t want to start their day on this positive note?” https://chopra.com/articles/10-morning-habits-to-start-your-day-off-right

 "Each day comes bearing its own gifts.  Untie the ribbons."

Ruth Ann Schabaker

"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive...to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."

Marcus Aurelius

2.  S-t-r-e-t-c-h.  If you are a “little up there in age” (like me) a good stretch can really help you feel energized (and make it easier to waddle to the bathroom!)  But you don’t have to be old for some stretches to help you get moving.  Your body is like a computer that has been turned off all night…it needs a good reboot.

3.  Make Up Your Bed!  Have you ever seen this video of a Navy seal who discusses why it’s so important to make up your bed every morning?  It’s great…you really should watch it.  I guess I am OCD but I HAVE TO MAKE UP MY BED EVERY SINGLE MORNING.  At night I just CANNOT get into a bed that hasn’t been made.

4.  But First C-O-F-F-E-E!  A lot of folks (you perhaps?) just cannot start their day without coffee!  I am not a huge coffee drinker but I do love my cappuccino!  I enjoy a cup as I watch or read the a.m. news and as I think about my day ahead.  I did recently read (this article) that says the best time to drink your morning coffee is an hour after you wake up, but who wants to wait that long?  I’ve also read that we should drink a glass of water when we wake up to get our bodies hydrated…it’s also good for our skin (and I need all the help with that that I can get these days!)

5.  Fuel Up!  I’m not one that eats breakfast every a.m. even though I know I should.  I’ve read research that says breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but I’ve also read that may not be true.  I also recently learned that eating protein for breakfast “may” help you consume less calories during the day (and I need all the help I can get with that too!)

6.  List It!  I make a To Do List.  This is important for me, especially now that I am retired.  I don’t like to waste my days, even though I can if I want😊.  I prioritize my list so that I can make sure to get the most important things done.  It’s also a good idea (though I don’t always do this) to do the most difficult thing first.  Get that sucker out of the way, pronto!

7.  Get Moving!  I exercise 3-5 times each week and I get it out of the way in the mornings (I hate to exercise!)  Some days I go to the gym and some days I walk in my neighborhood.  It’s one of those necessary evils of life!!!

8.  Looking Good!  Every day I put on my makeup, get dressed, put on my jewelry, and fix my hair…even if I am not going anywhere that day.  I just feel so much better when I know I’m prepared for any emergency (like unexpected company or a call to go pick up a sick grandchild from school). Also, I just like to look nice for my husband.  There are a lot of psychological reasons for getting dressed everyday…just Google it.

9.  Quiet Time with God.    I know some people who grab their coffee and then head for their personal space to read the Bible and talk with God.  I like to give myself some time to wake up and get some of my other morning routine out of the way.  That way I don’t find my thoughts wandering away so much to the things I need to do. 

"When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength.  Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.  If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault likes in yourself."      --Tecumseh

As much as I miss my classroom and teaching the children every day, it’s nice that now I have time for all these things and that I can have a more leisurely morning to start my days.  But whether you are no longer working like me or whether you still get up each morning and prepare for your work day, it’s still a good idea to have a morning routine to help you start off on a positive note.  How you begin your day can affect everything. 

Do you have a morning routine or are you just one of those people who takes it as it comes?  If you find yourself starting your day already stressed, maybe you need to rethink things and find ways to make your mornings something to look forward to. 

The older I get the more I realize you need to heed the words of the Roman poet Horace....SEIZE  THE  DAY!...meaning one should enjoy life while one can.  And the best way to do that is to begin every morning:)

PS:  I don't know why some of this post has a white background.  I tried and tried to fix it, but couldn't....grrrr!