Own Your Morning

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What does a good morning look like for this mama? Silence. Alone time. Coffee. Prayers. Mindless thoughts. Exercise.

All the things a mama craves at some point in her day (or maybe not, that’s my short list). As a mother of two little ladies, it’s nearly impossible to even use the restroom without a barge through the bathroom door and being handed a crayon, or having a child dance in the shower with her toothbrush.

I JUST WANT ME TIME.

The opportunity to do whatever it may be, but doing it alone. Because I deserve it, I want it, and I need it. We all need our own time.  When I work at the hospital, or when I am managing mom duties,  I don’t count this as me time. It’s time I’m serving another population and meeting their needs. For real people. I love my husband and lil girlies, but I WANNA BE ALONE SOME DAYS (whew, I said it).

Insert my newest mission (mantra perhaps): I will own my mornings. Yes. Own them.

I was up extremely early one day a couple months ago, not by choice, but by the choice of my breast-loving 17-month-old (at the time) and caved. There was no point in going back to bed so I perused the internet with no specific goal and came across the phrase “I will own my mornings.” I stopped in my tracks. Yes. I want that! I want to own that! I have always been a morning person versus a night owl, and love the thought (goal perhaps?) of consistently being up before the other humans in my home. The reality of my stage in motherhood has not always allowed for this, but the woman in me pressurizing myself says otherwise. At that moment I decided:  I am owning my mornings and I will MAKE it happen.  

I have other mama friends who want that phrase to be their mama-mantra also, and I am here to tell you: just do it. Succeed and fail at it along the way and you will be even cooler. It has been that one simple phrase that has led me through two months of living it out, succeeding and failing. I rock this new mantra of mine, and I also constantly fail at it. And it is ok.

So, while the thought of owning my mornings seems glamorous and glorious, I am here to also give you some practical recommendations on how you can do so as well (because, quite frankly, sometimes sleep trumps anything). Keep in mind mamas, I get it, not everyone has the ‘luxury’ of even entertaining the idea of owning your mornings. I have been there and I am there many times as it is, BUT even if you attempt to own one morning a week the results will be awesome!

Don’t be fooled in believing you have to be supermom in the morning, up with your cape on ready to take on the world at 4:45am (even though I am sure some of you actually do this!). Simply set your alarm for 30 minutes earlier than usual, and make it a HABIT to wake when it rings in your ear, knowing that some days you will simply hit snooze.

The following list is just a few ways I use of the extra time I make for myself in the morning:

1. EXERCISE – my top choice by far. I make it a goal to be up before the birds and exercise 3-4 times a week during this time. This has either involved walking with a mama walking buddy, hitting the 6am boot camp at my gym, or walking solo. Even if I sleep in a tad longer than I want (ahem, like today) I still make it a goal to get a good 30minute power walk in before the husband is up and thus the littles are running circles around the kitchen. If I can get my Fit Bit to register at least 3k steps before 7am I am a happy camper. Exercising in the morning has it’s benefits as well, besides being able to just do it without little people to work around. Sweat first thing in the morning is not only a proven way to rev your metabolism, but can help with sleep later in the evening, and is overall a great way to start the day for your brain and peace of mind. I purposely don’t have headphones when I walk solo, and I try to stay off of my phone, instead I just watch the world and listen. 

2. SIT & SAVOR – that’s right. Just chill out.  Brew my coffee (or even have it on a timer to be brewed before I get up), light a candle, open the patio door (when it’s not as humid as hades out) and just be. I have a small sunroom where I can sit on my couch and look at the sunrise. Or I will choose to sit outside on the patio and pray the bugs don’t eat me alive. Either way, I’m just soaking in the morning goodness. I love nature, and I love what our creator has provided for us, and so many times I go about my day just oblivious to the beauty of our earth. So sit mama, savor whatever floats your boat, read your trash magazine, drink your java, and eat your breakfast in peace and quiet. Whether it is 1 hour or 15 minutes before your house awakes, just take advantage of it. Sit and savor.

3. PRAY & READ  I need my alone time with God. I have a wonderful devotional that I have read through one time, and am on round two currently. It is great. All about the ups, downs, humor and craziness that motherhood has to offer. Reading one very short chapter a day (I am talking like 2 pages, they are short and perfect!) first thing in the morning has helped me focus and refocus over and over. If you have a devotional, meditations, Bible study, journaling, or just reading in general you cherish and cannot find time to do, I encourage you to wake up 30 minutes earlier and just do it. I have many books I want to read, and many (insert ZERO) I have actually read from front to back. I need to wake up 30 minutes earlier than usual, put in those contacts and brush the crazy whirly hairs away from my eyes, sit and read. This is one of my yearly resolutions that I always fail at (hence why I despise resolutions), but hope to begin accomplishing as I continue to attempt to own these mornings of mine.

4. CREATE – yup. Create. Dinner is usually what I create. You can create anything though. I love to cook, and I love to have my daughter help, but sometimes it’s nice to get rolling before dawn and say “Dinner is done!” prior to my husband’s 7:30am alarm. Now, don’t be fooled, I don’t go for gourmet 5-star meals on mornings I decide to prep dinner before I am done with cup of coffee #1. These are usually the days I am thinking crockpot, marinade, or chop. Here are a  few of my favorite easy, healthy, and go to side dishes and meals that can be prepped early in the morning and have little to no follow up care required – Memphis Style Pulled Pork , Chopped Cucumber Caprese Salad , Baked Chicken Breasts (I will make in am and then chop up for salad or reheat later), and our very favorite Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad (make the chicken the night before).

5. PLAN – Grocery lists. The agenda for the day. Menu for the week. Following up to business emails.  Plan. Sometimes I need alone time, that is not nap time, to start my day in planning mode. I feel a sense of accomplishment when I can get some planning done, not to mention it can help the day be smoother when I get some of these goodies accomplished early in my day. A secondary activity I will usually do when I am in morning plan mode is throw in a load of laundry. Check. Laundry load #1 off my list. Whatever ‘planning’ means for you, embrace it and conquer it, even if it is just 15minutes of whatever task you are trying to plan out. Do it!

My dear mamas, I get it, some of you are reading this shaking your head like “Heck no she didn’t just say that like it’s so easy” and others are raising their hands shouting “Halleluiah, I am not alone!” [quote]Owning our mornings is a process. It’s a test. It’s a trial. [/quote] It’s constant success and failure and changing it up and doing it all over again. For me, to own just one of my mornings successfully in a seven day period is marked as a success.

How do you own your mornings? I’d love to hear!

 

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Stephanie
Hiya Mamas! I'm Stephanie, mother of 2 little ladies, wife to a 6'4 IT guy, occupational therapist, small health business owner, Sinclair adjunct faculty member, avid UD flyer fan, and a contributor for this awesomely lovely blog! Welcome! After growing up in Beavercreek, I received my BA in Psychology and my Master of Occupational Therapy, both from Chatham College in Pittsburgh, PA. In essence, Im a city lover and a farm-girl all wrapped up in one. Against everything I could possibly control (insert - 'wanted to move far away') , I moved back to Ohio after grad school, started working as an OT, met my husband, and will never leave. Nope. Im 937 for life. I love roasted broccoli, smoothees, and sparkling water, with a side of dark roast coffee and almond milk creamer. My 'me time' consists of HIIT training, long walks, exploring local, trying new foods, and following a strict 'flip flops until the first snow' rule. I have either been pregnant or breastfeeding non stop since 2011 - so ask me anything about either one of those topics and I am sure I can give you some sort of (comical) insight. My heart is with serving others, and I have had the opportunity to serve on mission trips to Montana twice, and on occupational therapy mission trips to Guatemala twice. I am hoping when the littles get older (not that I am in a rush - stop growing already!) I can give more time to local organizations in need of volunteers. We love our new church, our new neighborhood park, and our new home, all which we acquired in the past year. Happy blog reading my friends!