The Early Morning Hours are the Sweetest

I’ve been a morning person for pretty much my whole life. I never really had the teenage phase of sleeping until noon, and all of my friends know that I often fall asleep by 8pm on my couch in all of my clothes. If I had to estimate, this is at least a weekly occurrence, if not more. For whatever reason, I’ve been given the gift of being good at sleep so I want to acknowledge first and foremost that I don’t think I’ve necessarily hacked something or figured something out related to my sleep patterns. I think I’m just built this way.

That being said, over the last few years, I have focused on building discipline around my morning routine and it has become a game-changer. I love the quiet, dark moments in the morning before anyone can bother me. Most days, I wake up by 5:45am to begin my day. Lately, my morning routine consists of getting up, drinking 8 oz of water right away, heading downstairs, doing some light yoga, meditation, prayer, breathing and getting the coffee going. I’ve been working on grabbing water before my coffee and it has been super helpful in terms of not relying on caffeine right away. Most days, I do some sort of 20-minute workout - pilates, barre, strength training, lifting weights, yoga, etc. Movement is a non-negotiable for me these days. It centers me, helps me get into my body for the day and helps address some of the morning aches and pains that I often wake up with. I also try to read or journal for 5-10 mins. To keep the morning routine manageable and sustainable, it can’t be overwhelming. This routine has also grown over time. When I began this, I started by getting up and doing one of these things consistently. Over time, I’ve learned that habit stacking is a great way to keep building on habits you already have and slowly integrate new ones without it becoming super overwhelming.

I’ve also learned that doing things consistently, even if they are short, makes the most difference. At this point in my life, I don’t have the space to have a 4-hour morning routine (I wish!) but I’ve realized that small things that I do every single day do make a difference over time.

My morning has become something I am genuinely excited about. It’s easier to go to sleep knowing I will wake up and have a few hours to myself before I have to interact with people or meet the demands of my day or what is happening at work. It’s not always easy. There are days I’d rather be under the covers and cozy (especially in the winter), but I know that the way I will feel on the other side of it makes it all worth it. One of the biggest wins of establishing this morning routine is the impact it has on my brain and sense of self. When you commit to something for yourself, the way you see yourself changes. The narratives I have about myself have completely shifted. I think of myself as a well-balanced, well-rested person who prioritizes movement and care for herself. I see myself in this light all day because this is the way I start my day. The negative narratives about my body, my imperfections, the extra few lbs of weight on my body — they fade to the background when you get into a consistent routine of taking care of yourself. It’s hard for those narratives to hold any weight when the most significant part of my day is spent on me.

This routine has been a long time coming — literally years of building habit upon habit and committing to doing at least part of the routine (even on days I don’t want to). Your body and mind start to crave things once you have programmed yourself to operate in such a way. If you’re someone who is looking to build a new habit, start with one thing. It’s hard to do it all at once. If you want to get up and add things to your morning routine, a good place to start might just be spending 30 days waking up at the time you want. No expectations for what you do from there, but at least your body and mind will start to understand that this is what you do now. Building on that habit will be way easier than trying to do it all at once.

If you think the idea of getting up early is crazy, I’d invite you to think about what you would do if you added another hour to your day when nobody could interrupt you. Rather than thinking of it like a chore, maybe see it as an invitation to give some time and energy back to yourself. Most of us spend the majority of our day giving our time and energy to everyone around us. You deserve that gift too.