Do you find it a challenge every morning to choose between hitting the snooze button and getting out of bed? You probably sneak a few more minutes of slumber more often than not. In the end, you end up sluggish, sometimes irritable, and too tired to face the daunting day ahead.
If this experience seems familiar to you, you might benefit from a small lifestyle change. Today, more and more people want to transform their morning routine into a mindful one. But what is a mindful morning?
Mindful Morning: What Is It?
Your actions every morning set the tone of the rest of your day. Mindful mornings consist of rituals designed to start your day on the right foot. Your mindful morning does not need to be an elaborate step-by-step ritual. You can wake up earlier simply to pray, meditate, or write on your journal. “Journaling is great for enhancing self-awareness through helping us detect and track patterns of behavior, thoughts, and feelings,” says Alison Stone, LCSW. The goal is to do things that will invigorate you both physically and mentally.
How Do I Wake Up Earlier?
Becoming an early riser is the biggest hurdle when planning your mindful mornings. To overcome this, here are three things you can do to wake up earlier.
1. Sleep Earlier
Dr. Aaron Kaplan, PsyD, Clinical Psychologist often says, “Sleep can restore your mind and body. The immune system repairs itself and the brain rests and recharges while you sleep. Without enough sleep, you can’t function at your best.” Just as you need to rise early, you need to sleep early as well. Remember that adults need at least 6–8 hours of sleep every day to function well. Therefore, it would be counterproductive to your goals if you do not get enough sleep.
Some experts suggest that the optimal time for bedtime is between 8:00 p.m. and 12:00 m.n., although it varies depending on the circadian rhythm of an individual.
2. Create A Realistic Routine
Preparing for your mindful morning includes planning. Create a routine that is both productive but also realistic. You do not need to cross off half of your daily tasks right after waking up. Instead, it would help you more if you do relaxing activities before diving right into the bulk of your workload. Experts suggest meditation, exercise, praying, and even journaling as excellent mindful morning activities. Once you accomplish your simple routine, you are off to a great start with a boosted morale and a sound mind.
3. Ease Yourself Into The Routine
“It’s important to underscore here the importance of monitoring your mental health and knowing how different medications and lifestyle changes can impact your mental health.” Julia Hogan, LCPC said. Therefore, forcing yourself to rise at the crack of dawn will not help you stick to your new routine. Start easy by setting your alarm 10 minutes earlier, then 20 minutes, then 30, and so on. An extreme change to your previous routine will not be as effective as compared to slow and measured changes.
The most apparent benefit of waking up earlier is getting more time to use in the morning. In addition to setting the tone of your day right, having more time also means you are less likely to panic about preparing for the day. Use the first few minutes of your extra time to relax and be mindful, and you will find yourself breezing through the rest of the day with peace and lightness in your heart and mind.