Thoughts From My Desk: Mornings

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that the majority of people out there are not morning people. I don’t have statistical evidence to make this up, but it’s a safe assumption.

I used to not be a morning person. In fact, I will go as far as to say that I hated when my alarm would go off. Ask my mom. In high school, oh boy was I a tough cookie. I loathed mornings. Fast forward to now, and I don’t know if I’d say I’m the epitome of a morning person, but I do thoroughly enjoy my mornings now, and when the alarm goes off, 8 times out of 10, I don’t hit snooze (or I only hit it once), and I’m ready to get up and get going. The reason I’ve started to really enjoy waking up and my mornings is because I’ve decided to take full advantage of the peacefulness and quietness of morning before the rush and craziness of the day.

Typically I’ll get out of bed before Matthew (after laying in bed reading on my phone, checking social media, and responding to any urgent emails) so I head into my home office (which doubles as my ‘woman cave,’ because if Matthew can have a man cave, I can have a woman cave, right?!), sometimes I’ll turn on the TV, sometimes I won’t, and I’ll do a variety of things. Sometimes I’ll start by stretching because typically I’m pretty sore from whatever workout I did the day prior and then I’ll maybe throw a load of laundry in, fold some laundry, or put away some laundry (yay laundry), I may go downstairs, eat some breakfast (if I’m not rushing), and just take some time for myself. It is so nice. So relaxing. So necessary. Once I’ve had my ‘morning me time’ I’ll then get on the computer, check my emails, and start working. From there, I’ll get ready for the day and so forth and so on.

If you’re not a morning person, take it from one who used to be just like you (if not worse), and try to enjoy your mornings. Don’t look at your mornings as the start to a ‘hellish day,’ but look at your mornings as a time to relax, a time to unwind, a time to just be with yourself, and to get ready to take on the day. Yes, you might be tired, but the hardest part is getting out of bed. Once you’re out of bed, you’re not getting back in. Splash some cold water on your face if needed, make a cup of coffee, and take full advantage of the calmness of your morning before starting work. I’ve found that enjoying my mornings has really helped me to have a more productive, enjoyable day. Something about ‘me time’ in the morning has a huge effect on every hour thereafter.

And, with that, good morning to you.

Image via Wit & Delight