I used to be the person who didn’t sleep until midnight and would stumble out of bed when my baby starts crying in the morning. Then from there, my day is hectic. It’s a constant trying to catch up kind of day. I took it upon myself one day to do a morning routine to help me reclaim my mornings.
You may not want to hear this, but it is absolutely crucial that you’re awake before your kids are. Here are three reasons why this is super important:
- You’ll be ready for the day the moment your kids wake up.
- You’ll get much needed time for yourself.
- You can set your intentions, goals and mindset for the day.
I learnt that how I start my own mornings sets the tone of the home for the day. When I’m stressed I see how it feeds my daughters fussiness. We have our hands on so many parts of our home, we should be ready and relaxed going through it. At the same time, we should be prepared mentally as well to deal with fussy, crying children!
If you have read this far and have rolled your eyes , I’m here to squash those excuses in your head. You will have to change your life around probably, but it’s for the good of your home and for your own sanity!
Go To Sleep, Mama
My daughter wakes up at 8am every morning. I know I need at least three hours beforehand to have a productive, relaxing and fulfilling morning before she’s ready to get going. You may not need three hours like I do, but I suggest starting small.
I don’t know what you’re doing staying up late, mama, but go to sleep! I’m talking to the mama who is shooting herself in the foot going to sleep too late when she could sleep earlier.
Before we even think about starting with a productive morning routine, we need to start with sleeping earlier. Women need about 8-10 hours of sleep a night, so let’s adjust that sleep time! We focus so much on our children’s sleep time we don’t have discipline on our own.
Once that’s figured out, we can move on to the morning routine you need!
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Night Before Preparation (9:00PM)
In order to have a successful morning the next day, you need to prepare yourself beforehand. When past me has everything in order, future me enjoys her morning way more. Here are the things I do before I hit my pillow at 10PM:
- Write-out tomorrow’s schedule.
- Write-out tomorrow’s to-do list.
- Have my outfit for tomorrow ready in the bathroom.
- Set my alarm clock.
Wake Up Time (5:00AM)
Analyze what works best for your morning routine and pick a wake-up time. 5am is my go to time because it gives me so much freedom in the morning to get things done. I have an actual alarm clock (I don’t keep my phone in my room) that wakes me up with my favourite radio station. I’m up before my husband so I’m usually sneaking out of the room so as not to wake him. Once I’m up, I head straight to the bathroom.
Hygiene Routine (5:00AM)
I started a “mom glow-up” routine that has done wonders for me. I feel healthier, stronger, and honestly, prettier! Feel free to check out my blog post about this glow-up here.
Anyway, once I’m in the bathroom, the first thing I do is brush my teeth. I like to brush my teeth first because it seems counterintuitive to brush my teeth after I’ve already washed my face. All the bacteria from my mouth just dirties my face again. Make your hygiene routine your own, but this is what I do:
- Brush Teeth.
- Brush Hair.
- Shower (I only wash my hair once a week, but I shower everyday.)
- Massage Face Using Castor Oil.
- Wash Face.
- Put on Vitamin C Serum & Moisturizer.
- Lip Balm!
Hair, Makeup & Outfit Check (5:30AM)
Once I feel all clean and smell incredible, I move onto the next part of my morning routine: hair and makeup.
I get ready for my stay-at-home mom day the same way any working woman might. I consider my job of taking care of my husband and daughter to be extremely important and I take it very seriously. At the same time, I want my daughter to see her mom as a hard-working, put together woman. I never want to be seen as lazy and uncaring by her, nor do I want to teach her to be like that.
And I encourage you, mama to do the same. It may seem pointless to get dressed when you’ll be running around or anticipate someone throwing up on you, but it makes a difference. You want your kids and husband to feel loved by you and that you care about the job you have. I’ve also noticed that how you dress can affect the way you work. I dress lazy so I feel lazy. When I dress up and come ready, I feel motivated to give it my best!
Time w/ God (5:45AM)
Having time with God has been a crucial part of my morning routine. Wherever you stand on the faith debate, it’s absolutely difficult to argue that reading God’s Word doesn’t make someone feel just a little lighter. I’m reading about a sacrificial love for me, how God is protecting me and fighting for me, how Jesus cared for the unwanted and poor. It’s good stuff in there. And rather than reading self-help books or personal development books, the Bible has all I need to be a good upstanding person.
Spending time with God keeps me humble and brings me peace. And these are things I need to bring into my work day to make it go smoothly. Too often I’ve had my emotions get the best of me and my poor husband and daughter are faced with an angry and anxious woman.
Get Working (6:30AM)
I do a few things in the background apart from being at home. For instance, I run this blog as well as my YouTube channel. At the same time, I help out with some administrative stuff for my church. And, I’m currently in the middle of writing a novel. So, there’s lots to do! Though this is only an hour, I like to take the most crucial work things and get those done first. Or, I like to set myself up for the day.
This hour in my morning routine, though short, is probably my most productive time of the day. The house is quiet, I’ve got my tea, my headphones are playing some classical jams, and I’m getting. it. done!
Prepare For The Day (7:30AM)
Just before my daughter is up and running, I take this quick 30 minutes to prepare for my day. This can look like a lot of things:
- Get a slow cooker meal going
- Start baking bread
- Begin preparing breakfast
- Tidy up anything that needs tidying
These 30 minutes are crucial in my morning routine because I want to have breakfast almost ready to go by the time my daughter is awake and my husband is back from the gym.
Officially Start My Day (8:00AM)
By 8am my daughter is calling for me. Now I can start my day. My heart and mind are set and focused on good things, I’m dressed for success, and my day is ready to go! Mama, this is the morning routine that has changed my life. I’m actually a joyful mother who takes on the day with intention. I don’t feel stressed and I see the response from my family!
Your day doesn’t need to look exactly like mine, but these are the three things your morning routine absolutely needs:
- You need to be up before your kids.
- You need to be washed, dressed and ready to go.
- You need to spend some time with God.
You’ll thank yourself later.
