My alarm goes off at five every Monday morning. Before you close out of this article, I promise I’m not going to tell you that you also need to get up at 5:00 a.m. I only do that because I teach a spin class at 7:00 a.m. on Mondays, and that extra hour before I arrive to set up for class is what fuels me with the energy, focus, and gratitude I need to confidently lead an empowering class.
You might be wondering what I even do at five in the morning that’s so impactful, and I’ll let you in on a little secret: it really isn’t much. In reality, it’s less about doing and more about just being. It’s about taking the time to connect with yourself and protect your energy before giving it to the day ahead of you. Think about it: we give energy to so many things throughout the day: our classes, our work, our relationships, our goals. But how are we supposed to give those aspects of our lives the energy they deserve if we don’t give energy and care to ourselves first?
I strongly believe that how you start your morning sets the tone for your entire day. Peaceful mornings are a precursor to a peaceful day, while rushed and chaotic mornings often serve as the opposite. We’ve all had days where we hit the snooze button one too many times and end up rushing out the door half asleep — we’re all human; there’s no shame. However, if that’s most mornings for you, I challenge you to wake up just one hour earlier than you typically would. I promise you, that one hour taken from sleeping will be reimbursed to you through a more centered, peaceful, and conscious day. If one hour feels like too much all at once, that is more than okay. I also believe in making small changes as you go as opposed to huge changes all at once, so try starting by waking up even just 20 or 30 minutes earlier than normal.
Take that time to do what feels good for you. Make your bed, drink a hot cup of coffee, stretch, enjoy the serenity of the morning hours. Try your hardest not to check social media, your email, or respond to text messages first thing. I know it’s hard, I struggle with it too. But I can truly feel the difference in my mood and energy when I resist that urge and give to myself before giving to others.
Before you go to bed tonight, set your alarm for a bit earlier than usual. Fill your own cup first, and watch it overflow and pour back into everything your day has in store for you.
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