As a twenty-five year old woman who works two jobs, my schedule is anything but consistent. And if you know me at all, consistency is a capital “V-value” (kind of obsessed with Jess Lively) for myself.
So when it comes to the inconsistency of my chaotic work load, it has the potential to drive me off the deep end. Physically I’m sleep deprived. Mentally I’m beyond exhausted. When I start feeling this low in my life things usually tend to crumble. I’m giving so much time to my jobs, which makes me feel great! I’m working with Autistic kids making a difference, as well as a retail associate on the side. But I’ve stopped caring for myself, as well as spending time doing things that make me happy.
I started to reflect on what I could possibly do to make the situation easier, and more pleasurable for myself. It was then that I started to see a lot of empowering women talk about their morning rituals on social media platforms. And I thought to myself “Hey, if they do that and are so successful that’s what I need to do!”
So, I studied their morning rituals, took notes and got to work. Trust me, starting a morning routine is not easy. It’s a lot of trial and error. And sometimes you’ll feel like quitting. But understanding how much this could affect my life, I continued on. The following are the components of my daily morning routine.
Natural wake up time
For me this means no alarm clock. Granted, I am lucky to have a job that I am able to naturally wake up and still have time to get ready. Not having an alarm clock not only allows you to wake up more peacefully, but also helps ensure your body is fully rested.
Stretch in bed
As a child my mother always used to tell me to make sure I give my body a good stretch before getting out of bed. And as a stubborn child I didn’t listen. Oh how I wish I could go back in time and use this tool from childhood. Not only does stretching in bed feel great, it allows your muscles to wake up slowly from a night of sleep. If you’re a crazy sleeper like I am, I move all over throughout the night, this will help you tremendously with any soreness from your unusual sleep positions.
Breakfast
I make this an experience in itself. Prior to my routine I would most likely be eating breakfast as I walk around the house trying to prepare for the day or on the way to work in the car (oops). Now I prepare my breakfast and take a seat at the dining room table. I take the time to enjoy my food as well as the quiet nature of an early morning. It’s usually in these moments that I have found my best ideas come to fruition.
Meditation
Meditation can be defined in many ways. My current choice of meditation is reading “NIV Bible for Women, Fresh Insights For Thriving in Today’s World”. I am a born and raised Catholic, but for the past few years I have strayed far from labeling myself as so. But recent situations have caused me to fall back on my faith. So coming across this Bible was truly heaven sent. This Bible is the perfect combination of faith and reflection. Not only is it a full and complete bible, it also contains Daily Devotionals written by Women for you to reflect on. Plus, it’s easy to read.
Make up and hair
I used to listen to music every morning while getting ready. But as of recently I’ve been turned onto podcasts. The obsession is real. Now while I put my make up on and curl my hair I’m listening to positive podcasts about personal growth, gaining self-confidence, and becoming who you really are. Personally, I love this because as I’m feeling great because my make up is fresh and curls are intact I am also learning on how to make the most of every day. It sets me on a euphoric high that I ride on all throughout my day.
Goal setting
This is my last step every morning before I leave the house. I grab my planner that conveniently fits in my purse, and review what I have set for the week or day and add daily goals I have. Not only does it help me stay on track with my two jobs, but also gives me the most accomplished feeling when I can check off an item on my list.
Through these six steps I have managed to start everyday with joy. All because I have done my morning routine with self care as priority. Though these specific steps worked for me, they may require some tweaking for each individual as we are all different. What worked well for me, may not work for you. Take the time to sit down and think of all the things you could possibly do to ensure you have a pleasurable day. In conclusion, I still don’t have consistency in my work schedule which I’ve come to terms with. However, I now have the consistency of my morning routine which not only sets me up for success, but also guarantees I start each day with a fabulous attitude.
Last bit of advice, don’t be hard on yourself if you can’t do every step everyday first thing in the morning. From experience, some days it just doesn’t happen. And you can’t focus on that. Focus on what you can get done in the moment. When I don’t manage to complete every step I find myself just completing it later at some point in the day. No big deal, just let it go.
