Not a Morning Person? 10 Tips for a successful slow morning routine.

For so long I read book from experts telling me that if I wanted to be successful I needed to basically wake up, have my feet hit the floor at 5am and then book my ass to the gym with a massive smile on my face and a heart jam-packed full of gratitude. But, here’s the thing…I am not a morning person. I’m also not a natural mover, I’m more of an emotional, spiritual, slow processor. I grew up my entire life feeling out of places in schools that weren’t designed for me and as an adult it felt exhausting feeling like my morning had to also fit a certain mold if I wanted to have a successful morning routine / successful life. Well, I’m officially throwing out that stupid rule book and helping out my fellow slow movers. This is a list of 10 things I have found to be insanely beneficial to allowing me slow time in the mornings while also kick-starting my day in a successful way that works for me. Hopefully you find something that works for you as well.

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An alarm clock that doesn’t terrify you first thin gin the morning

You know that feeling when the sound of your alarm jolts you out of bed and you wake up with blood shot eyes and your heart is pounding like you were just attacked by a grizzly bear? Yeah, I don’t think that’s the way anyone was designed to wake up in the morning. Total panic straight out the gate? Probably not.

Instead, try choosing a song that slowly luls you into life and that maybe even gives you a little kick-start that ripples into an instant blissful smile. (Hey, a girl can dream, can’t she?)

Here are some of my top picks for a mornig alarm song:

• “Get Up” – Shinedown (This is mine)
• “Banana Pancakes” – Jack Johnson
• “Sun So High” – The Alternate Routes
• “”I Won’t Back Down” – Johnny Cash (Trust me, his version is amazing.)

An alarm that goes off before your kids

Oh yeah, and I don’t want to forget to mention that if you have kids, it is absolutely crucial that you wake up before they do. I mean maybe you absolutely love when they jump on top of you first thing in the morning or you don’t mind being whined at to be fed. Maybe you thuroughly enjoy that or maybe you have trained your children better than I have trained mine.

I found that even though I hated the idea of waking up to an alarm clock as a stay at home mom who didn’t actually have anywhere to go, I found life to be so much more peaceful and enjoyable if I aimed to wake up at least 30 minutes before my kids. This way I get to start my day in peace and quiet and I can decide how my day goes without allowing my morning to be dictated by my children’s moods or demands.

A wee bit of silence

Speaking of, if you are a slow morning person, chances are you are a little more on the empath side as well. You’re probably someone who likes to slowly process, who feels things pretty deeply and is quick to react to your surroundings.

If you’re going, “Yup, that’s totally me!” then let me encourage you to also aim for a little radio silence first thing in the morning. Even though you may want to turn on the TV or check email and social media, my biggest recommendation is to not. I know, it’s so hard…and the light kinda helps wake you up. I get it.

But remember that you are instantly welcoming in the vibration, energy and opinions of others first thing in the morning instead of allowing yourself time to just exist with you.

Hey, I’m not saying this is a for sure cure to the morning blues, I’m just saying it might be worth a try.

A coffee mug that lets you zone out for at least an hour

Want to know the best birthday/Mother’s Day present I was ever given? A coffee mug that stays warm. I know, I know it might sound so silly but hear me out…

I love piping hot coffee.

I love slowly sipping my coffee.

I do not like getting up multiple times an hour to re-heat my coffee because I’m a slow sipper.

For years…years I had this particular coffee mug (or something like it) in the back of my mind when I saw one at the Mall of America. But, being on our debt payoff journey and just beginning my minimalist journey, I kept putting it off becasue, well, it wasn’t a necessity.

• Let me tell you, this thing has already paid for itself 800 times over. My husband and kids got me the Ember Coffee Mug less than two months ago and I think I smiled bigger than a kid getting a puppy on Christmas when I opened the box! This mug:
  Keeps my hands warm
• Has a charge that lasts for about 90 minutes
• Can be controlled from an app my phone
• Continually keeps my coffee heated to 145 (I prefer hotter…but I’m sure Ember doesn’t want a burn lawsuit on their hands.) Click here to learn more about the Ember mug.

Someone to read to you so you get smarter without doing much work

You might not be a big reader, but trust me, there are so many benefits to taking in the information in books any way you can. That’s why on top of reading books I have also made sure to stick with my Audible membership. If you feel like just sitting in your bed sipping your pipping hot coffee and listening to a good story or some self-help-style motivation, then I definitely recommend giving it a try.

Personally, I love finding books written (and read) by women. Even better if they are insanely encouraging. There is something so soothing about starting your day with a woman saying things like, “You are a goddess and you were diesnged for a divine purpose. Go into this world andbe your bad ass self.” I mean, if that doesn’t make you want to conquer the world — or just change our of your pjs I don’t know what does. Try Audible here.

Curtains that make you think it’s still night time

Did you ever see that movie, The Holiday where Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet switch lives and Kate gets to sleep in Cameron’s amazing, giant bed with a room that has remote blackout curtains? If you haven’t seen it, it’s a must. Maybe not the whole movie (unless you’re into romantic holiday chick flicks, then it’s totally for you), but at least the black out curtain scene. The look of total bliss on Kate’s face when she gets to snuggle in for a middle-of-the-day nap is enough to make anyone breathe a deep sigh of relief.

So anyway, what I’m getting at is if you are a morning person, blackout curtains just might be your new best friend. Maybe not the remote kind, but even the pull down ones do just fine.

Blackout curtains came with our house when when downsized and I haven’t looked back since!

All the blankets

Is there anything better than curling up with a perfect, cozy, fuzzy blanket in the morning as you sip your coffee and listen to an audiobook or podcast? Doesn’t that sound perfect?

I mean, even if you don’t always get the luxury of sitting under yout blanket for 5 hours in the morning, there is something so potent about a good blanket to help you actually get some good sleep before you start your day. Personally our family tends to love the following blanket options:

• Weighted blankets
• Fuzzy blankets
• Heated blankets
• Waffle blanekts in the summer

lankets are another luxury/unnecessary item that people often don’t think they need — but you just might be seriously underestimating what a high level of cozy can do for your mood and mental health.

A well-chosen wake up spot

If you absolutely have to start your day and don’t have time to lolligag in bed for very long, my biggest recommendation is to still have a peaceful environmet that you can wake up in. This might look like:

• Sitting in front of your mirror to do your makeup while listening to a motivational podcast
• Taking a hot shower with candles (and knowing your coffee will stay hot while you lather, rinse, repeat)
• Even driving in your car with peacful music or a self help audiobook
• A cozy chair curled up next to the window so you can watch the sunrise

The environment you choose to start your day in can leave such a lasting impact on the rest of your day, so make sure you allow yourself to enjoy it.

5 Things that actually make you super freaking happy

Yup, you had to know I was going to say it, right? Gratitude. Starting your day by saying out loud, thinking about or even writing down 5 things you are crazy grateful for leaves such an amazing warmth in your belly.

Gratitude is best done if you get really creative with it– like, if no one else in the whole world could say the same thing you are choosing to be grateful for then you are on the right track.

Instead of, “I’m thankful for my bed,” you should try, “I am crazy thankful to have my brand new fuzzy blanekt so I can snuggle it up to my face in the middle of the night!“

Instead of, “I’m thankful for my family,” try, “I am so thankful for my husband’s quirky little smile that he makes whenever he sees me in that ound dress that makes me feel like a million bucks.”

What is extra awesome is that the more you wire your brain for graitude, the easier to gets and the faster your mood improves. Believe me, I used to be a real grumpy goose day in and day out — or was at the mercy of my emotions and experiences and starting a gratitude practice was one of the things that really allowed me to turn it all around.

The mentality that it’s ok to wake up slow

Lastly…and actually maybe the most important is to remember that if you are a slow morning person that is totally fine. Don’t feel like you have to huslt emore, rush more. The absolute first thing to do for a successful morning routine and for a successful life is to fully accept yourself as you are.

Find a slow way to start the day that works for you. Take what works from this post and get rid of what doesn’t. Put your own spin on things. Embrace the you that is you.

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