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Two nights ago, I laid in bed staring at the ceiling until 4am, unable to stop my mind from running a mile a minute. This is something I've always struggled with which means that every morning, I'm on the serious struggle bus just to function let alone get anything done. You're looking at the world's biggest night owl over here (which also equals the world's worst morning person). When I was younger and my Mom would wake me up for school, I would stay in bed and start dreaming that I was getting ready. I seriously thought I was awake! I'd hear my Mom call from the kitchen, "Brittany, are you awake?" and I'd answer back, "Brushing my teeth!". I legit thought I was doing that, when in reality I was half asleep laying in bed dreaming I was going through the motions of getting ready. You can imagine how frustrated & surprised my Mom would be to walk in thirty minutes later, when we needed to be walking out the door, to find me still snoring in the bed. This didn't happen often, thank goodness, for my poor Mom's sake! But if I did actually get up when she told me to, I wasn't pleasant to be around. I am not a fan of mornings (my friends know this all too well!).
I titled this post ways to be a "better" morning person because that's all I can say I am- better than I was years ago. I still have a long way to go! I've had to work really hard just to get my son to MDO by 9:30am two days a week; we're in for a real shocker in a few years when he has to be at school much earlier. I wish so much that I could wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed but sadly, that's just not how it is. I have found some tips & tricks that help me survive mornings and sometimes, just sometimes, even look forward to them. I'll share what works for me and if you have anything to add, I'd love so much if you'd share in the comments!
5 Tips for Being a Better Morning Person:
1. Treat yo-self- Waking up early sucks, no two ways around it. Reward yourself for rising with the sun by taking a few minutes to have your favorite coffee, read a magazine, or watch some TV. Do something just for you that makes you happy- it's a great way to start your day on a positive note, too.
2. Look forward to something- Every night right before I fall asleep, I find something planned for the next day to look forward to. Even it's just as simple as taking a friend to lunch or trying a new lipstick, I think of something that will entice me to get out of bed the next morning. When I wake up and remember whatever it is, I'm much more excited to start the day.
3. Style your hair before bed- I wash my hair at night and sleep with it in a loose braid, so I wake up with wavy strands and don't have to mess with my mop much in the morning. This saves me so much time and energy that I just don't have in the am. It's so much better for your hair too, to save it from the heat of a blow dryer!
4. Nap cautiously- With a four year old running around, naps don't exactly happen for anyone at our house anymore. But when they did, I inevitably couldn't sleep at night. Naps mess up my routine and keep me up super late, consequently making me want to sleep half the next day. I have friends that wake up at 5am and require an afternoon nap, otherwise they'd fall asleep at 6pm and wake up in the wee hours of the morning. Whatever your nap situation may be, make sure you get on a schedule with (or without) them and stick to it as much as possible.
5. Do morning prep the night before- Everything that can be done the night before, I do. This means making Bear's and Zach's lunches, ironing clothes, laying out outfits, etc. Every evening, I always make sure I have gas in my car so I don't ever have to stop and get gas in the morning (since we're almost always running late or right on time!). I don't do these things so I can sleep in later, but rather so I don't feel as rushed getting ready or just in case something happens that slows us down. It always helps to think ahead and save time!
Zach just got home and I told him about the topic of this blog post- he started cracking up. He knows I'm a work in progress and not the residential expert on this topic. His tip? "Brittany, you just have to wake up."
Men.
xo, Britt