How to Wake Up Early and Have Great Self Care
Achieving your goals starts the moment you wake up.
If you’re like most people, then you can’t find time for yourself in the morning because of all of your early appointments and obligations.
However, when there is no time for self-care in the morning, it’s unlikely that there will be any throughout the day!
It doesn’t have to be difficult to start living a more fulfilled life, one where you are satisfied with more aspects of your life than just your career.
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List of (hopefully helpful) ideas
Here’s a list of tips that will help you wake up early and start having great self-care:
1. Write down your goals before going to sleep
Part of the evening prior to going to sleep can be used to start writing down your dreams and goals instead of thinking about what appointments you have after waking up.
2. Set aside some time for yourself before you go to bed
Even sitting down with a cup of tea or a glass of water and a good book can help give you some alone time in the evenings.
3. I always eat something before bed
This might not be for you, but I can’t go to bed on an empty stomach.
This helps me to wake up feeling full and energized throughout the day. If I don’t eat before going to bed, I toss and turn. Now, that’s me, you need to do what works for you. If you’re the same as me, try having some nuts, a piece of fruit or some yogurt.
4. Make sure you are getting enough sleep every night
Aim for the hours of sleep each night that works for you so you can wake up feeling refreshed and energized in the morning. Sleep is important because it helps repair your body, your mind and your spirit. Beware of binge-watching, binge-over thinking and binge-worrying and binge-workaholism.
5. Know your limits
Don’t go to bed or wake up too late. If you’re tired, it will be harder to wake up with self-care in mind.
6. Do something fun or that you love each day before going to bed
If you have nothing fun planned for the day, it will become a drudgery of waking up and getting ready for work at the usual time. I always either watch an episode of my current fav show on Netflix or play the piano. I don’t overdo it, although it has taken me years to master this (although sometimes I do stay up that little too long still).
7. On awakening, try not to focus on your list of things to do
Instead, try to quiet and focus your mind on the reasons why you want to wake up early. This will help you feel more confident about getting up when the alarm goes off, knowing that you are doing it for a good reason.
8. The morning is great for meditating
I have found it to be very beneficial for my mental and physical health. I like to close my eyes and smile at the plethora of thoughts that cross my mind. When I “bite” into them, I don’t mind, which is the key to good meditation in my eyes. This helps me focus on my breathing and find time for relaxation when I’m already up. When I fail to meditate, I don’t beat myself up (I used to!).
9. Exercise each morning before breakfast is great for your body, your mind and your spirit
It will help you wake up with energy and makes you feel better about yourself throughout the day. I exercise when I work on my land so I don’t do it in the mornings, but I do know that a lot of people love it. If you’re not keen on exercising (I’m not), you can try getting yourself a set of 3D glasses and use one of their exercises software packages. If I ever need to resort to exercising at home, I will most definitely get myself a pair of these!
10. Think good thoughts
Each morning, allow your brain an hour to be quiet. When I wake up before my cats (at least I try!), I usually keep quiet in bed and make myself pray, even if it is not intense or that intentional. Allow yourself to think about all the good things happening in your life. You can also write down 3 things that you are grateful for throughout the day. Again, it has taken me a long time to develop these types of habits, but I can assure you eventually you do.
11. Make the most of your morning
Each morning, try to do a few things to make you feel good each day whether it’s playing with your pets, feeding your fish or doing yoga. I take time with my cats and enjoy the garden.
12. Try waking up to a few rays of sunshine
We all have that one time zone that we are accustomed to waking up in, but try to wake up early enough to experience the sunrise. This is helpful because it’s a reminder of the beauty in each day. It also helps us start my day with a great attitude.
**If you haven’t seen the sunrise for a while, you may want to consider moving your alarm clock ahead and trying to get up earlier than usual.
13. Read one chapter of a book in the morning
This helps me wake up happy and ready to start my day. Now, I can’t read an entire book in the morning, so I try to read just a few pages. I particularly LOVE “A Course in Miracles” although I understand it is not for everyone.
14. Take 10 minutes break during the day
It is always a good idea to stop what you’re doing and give yourself a break, not only can you get caught up with work, but you may get lost in thought and quickly lose yourself in it (nothing wrong with it, but you get disconnected from yourself which always ends up being painful, believe me).
15. Loving yourself in the morning
One way to find self-love is to practice gratitude in the morning. As soon as you wake up, close your eyes and try to think of 3 things you are grateful for.
16. Think “I’ll give myself one more hour”
If you’re tired, it will be tempting to go back to sleep. Well, the days I can, I do it! It is simply wonderful, that extra hour of sleep in the morning. It does make a difference. At least, for me it does.
17. Don’t think about what “should” be
It’s important to not focus on any “shoulds”. Listen to your body and know when you need to stop working at a job that really doesn’t make you happy. I moved countries twice and twice I did it for the right reasons.
18. Set manageable and achievable goals for the week
Once you have gotten some self-care done (for example, once you have a good breakfast and meditated), it’s time to set your goals for the day. These will help keep you in check and make sure that the entire week is filled with productive tasks.
19. Find a way to make your job interesting
I’m sure that you know what your passion is, but sometimes it’s hard to find a job that fits. The key to finding an enjoyable job is by making it fun for yourself.
20. Find something you love and do it for the rest of your life
This is my personal inspiration. If you don’t know yet what it is that you love, don’t worry. lt took me years and it wasn’t until I hit menopause that things started to make sense. What I do now, where I live now, who I’m with now, I want for the rest of my life. If you’re not happy with something in your life, you CAN change it. Give yourself time until you’re ready. Knowing it is enough as a start!
Don’t forget to be kind to yourself
It takes time for all of these practices to become habits. Be kind to yourself and enjoy the moments when you are learning and growing to become the person that you’ve always wanted to be.
Love,
Patri ❤️💕
