So, today I want to talk about all things waking up and setting the day right from the start. I've heard before that the way you spend the first hour of your day reflects how you will spend the rest of your day. So those first 60 minutes, those 3,600 seconds are SO important. Which means that a morning well spent, is a productive day ahead.
Over the past few months, I've dibbed and dabbed into maintaining my morning routine and I have finally found what works for me. And that's the main thing, not one routine will work for everyone. It's a trial and error process and it's all up to you. Take ideas from this blog post and from many sources on the internet, try different things, come up with some bits yourself and see what works for you.
But, saying all that, here are some little bits that have been working for me, so let's get on with it shall we?!
It all starts from the night before for me. There is this wonderful thing on your phone called Sleep! I set mine up properly to send me off to sleep mode at a specific time and I'm not able to use my phone till I wake up in the morning and it allows me too. Now, as part of my wind down, I sit down and think about the day that's just passed. Think of all the good things and spend some time being grateful that it happened. Focus on all the good things and make sure to go through my day thoroughly. And that's where the magic begins! Going to sleep feeling grateful is an amazing way to start the following day with a smile. Going to sleep happy helps you wake up in that same frame of mind.
Now, whilst I'm doing this I would usually have my alarm clock going! No, not what you're thinking lol. It's not ringing, but it's got this amazing feature on it that starts out shining bright light and it dims slowly. You can set it for however long you want it, I have mine on 20 minutes because it helps me wind down properly and sends me off to sleep in a great way. This same alarm clock, wakes me up in the morning with the same technology the other way round. It brights up slowly and when it reaches your wake-up time, your alarm clock goes off. It is truly amazing but it can be expensive. That's why I went for the cheaper option and bought this one here but it's amazing, got great volume, great brightness and does the trick amazingly.
Side Note: If you want to actually get up, place the alarm clock on the opposite side of the room. You have no option but to get up to switch it off!
Now it's 6am and the good stuff begins. I'm up, out of bed and my alarm has been switched off. No dilly-dallying about at this time of day, every second counts. I get my slippers on and pop the heating on as it is usually freezing at this time. Grab a pouch of food for Brynn (my cat) and head downstairs. Feed the cat, change his water and give him some milk if he still asks for more. This is the time where I thrive during the day!
Next up is my water intake. I fill up my water bottle the night before and take it to bed with me so if I wake up thirsty during the night I've got something there. But, the main reason I do this is so the water gets to room temperature by the morning and then I can down as much of it as possible. I try and drink half a litre in my first hour awake. I really do believe that water is the magic fluid we all need to intake more of. It cleanses you, it's the one particular drink that really stops you being thirsty and it is clean! No additives, nothing, it's literally just pure water so you can't fault that.
Whilst I'm having my water, I start reading and don't set a time for myself. I like to judge how long I read for depending on what time I've got to start work or if it's a day off, how much I've got to do. The reason I don't set time limits is because this is the time investing in myself and so if one day I feel like 5 minutes is enough and the next I spend 40 minutes, it's absolutely fine. I like reading in the morning because I'm learning something straight in the morning that I can implement during that day.
The next thing on my list is my journaling process. And this, again, depends on how much time I feel like investing in that day. Although, I have found something that works for me and that is the process that I follow. Which is as follows:
FREE WRITE
At this point, I'm writing about whatever I feel like. Maybe the book I've been reading inspired me, or I had a crazy dream. Or I want to vent and let it all out without causing havoc. Or I'm excited about what's coming up in the day! Anything that springs to mind, will be written on paper!
GRATITUDE LIST
For this bit, I write 10 things that I am grateful for in my life. But not just stop there, I give the reason why I'm grateful for it so it's not all just up in the air, but it is grounded and it makes me realise that if I didn't have that specific thing, I wouldn't have a reason to be happy! After I write the list, I go back and read them all again and feel the power of gratitude as much as I can!
FAVOURITE HIGHLIGHTS
As I mentioned earlier, before I sleep I think through my day. I do a shorter written version of this in the mornings based on the previous day. I go through all my happy thoughts and this helps start my day in a happy mood.
MY DAILY AFFIRMATIONS
I write down my goals as affirmations. The way to do this is by writing in the present tense, so if you want to have a Ferrari, you write something like 'I am so happy that I get to drive to my dream job in my Ferrari because it makes me feel great and it is quicker than any other car I've ever had.' This is telling the Universe that you are ready to receive this and the Universe will work its magic and get you your dream car.
And that is my journaling done! I absolutely love it, it really wakes me up and sets me in the right mood for the day. Moving on to my last bit of the morning routine and this varies but it has to be something active! Whether it is going for a walk, doing some yoga, a morning HIIT class, or even just folding the laundry and putting away. The purpose of this is to get moving and wake my muscles and my body up. As a performer, I was always taught that a warm up is the most important part of the performance, and I'm applying this in my daily routine as well and it works wonders.
I will then pop the kettle on, jump in the shower and get ready and have set up my day ready for success. After I get out of the shower, I will have my first cuppa of the day and look at my phone for the first time since waking up about an hour and a half before. Carrying on from the Sleep Mode, my favourite bit is that it tells what the temperature is and how the weather is for the day before it shocks you with notifications! You have to dismiss the pop up to access your phone and use it and I think that's an amazing way to not overwhelm yourself with a hundred emails and notifications.
As I said in the beginning, we've all got our own lives and my morning routine might be totally different to yours. But the whole point of this blog post was to emphasise the importance of having a routine in the first place. It can totally change your day every morning which in turn will change your life. Start acting on it now before later, set yourself up for success and the world will be your oyster.
Thank you for reading this lengthy post, I hope I haven't bored you to death I hope to see you back here soon for my next post but in the meantime thank you!!
All my love,
Antoine
Written by Antoine
About The Author
I am truly excited and so grateful to have made this decision to start my blog up. For years and years I've been wanting to but the perfectionist in me always got scared. But today, I stand up and own it and do it!
My blog, Gratefully At Home, is a mash of things that excite me and light something within me. I always loved the idea of having a specific niche and sometimes I delved too deep into that and found myself at a brick wall. Recently I started an Instagram page all about home and interiors which I love so much and it has been growing ever since.
I wanted to grow this further and start including more of my lifestyle content as well, and that's where Gratefully At Home was born. This is a place where my love for my home and the way of life I lead meet. And the secret is in the title, gratitude! It's my way of life and I've never been happier than I am.
On this space, I will be sharing tips on how to style items beautifully, where to get the best bargains for your home but also personal posts on how I live my life and my journey towards self-improvement and self-love in hopes to reach others and hopefully make an impact on someone's life.
My two favourite words are THANK YOU! I say them when I wake up, before I sleep, when I'm walking, when I need help, when I'm in the shower and probably during my sleep too. These two little words have changed my outlook on life and I can not wait to share how I did it with you all.
I hope you will join this journey and that you enjoy it. Can't wait to see where it takes me and looking forward to seeing you back here (hopefully!)
In the meantime, thank you!