Guys, I’ve been doing something radically different with my morning routine for the last 3 weeks, and I think you’re going to be pretty surprised with the results. I will preface by saying I’m not a non-morning person as far as my mood per se, but I am a professional snoozer and very deep sleeper who needs her min 8 hours of Z’s a night or cannot function!! Curious yet?! Well, I read an article on the benefits of adding an hour of extra time to your morning routine, so decided to try waking up earlier than necessary & this is what happened…
I will say though, that I thought an hour was a bit excessive (especially because as I mentioned, I would have to make it up by bumping up my bedtime), so I did 40 minutes earlier than usual, and decided on 3 weeks because that’s apparently how long it takes your body to actually form a habit.
Ok, so back to what I was saying, THIS is what happened…
1. I felt WAY less stressed – this in itself is enough for me to keep up this method. It is such a luxury to not feel down-to-the-wire to start your day. For example, if I wanted to wear something that wasn’t already ironed, I had time to pull it together. If there was an accident en route to work or transit delay, I didn’t immediately spiral into road rage about being late. If I didn’t want a grab & go style breakfast, I could make something more substantial (or ya know, drink my coffee out of glass versus paper. It’s the little things, y’all). Overall, not starting my day in a flustered mood is a HUGE and notable benefit to my morning routine.
2. I freed up some time in the evenings – I’m one of those people that doesn’t get comfortable when I get home for the day because then I know I’ll be useless. So I head to a workout and do whatever cooking or cleaning has to be done first. This can mean I literally don’t sit down for HOURS when you factor in preparing dinner, packing a lunch, a workout class and repacking my gym bag for the next day, or you know, god forbid doing something fun lol. So, by adding that extra 40 minutes to my morning routine, I could go a little easier on myself in the evening if I needed, and not feel like my whole next day would be a bust as a result.
3. I did my own thing for a hot second – on the weekend I usually start my day by spending some time laying in bed and perusing all my different feeds (Instagram, twitter, news sites, etc.) but during the week based on my pre-existing morning routine, I was lucky if I had the chance to check the weather. Now I can scroll guiltlessly, or even throw on a playlist or the news while I do my hair and makeup. Not your vibe?? Try starting your day with something even more positive like meditation, intention setting OR a workout (full disclosure, I tried the latter, and am still not that girl yet lol. Keeping my evening classes, thank you very much… but might revisit when there’s more daylight come Spring).
4. I made a good impression at work – ok, so another fun fact, I’m not frequently late for work, but I cut it reeeeeal close. Again, that can get stressful when you have meetings first thing which is an unfortunate part of my regular morning routine. SO, the extra time I created for myself meant I also left earlier and as a result, became one of the first to be in my office versus the last. If you work for yourself or in a more flexible environment, you would still be settled and actually STARTING your tasks sooner than usual, which boosts productivity and is a win for everyone.
5. I annoyed my fiancé less – this is a big one for me because I love my fiancé lol and he’s an entrepreneur which means he rarely gets to sleep in. So, needless to say my snoozing habit is a thorn in his side on the days he does get to (& I’m talking was up to 4 ten minutes snoozes each morning!!). It’s truly a miracle he hasn’t left me over this lmao (jk, I’m a catch and he knows it haha). But as a part of this experiment, I also minimized the snoozing in my morning routine (limited myself to one, because I mean, I’m not a masochist) and was less disruptive but also felt better myself (studies prove this is a thing, unfortunately).
Overall, I thought this was something worthwhile to share because it’s easy enough to try out and once you get past the discomfort of adjusting your daily alarm time, the payout is substantial to your morning routine.
So, have I convinced you?! Would you consider giving this a try? Leave me a comment below x
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