“Your morning routine and time sets the mood for your day.” This is something someone told me when I first became a mom almost 15 years ago and boy, were they right!
If you google “quiet time” or “morning routine” you’ll come up with a bunch of different links and ideas on how to make morning routine’s a part of your day – which is great. But, with so many ideas and links, it can get a little overwhelming. So, let’s make this short, simple, and sweet. I have 3 reasons why I think morning and quiet times are essential to your day + a few ideas to help you get started.
3 Reasons Why You Should Have a Morning + Quiet Time
- How you spend your morning is usually how the rest of your day will go. If you wake up in a tizzy and are racing around trying to get ready, your body feels it and has become stressed. Usually, this will end up in a stressful day or a more hurried day. I’ve found when I set my clock for a certain time, spend time in The Word, sip on a cup of coffee, and do a load of laundry before the kiddos wake up, my days usually end up going a lot better than if I had gotten up when the kids woke me up and scurried around trying to get our morning together. It allows me to control my schedule rather than my schedule controlling me. I’d rather be more relaxed and ready for the day, even if it means waking up a little bit earlier than my kids or earlier than I really needed to (if I didn’t have kids).
- How you spend your morning usually reflects how you’ll sleep. No joke — when I don’t get up on my scheduled time, I usually find myself not being able to sleep as well that night. Even if it takes a few mornings to get into rhythm, I’ve found I sleep better at night when I get into a morning routine. I’ll take all the good sleep I can get. (…and all the mama’s said ‘amen’).
- How you spend your morning usually helps with confidence. Who knew? But it’s true. I’ve found when I wake up a tad earlier and stay on top of my morning routine, I’m more confident. My attitude is much better. When I walk through different experiences throughout my day and observe myself completing tasks, I feel a sense of accomplishment – which in return helps boost my confidence. Having a morning + quiet time routine helps set the stage for better prioritizing, better time management, and better productivity, which then leaves us obviously feeling more confident.
So, how can you create a morning + quiet time for yourself?
- Come up with a plan that will work for you. If you create a plan based off someone else’s schedule and it’s not feasible for you, chances are you aren’t going to stick with it. I don’t want you to give up on a morning routine shortly after creating it.
- Give yourself time. Don’t hit that snooze button. At first, it can be so easy just to hit the snooze button and roll over to go back to sleep. But don’t! The amount of time needed definitely varies from person to person, but I usually try to give myself anywhere from 30-90 minutes. So, if your kids wake up around 7am, 5:30am should be your alarm time. Listen to yourself and know what would be realistic for you to do and keep up with. Don’t worry about what others are doing.
- Practice stillness. For believers, this is a prayer or thanking God for a new day. This is the first thing I do before rolling out of bed. This isn’t a long time block, but a minute or two to breathe, thank God for waking you up and for a new day. I’ve found skipping this steps leads to feeling hurried and stressed.
- Fuel yourself properly. I always try to make a few eggs for myself or some oatmeal shortly after waking up. Don’t make impulsive decisions on food, but plan ahead what you’re going to have for breakfast. Plus as a mom, this may be the only quiet meal I get that day.
- Spend time in the Word. Have a daily devotional time or reading plan that you follow. Doing this while you eat breakfast (alone) is a treat and a great time to prepare for your day and talk with the Lord. I’m currently reading through the F260 – New Testament (one chapter a day, 5 days a week for 1 year). Also, my quiet time always comes before computer time. I’ve found if I grab my computer first before getting into the Word, I get distracted and end up with not having enough time to read.
- Get 1-3 things done on your list for that day. For me, this is throwing in a load of laundry or folding a load of laundry. Maybe it’s making your Instacart order for groceries or looking over school work that your kids will do later that morning (if you homeschool). Whatever it is, accomplish at least one of your “to-do’s” before the kids wake up and come down for the day. (Oh, here’s $10 off your first Instacart order – just use the code MTUCKER327160. We have been using Instacart since before COVID hit and what a huge help it is as a mom).
You can see some of my favorite morning & quiet time resources and books HERE.
I’d love to hear about your morning or quiet time. What does it look like? What have you noticed more when you make it a priority?
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