Mornings can be the most stressful of times. I can look back a few years, and remember my own household and it’s not so calm start to each day. I was the only man in a family of four. So I was often the onlooker at a warring family, starting their day in totally the wrong way.
Firstly, there was my eldest daughter. Now if there was a bad morning riser, she was it. It didn’t help that she would stay up into the early morning hours, messaging her friends in msn, texting others, and chatting on the phone to other friends. Oh to be a multi tasking female. So when it was time to get up and get ready for school, neither her mind nor body were willing. So, my wife would start the initial wake up procedure, with a gentle motherly voice, suggesting it was time to leave the warmth and comfort of her bed. Slowly this would disintegrate into shouting up the stairs at her, and on the real bad days, it would be suggested to me that I get up there and sort out ‘my daughter’.
Then there was the fact we only had two bathrooms. So it was like the start of the 100 metres Olympic final. If you could get in their first you had done well. But if you thought you could read the paper on the throne, think again, the knocking on the door would commence quickly. Followed by the panicked voices of fear that yet again one or other of the kids would miss school registration.
The issue of clothes often would cause much distress. Can’t find an item, finding something that was dirty, or realizing that going around and around in the washing machine was exactly the shirt that was needed today.
And the joys of hair. Now in my family GHD hair straighter were the only ones that were good enough to do the job properly. Every morning three females straightening their hair was an event. The rows over who was using them, and what room they were in was truly gruesome.
The panic at realizing yet again, they were late for school, or the wife late for work was a daily occurrence. As was grabbing toast on the run. It’s fair to say time management wasn’t a strong point for the rest of my family.
With all this going on tempers were generally frayed, a few screaming matches would have been the norm, and three females stressed, angry and unhappy would leave the house. Is there any wonder I do a morning routine before they’re even up.
But the point is, that starting the day in this fashion, really didn’t get any of them up and raring to go. It was like running against a hurricane wind, exhausted before they’d even got out the door. Their minds were in a negative mood instantly, and would probably stay there for most the day. This is no good for anyone.
At times of school exams, you could multiply the stress levels ten fold. When the wife had issues hanging over her at work, the same applied. So waking and switching into a negative stress filled mind set immediately was a common occurrence.
How do you normally feel when you wake up in the morning? Do you find it especially hard to get up when you need to? Do you wake feeling lethargic and groggy, wishing you could just go back to sleep? When you actually crawl out of bed, do you get out feeling tired, restless, worn-out, exhausted, stressed, even mad at the world? Do you look at the upcoming day with anxiety and fear?
Have you ever noticed that when your morning gets off to a bad start, everything just seems to go downhill from there! Throughout the day your mood is negative, you lose control of your healthy eating intentions and end up eating more food and making wrong choices, much of it high sugar and of course the day feels like a battle, going from one confrontation to another! There are days where you just stay lying in bed in the morning thinking and worrying about the day ahead, other days you are getting up and rushing round like a headless chicken trying to get a week’s worth of things done in just a day, trying to make everybody happy. Both of these actions have a tendency to start the day on a bad footing, and never seems to get better.
Our fast-paced lives often mean we are burning the candle at both ends. Most of the time, we go to bed too late and hit the snooze button all morning, leaving just enough time to dash to work or school. Did you know that experts are finding that sleep deprivation could be linked to obesity, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, depression and heart attacks? Any wonder why there seems to be such an increase in all these health problems.
Isn’t it time you took control of your day. Facts are, if your morning starts well, the rest of the day will follow through with a positive outlook. So what can you do about it.
I want you to create for yourself a happy, relaxed, productive day, where you have a positive mind and an energised body right from the start.
The first action is simple. No more lying in bed in the morning, fighting off your alarm, grabbing those extra few minutes in dream land, and then rushing around like a headless chicken, trying to get everything done before you fly out the door. Let me make this extremely clear. Even if I know I’m sounding more like my mother every day (I do wish she was still able to nag in her old way). Waking up tired to the sound of an annoying alarm clock, hitting that snooze button multiple times, and then rushing out the door without even having time to fuel your body, that’s the purpose of breakfast, you are creating the problems that will now face you for the rest of the day.
When your alarm goes off every morning, turn it off, stretch for a few seconds, sit up, place your feet on the floor, and stand up. Don’t think about it. The longer it takes you to get up, the more likely you are to try to sleep in. Don’t allow yourself to have conversations in your head about the benefits of sleeping in once the alarm goes off. Just get up right away. Thinking about what an exciting day you have ahead of you.
We all need something that gives us a reason to get up in the morning. For me the passion I feel for my business energises me and excites me every morning to get up early, making me jump out of bed, thrilled to start my work. If you can call it work.
Passion gives me the power to do so much more, it deeply inspires me everyday. How great would you feel waking up excited to start your day? You’d get more done, be more creative and feel more of that elusive “flow.” It’s a great way to live, I assure you.
My work is so important to me, and so exhilarating, I go to bed every night so excited about the next day ahead that I simply can’t wait for tomorrow to come. This expectation about the day ahead makes it so easy for me to get up in the mornings.
Imagine waking up every morning and feeling enthusiastic about everything the day has in store for you. As you depart your bed, you can’t wait to start the day, because you know you’ll be doing things you’re passionate about.
If you are missing out on passion in your life make sure you sign up for our “The Power of Passion Course”. Come on let me help you find your passion, I want to help make your days as great as mine. You got nothing to lose, apart from some sleepless nights, and groggy mornings, because I’m charging you nothing! It’s a no brainer really.
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Oh, those memories of having to get teens up and out the door for school and get to work myself . . . so glad those days are in the past!
I love getting up in the mornings for the same reason you do, Larry – I love what I do!
Great advice here for all the chickens running around with their heads missing. 🙂
Blessings!
I can’t begin to imagine waking up ready to face a positive day etc. I usually only really wake up when arriving at work an hour later!
Larry,
We are all different, for a reason, enhancing the best part of each other would make for a better world.
I too like mornings especially since I’ve been out of the rat race of life and my kids school days!
There is always room for improvement and I can’t wait for,
The Power of Passion Course,
sounds like a lease on life. (real life) the one you own! Thanks for the post.
As long as I have had a family, I have always awoke about 2 hours earlier than anyone else. Primarily, because I love the peace and quiet, and the solitude of the early morning. Our early morning craziness was always because my son miscalculated the time needed to get ready to go to school. He wants to grab that ‘extra 15 minutes’ of sleep, which he can’t afford. He’s now 16 and still does the same thing. Now, I basically hang it on him if he is late for school. That seems to ‘speed’ him up just a bit. Maybe I need to let him go through your ‘Power of Passion’ course? It may do him some good ☺
Every morning I start the day with a simple prayer and a positive mind that all is well for the new day. Like yours i need to settle kids for their school early morning.
Having a positive mind to start a day is very important.