I always go on about how important it is to start your day right. Because I feel that sets the tone for the rest of the day. And I’m a big believer in starting the day right. I’ve found that my morning routine does wonders for me and I’m so excited to share it with other busy mums like you because I know it will improve the quality of your life tremendously.
In this blog, I want to share with you why I think it’s so crucial that you have a morning routine in place and, as a matter of fact, start the day early because it is vital that you get up before your kids. ‘Why?’ you might ask. Well, for a couple of reasons:
- Because first of all, you deserve the time to get your head in the right place before the day starts and before the rest of the family requires your attention and wants you to meet their needs.
- Number two, because when you start early you feel a sense of calm and you feel like you’re more in control because you can start the day right, plan and have the time for yourself early in the morning, and
- Number three, that will then result in going to bed earlier that day, which means that you will get more rest which then means that your health with will benefit greatly because sleep is oh-so important. (If you’d like to read more about sleep, check out this blog: Get more sleep as a busy mum.)
The thing is that this triggers a chain reaction. When you wake up early, what happens is you feel nicer, which then translates into you being nicer to other people. And that, in turn, gets other people behaving nicely towards you. However, bear in mind that it all begins with you. You are the deciding factor that will ignite this by creating a morning routine that works for you.
My morning routine
One part of it is definitely having good nutrition at the very start of my day. What that means is:
- hydrating
- feeding my body with the nutrients it needs.
What I like to do in the mornings is have my fizz sticks which are something I cannot imagine the day without. They’re great for increasing energy levels and that’s something that I never cut corners on.
Now, another thing that is essential is the breakfast. I always choose a high-protein breakfast because that is something I know will keep me fuller for longer. It’s a daily habit in our house to get some smoothies going in the mornings because they’re really so quick and easy to do. And they’re just perfect for busy mums in the morning. So what I do is go with protein packed smoothies. As I mentioned before, protein keeps you feeling satiated for longer and it will also stop that mid morning crash that can happen if you opt for a high-carb breakfast like toast or cereal. So, replacing those high-carb breakfasts with a high-protein breakfast is what everyone should aim for, not only for increasing energy levels, but also for the added benefit of being leaner.
NB We need protein to fire up our muscles and brains, and for women, it is recommended that the daily intake of protein should be 46 grams. Just to give you an example, an egg has got 6 grams of protein. Imagine how much you’d have to consume?!
I love our smoothies with frozen fruit and healthy fats like avocado or seeds and nuts. I’ll include one simple recipe here that is an absolute winner.
High-protein smoothie
- 600ml water
- 2 scoops of vegan protein,
- some frozen fruits,
- avocado + nuts (healthy fats)
Stir that up for about 10 seconds in your blender and it’s ready for you to enjoy.
If this simple breakfast has motivated you to do this as part of your morning routine, then (believe it or not) you’ve done a massive shift in your diet. You are changing a third of your diet! That is just amazing. That one little thing can change so much.
To find out more about how you can create healthy habits for you, you definitely ought to hear what I share in this podcast episode: How to introduce healthy habits and not fail.
So, back to the topic of morning routine. I was inspired by the book called The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod.
This book is a wonderful read and regarded as “one of the most life-changing books ever written”. In it you will find some great practices to have you start your day well and create the life you’ve always wanted.
Something that I keep as a reminder for my morning routine is the BE GREAT acronym and that stands for:
Breathing
is something I focus on when doing meditation as it helps calm your mind before the busy day ahead. And it’s something that you can try doing because there will only be benefits from it.
E stands for raising levels of energy in the morning.
Of course, as always do this either by doing a bit of exercise or simply moving your body.
Then we also express gratitude.
Now this can be something that you can do by just thinking about what you’re grateful for. Or it could be like a little exercise where you get a piece of paper and a pen and write down the things you are grateful for. Sometimes we even encourage ourselves to send someone a message to express gratitude for something someone has done for us. So, it’s a really nice thing to do at the beginning of your day. Because it just basically makes you think about all the opulence you already have in your life; and if you send that message to someone, you will make them start their day with a smile.
And then, affirmations are something that we always have in the mornings.
Needless to say, these are really the greatest boosters of self confidence you can do for yourself. Because by saying those things, either out loud or silently you actually tell your subconscious what do you want to happen for you in your life and how you want your life to be.
To-dos
And then as a final thing, I also make a small to-do list in the morning where I lay out several important things for the day that I want to accomplish. And then, at the end of the day, I can take that small list and see what’s been done – what’s been ticked off. It usually is a combination of one major task I have for the day with a couple of easier ones which is how I ensure my to-do list is achievable. That then gives me a nice sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.
Here’s my podcast episode on the same topic:
But, if you feel like you could benefit even more from an evening routine, then take a listen to this podcast episode of the Healthy and Thriving Career Mums Podcast where I share lots of useful tips.
Disclaimer:
* The typical results are different for everyone. Results vary based on body composition, age, individual effort, eating patterns, exercise and the like.
** The Content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional health or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding your health.
***This website is owned and operated by Wendy Griffith, an Arbonne Independent Consultant, and is not endorsed by Arbonne. Any opinions expressed on this website are made by and the responsibility of the Independent Consultant.
