A year into the pandemic, I’d fallen into a routine of staying up late, indulging in wine, sleeping in, lingering over coffee, then trying to pry the kid off his screen to transition into homeschool lessons in our pajamas around 11 am. He was perfectly happy starting his day with a video game and I was committed to getting our work done most days, but I was stuck in a major rut. I knew I had to change my habits, start prioritizing my own self care, and get back to my creative practice in order to keep the joy in our homeschool and lead by example.
So naturally, I checked out a stack of library books to research this change, because everything I do tends to come with a little too much preparation. My reading led to searching ‘morning routine’ on Pinterest to see if other people were talking about theirs, and that’s when I found the Make Over Your Morning e-course by Chrystal Paine. It felt like just the thing to launch me out of research mode and into action. I notoriously purchase courses that I take forever to finish, but I was desperate to make a change so I jammed through the modules easily and implemented my new routine the very next Monday.
Here’s what my (ideal) morning looks like now:
- Wake up by 7 am
- Pour a cup of coffee
- Sit down in my workspace and turn on my salt lamp
- Read a little
- Create
- Quick bullet journal check in (calendar / to do list)
- Get dressed for the day
Prioritizing my morning routine makes a huge impact. Even if I only read a few pages and work on a project for 15 minutes, I feel the shift in my mood for the whole day. When the kiddo wakes up, he sees me engaged with a book or project and it sets the tone for the day. Getting an earlier start on lessons leaves the afternoons free to spend how we please. Then at night, it’s easier to skip the Netflix and wine knowing I have my morning “me time” to look forward to.
Creative momentum builds with the consistency of a daily practice and I feel such ease in homemaking and homeschooling after I’ve filled up my own cup with my morning routine. This momentum is leading to more art and inspired writing this blog as part of my practice!
Do you have a morning routine? Feel like you need to implement one? I’d love to hear what’s working for you!
* Just want to mention, I am in no way affiliated with Chrystal Paine or her course, I’m just a random person on the internet who used and loved it.
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