I feel like before I even get into this post I should note that mornings look nowhere near this glamorous. It's amazing what pictures taken during day time hours with a camera can do to make the wee hours of the morning seem more inviting. After sharing my school night routine with y'all last month many of you indicated that you would like to see my morning version as well. While it may seem like I've become a big morning person, in reality, I struggle to get out of bed just as much as the next person and am equally as tempted to press snooze each time my alarm sounds.
Speaking of alarms, mine goes off for the first time around 5:05. I am one of those people that sets a ton of alarms for each day for fear of oversleeping. I am fully aware of the snooze function offered on alarms but would much rather set alarms through 5:50 than fear that I am going to oversleep. After turning off the alarm that's going off and all of the other alarms I've set I get out of bed and head to the bathroom to go ahead and get ready for my day.
After using the restroom and brushing my teeth I go ahead and do my hair. I typically straighten it in the morning since I shower at night. I've learned how to get it pretty straight with my blowdryer but will run the straightener through it to touch up any pieces that may have gotten a little wonky from sleeping. Then, I apply makeup. Since I am heading to school I don't really worry too much about putting on a lot of makeup. The part that always takes me the longest is applying mascara. If you are somehow able to apply mascara without getting it all over your eyelids I could use a lesson. Once I've put on mascara, concealer, a bit of powder, and blush I turn out the lights and head to the kitchen to make my first cup of coffee of the day.
By this time it's usually nearing 5:40. I hop back in bed (dangerous, I know) and sip my first cup of coffee in bed. Lately, since the holidays are near I've been turning on the Christmas lights in my room and have been turning on Netflix's virtual fire place too. It makes my room seem so cozy and inviting. Fortunately, once I'm up for the day and have started getting ready I'm not usually tempted to fall back asleep so I don't have to worry about that when getting in bed.
In the mornings I like to have a bit of quiet time. I usually start by reading whatever devotional I'm using at the time, Jesus Calling, and reading through the First 5 app. I wish I could say I also spent this time checking what was happening in the world by reading the news but that wouldn't be true. I give myself until 6:00 in bed and at the point my first cup of coffee is nearing empty.
Next on the morning to-do list is making my bed and getting dressed. I always feel like my life is much more put together when I can come home to my bed being made. My room isn't always as clean as I'd like but knowing that may bed is made is reassuring. After that I open my closet and figure out what to wear. At the beginning of the year I was good about laying out clothes for the week in advance but now I tend to think about it the night before but don't make the decision until I'm getting ready in the morning.
Once I'm dressed for the day and have brushed my teeth it's time to make my lunch. If I've meal prepped for the week then usually I just have to grab stuff from the fridge or pantry and go. Otherwise, I make my lunch relatively simple so that I can make it without wasting much time. Salads are easy and I end up taking them most times when I don't have left overs to pack.
Right before leaving I make a cup of coffee to take with me. During this time I also make my breakfast. I pretty much always eat a waffle with peanut butter on it for breakfast since I know it can hold me over for a while at school. Once my coffee is made and I've grabbed my bags I say bye to my roommates and head to my car to drive to school.
The school I work at is about 30 minutes from my apartment. I typically leave between 6:20 and 6:30 so that I have some time before the students come into the classroom at 7:45. I've discovered that I am definitely most productive in the morning so it is nice to give myself the time to get things accomplished before I begin to teach.
While I could definitely come up with ways to make my morning routine faster and the amount of sleep I get longer I have found that this routine in the morning best sets me up to have a successful day. If anything, I still need to work on going to sleep earlier since that has been a constant challenge. Last night I went to bed the earliest I have in a long time and because of that woke up at 4:30 wide awake. I guess your body really does adapt to your normal hours of sleep.
I'd love to hear if y'all have any tricks to make your morning routine efficient yet still peaceful!
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