5 Reasons I Choose To Be A Morning Person
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I used to wake up for work about 15 minutes before I needed to be out the door. I had made it into an art - waking up at the last possible second, throwing on some clothes, skipping breakfast and doing my makeup in the car.
I thought that getting those few extra minutes of sleep would help me feel more rested and prepared for the day... but what I realized is that the snooze button was working against me. Instead of feeling more rested, I always felt disheveled, stressed, rushed, and slightly off balance.
It wasn't until I was dating Josiah (my now husband) that I started to practice waking up early. In our conversations, I learned that he actually woke up around 6AM every morning so that he could read and pray before he did anything else. He even invited me to meet him for breakfast before work, which I thought was insane... I mean, I had to be somewhere at 7am?! To a girl who used to sleep in until 2PM on the weekends, that sounded ridiculous. (Just ask my childhood friends, they still make fun of me for that to this day.)
One of the things I have always loved and respected about my husband is that he is incredibly diligent and centered on Christ. He doesn't get very worked up when things go wrong. He's almost always able to be calm and logical in hard situations... something I strive for.
Now, I'm sure some of that is his personality. But I think it also has a great deal to do with starting his morning off the right way. When we start our day off in prayer and in the word, all of our decisions are made so much easier. When God is at the forefront of our minds, we can see things more clearly.
Now that Josiah and I are married, we try to wake up around 5 or 6am every morning. Now... we're not perfect at it, but I can FEEL the difference when I make that extra effort. It’s so life-changing and I just want everyone else to have that same joy. So here are 5 reasons I choose to be a morning person...
- Less Stress! This is a huge one for me. When I used to wake up 15 minutes before I needed to leave, I would start my day off in stress! How silly. Whether it’s running late for work or a problem that comes up with a client, I tend to get a little worked up. I care SO MUCH about things that sometimes my emotions get in the way and I become a little ball of stress. When I start the day off slower, I am able to collect my thoughts, be on time for work, center myself on Jesus, and evaluate what my next step is instead of immediately freaking out.
2. Starting with Jesus. This one is a no-brainer. But yet, I was not making time for it before. When I start my day off focusing on Jesus, I am much more likely to carry him in my thoughts throughout the rest of the day. Not only that, starting with Jesus brings clarity. He reminds us of the things that matter, the things we should bring to mind when making decisions as we walk out our day.
3. Family Time. There is nothing better than sitting with my husband, talking about the day ahead and praying for each other before the day starts. We’re able to keep each other informed on what’s happening, support each other, and feel empowered the rest of the day knowing that our teammate is championing us in whatever we’re doing.
4. Better Health. The earlier I get up and the more diligent I am with my time, the more I am able to take care of my body. Whether it’s a quick yoga routine or actually eating breakfast, I start the day off feeling healthy and ready to focus on the work that’s in front of me. Endorphins are an amazing thing!
5. Pursue my passions. With extra time in the morning I am able to focus on the passions in my life - between writing a blog post or having extra time for photography, I’m able to work on the creative things that drive me.
Are you a morning person? Why do you choose to wake up early? Do you have any tips for those who want to be a morning person? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
With love,
