Morning Glory

I was always that person whose body clock went off at 5a.m. and within minutes I was dressed and ready to attack the day. By 7a.m. I had exercised, eaten breakfast, drunk my morning tea and was ready for whatever the rest of the day had in store for me.

Over the last 7 months my morning enthusiasm has flown out the window. My zest to get up and go has been drowned by warm cuddles, the snooze button being hit on repeat and an ‘I will do it later’ attitude. What have I become? Where has my ‘oh so annoying’ morning persona gone?

Now that I have lost my morning person edge, the concept of trying to get back into the routine of waking up early and seizing the day is incomprehensible, but with summer fast approaching I really need to get my bum into gear.

In order to fit everything into my day – work, the inklings of a social life, exercise, date nights and the occasional alone time – I have to start getting up earlier and making the most of every minute. I have read countless articles on the internet and a million and one tips on how to become a morning person but let’s be honest, some things work other things do not. Here are some tips and tricks that work for me and hopefully will work for you too.

Plan Ahead

Currently, the more sleep I can get the better. I can sleep for an extra five to ten minutes in the morning (trust me it is worth it)if I pack everything I need for the next day the night before. I prep all my food and pop it in a plastic bag so it is quick and easy to grab. I lay my clothes out  - including work wear and my gym ensemble – literally everything and anything that I will need to get me through the day. My carry bag will also be packed for the day ahead so when I wake, all I have to do is get dressed, grab my food and I am out the door. This is a great way to maximize your time first thing in the morning.   

Routine routine routine  
If you didn't catch what I was trying to say with the above subtitle - routine is key. Staying up late and binge watching on the latest season of Peaky Blinders is not going to make it easier to wake up at 5:30am. Your body responds well to patterns. Going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time every day will make it easier for you body to respond to certain things. Make these patterns a habit, not a matter of willpower. By making it a habit you are taking away the decision making action, and turning it into a process.

The good old snooze button

Don’t hit the snooze button. The night before this sounds like a very easy task but come 5:30am the snooze button is irresistible. The only thing that works for me is moving my phone to the other side of the room so I have to get up.  If I have to get out of bed to turn off my alarm, I am far more likely to actually stay up. In saying that, I have been known to roll over and make the better half get up and turn it off. Whoops - at least I’m trying, right?

Seize the day

I think it is extremely important to acknowledge why you are trying to get up early in the first place. If it is for no reason than why are you forcing yourself to get up?  

If there is a specific reasons you want to start being more of a morning person then get up and do something YOU want to do. If exercising isn’t your thing read a blog, pamper yourself, meditate, and listen to a podcast – whatever it is do something for you.

Trust me, you will feel so much better about yourself when you have had the time to start your morning off right and do something that will benefit you. Whether that is relaxing over a morning coffee and newspaper or getting up and doing a morning salute to the sun – make the most of your time and your life.

XOXO 

Dear Life

"What if you wake up someday, and you're 65 or 75, and you never got your memoir or novel written; or you didn't go swimming in warm pools and oceans all those years because your thighs were jiggly and and you had a nice big comfortable tummy; or you were just so strung out on perfectionism and people-pleasing that you forgot to have a big juicy creative life, of imagination and radical silliness and staring off into space like when you were a kid? Its going to break your heart. Don't let this happen" 

Shout out to my beautiful partner in crime who will always be the JayZ to my Beyonce 

Panic Chord

Carefree. Happy. Content. Peaceful. 

This is my life. 

There was a period not long ago when this was not so. I was an extremely lost, sad and negative person. I was not proud of the person I was and because I omitted these feelings out into the universe they were the exact vibes I got in return. I attracted people who treated me exactly how I treated myself. It was subconsciously a form of self punishment. A way of telling myself that all the negative things I felt about myself were true because someone else was reinforcing them. 

I became trapped in this world where I relied entirely on another persons opinions and feelings about me. He made me feel disgusting and I held onto that feeling with all that I had. I cherished that person who dragged me so far down that I couldn't see a way out. The kindest thing that person ever did for me was treating me so cruelly that I left. His one kindness was letting me go. 

No one ever saw the person that he was when he was with me. When I spoke of him I spoke of love, tenderness and empathy. What I felt was something extremely different. 

This man has recently been so cruel to two close friends of mine that I can no longer feel empathy or even pity towards him. He has prayed on the things that he thinks will hurt them the most. What he does not see if that he is losing every single person who tried so hard to care for him. Once a group of best friends is now nothing but a bitter aftertaste. 

It actually makes me so sad to see this person he has chosen to be. With so much potential for better, he has chosen a path I would not wish on many. When I expressed this to a dear friend of mine she put all the thoughts and feelings I had down on paper. She was the clarity I needed. To all in a similar situation here is what she said, I hope it helps you as much as it helped me. 

This to me is a clear indication of the person that he has always had the potential to be. He does not deserve your compassion through feeling sad for him at all. Sometimes it takes toxic people to ignite a certain side inside someone. Mind you he already exhibited many traits that he currently displays, he just tended to direct them at you. 

At the end of the day: every word and every action that boy has made or makes is his decision. He cannot excuse or blame anyone for any of it. People like him thrive off being held on some form of pedestal, whether it be an introverted friend or a loving/caring ex gf. They usually get there by manipulation and deceit. The best thing he ever did for you was let you be. 

I havent known you that long but i have seen growth and progression in you since he was out of the picture. Naturally you have things to heal from and become stronger from with time, as we all do after a toxic relationship. But just know that you are FAR better off without him and that EVERY person we meet that isnt good for us, is a lesson in what and who is worthy of our time and love. This allows to see the signs before we get involved and to avoid them like the plague, so as not to repeat history. 

The best advice I have would be truly forgive yourself for being with him and accept that he was a hard lesson to learn in what you do not want in a person. This is a crucial step in accepting that you are worthy of far more than you have convinced yourself you are. Only then will you draw the right kind of person into your life. 

peace of mind