**Here's a tip: Combine mindless activities with mindful ones. If you have clothes to fold, dishes to wash, mopping or whatever...listen to a self-help/motivational cd, a podcast, a positive message on YouTube or an audio book at the same time. Not enough people do this on a daily basis and their level of growth really reflects the lack of personal development in their day to day lives. It's not corny or silly and personal development receives a bad rap. Would you rather you mind fester on the many stresses in life, or would you rather receive uplifting words that can help change your attitude throughout your day or especially, before you lay your head down at night?? **
So in the last month or so, I've purposed to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. It doesn't happen every day but it's a work in progress. I first read on the benefits of waking early after I noticed that most fit, healthy people wake up early to meditate or pray and then exercise before getting on with the rest of their day. I read this book and the author goes through the entire day and night relating the hours to different chi cycles and parts of the body. Now, I'm not all crunchy and I don't have a man to say, "Hey babe, this guy says we should be making love at 9pm so let's get to it" but I got enough from the book that I thought it was worth sharing with you. He talks about the benefits of warming the body first thing, through food, exercise and personal time to get connected with your body before you begin your day. He's not the first to say this and it just goes to show that these healthy people are on to something.
If you're like me, you need at least 6-8 hours so that you're not a raving lunatic the following day. I don't like to nap because that makes me grumpy, groggy and in a foul mood. I'd rather have less sleep than more, for the same reasons I don't nap. If I sleep too much, the next day I feel like my head weighs a ton and I've been run over by a truck. No thank you. So little by little I shift my bedtime back about half an hour so that I don't knock my personal clock out of whack. When I wake up, I do some tummy exercises right there on the bed. Leg lifts, air bicycle, reverse crunches, etc. Then I get into the bathroom first to potty (I'm a mom, that's what I'll call it for a while yet) and cleanse and tone my skin. (I don't moisturize until right before I do my makeup.) Depending on how much time I have before my kids wake up, I'll make coffee, have some quiet time to read or check on posts for the day, plan my makeup/outfit/accessories..anything that is soothing to me and allows my mind and body to wake up slowly but surely. While I'm in my closet, I usually do my standing exercises. It's amazing how these exercises help me from feeling too bloated or blahhh even without the full "workout" label attached. (I'll do a whole post on those exercises soon!) Then I'm warmed up and ready to start hearing the chatter and requests for breakfast this and that.
I encourage you to start this week and start shifting your bedtime back little by little and allowing yourself time in the morning for just you. Before the rush of the day, make time to wake yourself up mentally and physically with whatever eases your spirit. For some, it may be devotional time and prayer. For others it's meditation and yoga. You may get in a major workout session, shower and then be ready for a major breakfast with the family. Whatever it is that works for you, make sure you make it a priority. Going to bed with stress, only to stumble out of bed, popping those eyes open to the day hitting you smack in the face with no time to prepare, well...I'd rather have a moment or two if you don't mind. ;-)
Let me know how you're doing this week and in what ways you're choosing to spend your waking hours. You can keep in touch by messaging me through the blog, emailing me at bpmomathome@gmail.com or follow me on Instagram @baharluvsmakeup
