Do you hate mornings? You may not become a morning person but you can learn how to not hating mornings, at least somewhat.
When booking a massage a few months ago my massage therapist, she is also a good friend, only had a morning opening. She told me to not bother to get dressed up or anything, just roll out of bed and come in. It seems most people have picked up on the fact that I’m not a morning person.
Not being a morning person would be fine if the rest of the world was set up for night owls but it’s not. Sadly, most of us night owls end up having to deal with mornings.
I’ve felt stressed and behind for the last, well year or two, maybe more? And I’m tired of it. If I want to be able to enjoy evenings with my husband I need to be done with work and housework by the time he is done with work and the gym. So the last couple of months have been all about me finding a schedule and ways to deal with mornings better.
You will find lots of articles about having better mornings out there but it seems like a lot of them come from people that are naturally morning people. And morning people may need help with their mornings as well but night owls have a special hate for mornings and we need more help! So here are some tips to make your mornings better from a night owl.
Stop Hating Your Mornings
- Go to bed at least 7-8 hours before you have to get up. This is hard for some of us but just keep at it. It gets easier over time.
- Set up a nighttime routine. Who wants to get out of bed when they know they will be greeted by a messy house and sink full of dishes? At least pickup and wash the dishes. If you have a lot of energy at night also consider prepping your breakfast, setting out your clothes, and maybe a few other chores.
- Set aside time for yourself in the morning. My favorite thing is to take a cup of tea outside, read Simple Abundance and spend a bit of time on myself. This may not be something you would enjoy but find something that makes you happy. It’s not selfish to take care of yourself. When you are happier and less stressed everyone around you will benefit.
- Do the hardest thing first. I hate talking on the phone so when I have phone calls I try to make them first thing in the morning. If you have something you are dreading, get it over with. It will relieve some stress and make you feel like you have already accomplished a lot.
- Write shorter to-do lists. We only have 24 hours in a day and 7-9 of them should be spent sleeping. Putting 50 things on your list is setting yourself up for failure. If you need to, put times next to each item to make sure they don’t add up to more time than you have. Consider making a running to-do list with non-time sensitive things. DON’T look at it unless you end up with some extra time after doing the time sensitive things on your list. Your family does need clean clothes but they will survive just fine without you painting the living.
- Take the Make Over Your Morning course. This has been key to making my mornings better. I didn’t think it would make a huge difference but I had heard so many people raving about it. When I saw you could try out day one for free I knew I had nothing to lose. The moment I finished day one I bought the whole course. Try out the free day and see if it’s the right fit for you. And don’t worry the course is not about waking up early! *scroll down to the bottom of the page to get the free day* You can also check out my homemaker morning routine for ideas on making your own.
These are the things I’ve been finding helpful. I’m still on this journey of not hating mornings but I’ve made a lot of progress. I’m getting so much more done and it’s really helping my stress levels.
I’d love to hear what you do to make your mornings better. And are you a night owl or morning person?
Prof Ragsdale
September 4, 2015 at 8:41 amI am not a morning person, but I’ve been able to make mornings much more tolerable by taking more time for myself and moving slower in the morning. I uses to wait until the last minute to get up. However, getting 7-8 hours of sleep is pretty much impossible for me for many reasons. Even when a miracle happens, and I sleep well, I am still offended by mornings. They are so bright … And instusive. I will always love the night. I dream of a world where we get to sleep during the day. In a a dark room.
Lisa Sharp
September 6, 2015 at 2:02 pmI avoided trying to be more of a mornings person for a long time but it got to where I just needed more time to get things done. Still not a morning person but they are getting a bit easier haha.
Farrah
September 6, 2015 at 2:57 pmI’m totally with you on hating mornings, haha. I minimized my getting-ready-and-out-the-door time to about 10 minutes for the sole purpose of getting to sleep in as much as possible. ._. These are really good tips! :]
Lisa Sharp
September 7, 2015 at 4:28 pmThat’s impressive! Thanks for coming by!
Susan York Meyers
September 6, 2015 at 4:15 pmThank you for the tips. I’m also a night owl who hates mornings. I’ve learned to do as much the night before (including picking out my clothes) as possible. I have a morning routine that I could go through in my sleep (and often pretty much do). As long as I don’t deviate (as in my husband having the nerve to come into the bathroom and talk to me while I’m trying to remember if I’ve put on deodorant or not), I do pretty well.
Lisa Sharp
September 7, 2015 at 4:27 pmIt does help doesn’t it? Some quiet time is important for me in the morning because I still would rather not see people when it’s early, ha.
Rebekah Loper
September 6, 2015 at 6:27 pmI have always been a morning person, but the past few years I’ve found myself having to amend how I say that to people.
Because there’s morning… and then there’s EARLY morning. And I’m the latter. Most morning people I know like to be up at 7 or 8.
My days typically start before 6 am (unless I’m exhausted), but I’m happily in bed at 9/9:30 at night. However, I think no matter if you’re an early bird or a night owl, getting the dishes done before bed definitely makes for better rest, and more productivity the next day!
Lisa Sharp
September 7, 2015 at 4:27 pmYeah before 6 seems pretty unreachable to me right now. I’m proud of myself to be getting up at 6:30-7. 🙂
Christina @ Embracing Simple
September 7, 2015 at 10:53 amI LOVED the Makeover Your Mornings Course. Crystal is amazing! I was also a night owl by nature, but now I actually do enjoy waking up early to get a nice start to my day 🙂
Lisa Sharp
September 7, 2015 at 4:26 pmIsn’t it a great course? Thanks for coming by.
Jessica Cangiano
September 9, 2015 at 8:06 pmMassive, lifelong night owl here, so mornings or whenever I wake up, is rarely my cup of tea. I really agree with the tip to throw yourself in the hardest/busiest task first if you can to help kick start that day. Once I’ve done a bit of meditation or even just deep breathing to help center myself for the day, that is often my approach, too.
? Jessica
Lisa Sharp
September 11, 2015 at 2:01 pmYeah it doesn’t seem fun when you are thinking about it but it’s always nice the rest of the day to have it done.
meg
March 8, 2016 at 2:41 pmthanks for this! I think we are long lost sisters! I love massages, hate mornings and hate talking on the phone!! 🙂
Lisa Sharp
March 13, 2016 at 4:34 pmhaha! Glad you liked it!
lynne
July 26, 2017 at 8:51 amI am a morning person but I need lots of time to get going, so I give myself 2 hours before I have to be out the door. I can get ready leisurely and eat breakfast and catch up on social media while drinking my tea, make my bed and such so the house is tidy when I leave for the day. That evening routine is essential! Washing the dishes and tidying the kitchen, packing my lunch, and laying out my clothes for work helps the mornings go much smoother. It took awhile to get that routine down, but it helps enormously.
Lisa Sharp
July 26, 2017 at 11:39 amRoutines are a lot of trial and error for sure! Sounds like you have your’s down well.
Sara
July 31, 2017 at 6:09 pmI am not a morning person, but I get up 15 minutes earlier than I need so I can take a bath instead of a shower. They are relaxing at night, but even more so in the morning, you kind of wake up in the tub, it eases the transition.
Lisa Sharp
August 1, 2017 at 9:48 pmI think I’d fall asleep. I don’t even like morning showers for that reason haha.
Leslie
September 17, 2017 at 8:05 pmI am a night owl too so it is so hard for me to wake up early in the morning, right now it is only 2 days a week, thank goodness. I have very recently created a night routine and tweeking it as i go. These are great ideas to help.
Lisa Sharp
September 18, 2017 at 9:25 amGlad you liked these ideas.
Shereen
May 20, 2018 at 5:05 pmGreat tips thank u! But you forgot that one important anti-sleep element; kids! With two little ones (1 and 4 years old) I feel lucky if I get four hours sleep. Even if I go to bed at 9 or 10 and wake up at 6, there is so much action during their sleep, and you become such a light sleeper, always with anxiety if one of them is ill. Result: tired and dragging myself out of bed at 6 am. God bless them, I hope it gets easier as they get older
One last note: your blog is lovely, I love everything old and vintage, and I feel at home here?
Lisa Sharp
May 20, 2018 at 7:40 pmWell, I don’t have kids so not something I can write about. I do have a chronic illness that causes fatigue and sleep issues. Dealing with fatigue no matter the cause is never fun. You have to try different things and find what works for your stage of life.
I’m so glad you like the blog. Thanks so much!