In the ‘trenches’
Are you a morning person? Some days I am, some I am not…. Like really really not! It actually depends on two big factors. One being how much sleep I was able to get the night before, or rather how many times I have been woken by my Wildings. Being in the trenches of Motherhood sleep deprivation can be cruel and really throw my routines and rituals out the window. The other factor is how organised I am the night before. So for me my Morning Rituals really do start the night, or even the afternoon before. My days and mornings are not perfect but when I am in sync with my rituals it has a flow on effect for the rest of my day. With 3 Wildlings, 5 years old and under, 2 of those kiddies being 17 months apart (Wildling 2 is 3 years old and Wildling 3 is 19 months old) the nights and then mornings can be a little ‘hairy’. Everyone wants a part of you. And you are on the go from the moment their little eyes open. So for the Mummies out there whose. babies are not sleeping through, be kind on yourself. Find rituals that are manageable for you, still making yourself a priority as you will be a better Mum, partner, friend, human for it. Being up before the children may not be ideal for you. I know for me some days my son is up before 6am so I lay with him to keep him snuggled and quiet so the rest of the house gets more sleep. On those days I shift my rituals too later in the day. But I have my non-negotiables. Just remember be kind to yourself, find ways to fill your cup and love you as you can’t pour from an empty cup.
Setting my rituals up the night before
I have shared more around this in a previous blog, but each afternoon I have a list of housekeeping and Mum jobs that I get done to make our mornings flow with more ease. Things like a speed tidy up and clean, preparing lunches, and laying clothes out for the next day. I mostly work out at homeso I make sure my mat and weights, as well as my workout clothes are set up ready to go. The more you can do the night before to make life flow with more ease for your future self the more grounded and present you will feel.
Why Morning Rituals?
Finding ways that you can nurture your soul, mind and body will make you feel happy, more content and present, from the inside out. My belief is that we must go within so we don’t go without. This does not exclude Mums, who sadly more often than not, put ourselves last on the list of musts. When we are pregnant our brains actually rewire to change our priorities so we can blame that for this fact. This then means we become something we don’t love, our energy, both emotionally and physically is drained. So find things that light you up, maybe they won’t at first. But when you make yourself a priority, when you put a high value on yourself and remain consistent you will reap the benefits. Whether it is just rising earlier than the kids or it is exercising, it may feel like the hardest thing before you do it, but your future self will thank you for it, I promise. So take some time to think about your values, what lights you up, what did you love doing as a child, what makes you smile from the inside out?
My morning rituals start with me being up before everyone else, or at the very least being up before my 19 month old. If the big kids wake early it is some cartoons and a smoothie in the toy room so I can still have time to myself. Yes, it is ok for them to watch a little TV. If you don’t judge yourself it is all ok. I have the kids smoothies made the night before so they can just grab them out of the fridge each morning. I am blessed with a hubby who is home most mornings, Muso life. And I work from home so I don’t have to ‘get ready for work’ as such. I still very much treat my day like I would if I left for work, except I don’t have to do hair and make up, most days.
So my favourite morning ritual is to head out on my own while everyone sleeps for a walk. If I don’t get out for a walk it is a 15minute workout at home. While I do this I am listening to a podcast or an audio book (I will do a blog on my favs soon). This leaves me feeling inspired and much more grounded. I do a little gratitude and mediation, yes I am that hippy, and if time allows work on my business for 20 minutes or so. My ‘perfect’ morning actually starts at 5am… I know crazy! At the moment though I am taking 6am as we have had a huge run of unsettled nights with our youngest. If my day doesn’t start perfectly I have a few MUSTS that happen regardless, like seriously don’t get in the way of me and my morning shower. Showering and washing my hair is a non-negotiable, I don’t know the last time I DIDN’T wash my hair in the morning. It is a very painful habit as it means if I want to look like a boss babe I have to blow dry and straighten daily, so I choose to just look like me and rock the Mum bun most days. In the shower I go through my morning statement which I will attach for you to use as inspiration), this includes some gratitude, power statements, I am statements and manifesting. All to bring me back to my truth and my vision. Sleepless nights and being in the trenches of Motherhood can leave us feeling powerless, with no purpose and direction so I find having a morning statement really important. Depending on time I read my mission statement while getting ready for the day. I also have my mission statement recorded so I can listen throughout the day when I need to be reminded of my purpose, direction and vision.
After my shower the Mum-life day starts, breakfasts, lunches, bags packed and our big girl is off to school. My hubby makes me a Bulletproof coffee which I drink while getting the kids their breakfast. We do intermittent fasting so I have breakfast after I return from the school run. But when I am not fasting I would normally have a smoothie to kick start my day. I am not a big breakfast eater so a smoothie packed with superfoods is a great alternative. For the kids we do healthy superfood pancakes, eggs or bacon. Fuelling everyone to start their day with level blood sugar and not a big sugar packed breakfast is a must here. It means I have children who are ready to be engaged learners with full bellies. As a family find ways to start your day which make the rest of your day easier, that your future self will thank you for.
Embrace this stage of life
And that is my perfect, not perfect morning rituals. I have embraced the parenting philosophy of ‘near enough is good enough’. I was extremely OCD before children and instead of clinging to that story I decided to let it go and instead just be in this stage of life. I will have plenty of years as my children grow out of the fun, wild and messy stage to have the perfect house and the perfect routines. For now we focus on getting it near enough, raising grounded, fun, healthy and happy children. So I encourage you to embrace this stage of life while making yourself a priority, your future self will love you for it.
Jac xox
About Jac from Inspired Mummies
I’m a Mumpreneur, Podcaster, Coach and Women's Empowerment Leader. I have inspired a community of heart-driven women to design and live their inspired life. From finding their voice again to creating independence, this community of women are forging futures filled with possibilities.
