A Recipe For A Good Morning
Posted: October 22, 2011 at 9:40 amDo you believe that how your day starts has an impact on how things go the rest of your day? I don’t think it necessarily defines my day…but I do appreciate a good kick off to set things on a more positive path! I find it a LOT harder to turn my day around when I start off frazzled and missing the key components to a good morning.
My Recipe For A Good Morning
Get enough sleep. For me, a good morning actually starts the night before. I have GOT to get a solid 7+ hours of sleep in order to manage a smile on my face.
picture only because a sleeping baby is so cute
For awhile there, I was getting up around 5:15 am and then going to bed at 11 pm. Not. Enough. Sleeeeepppp!!! All because I tried to cram too much into my days and would find myself working on things before bed. Not anymore. Night time is for relaxing, so I can be in la-la-dream-land by no later than 10.
Morning Prayer. The first thing I do upon waking is take a few moments to reflect on my life and the blessings in it. It also works to set me up with the proper perspective to go into the day. Nothing beats that quiet time!
This time was a BIG saving grace for me when overcoming binge eating as well. I would pray every morning to love myself how God loves me and treat myself with enough respect to nourish my body and my self esteem. It worked!
Happy Kids. I think the morning when both kids are well-rested and joyful is one of my favorite times of day. They make me laugh and never fail to put a smile on my face. Plus, each new day with them starts with hugs and kisses!
Working It Out!
I love love love love love a morning workout. All the endorphins and sense of accomplishment on banging out my workout early puts me in a GREAT mood. I’m coming around to the afternoon time more than I used to…but still wish every day could start with a nice sweat.
Breakfast + Coffee.
Ummm…does morning without coffee even exist?! I always choose a snack for pre-workout, just so I can save my full breakfast and coffee combo for after the gym. I love getting to savor it and truly look forward to it every day. It’s pretty much the only meal I can sit and savor most days, so it certainly helps me have a good morning. I 
breakfast!!!
Blog Reading. It likely helps that a little blog reading usually happens on the side of breakfast. This community screams upbeat and positive, which never fails to rub off on me and help carry me through the day.
There you have it. My recipe for a good morning! What would yours be?
You can participate too! Share what makes an upbeat, positive start to your morning by commenting on BlogHer’s Life Well Lived post or entering the $250 sweepstakes!
Tags: healthy habits
Well this morning must make my day amazing then! Got woken up by a phone call from my Husband (he’s been deployed since June!), had morning snuggles with my baby and had my coffee 🙂
Oh, and I have like a million pictures of Claire sleeping lol glad I’m not the only one that takes sleeping baby pics!
Mornings are my favorite too and since i’m a morning person I wake up early so I have time to do many of those things on your list (other than play with my kids, bc that’s hard to do when you don’t have any!) It is the most important time for me because over a good breakfast and cup of coffee i’m able to focus on praying and reading some scripture, which helps my whole day stay on track! I hope the rest of your weekend is wonderful!
I’d pretty much have to copy-cat your recipe! Even if the ‘Happy Kids’ aren’t my kids, I do enjoy getting to spend time with the boys I nanny for in the mornings 🙂
I relate to all your reasons for a good morning as well…I love love working out in the morning, there’s nothing better than getting those endorphins going and blood flowing. And I love getting enough sleep and getting up at the right time so that I can enjoy my coffee and pre-workout breakfast while blog reading, that alone time revives me for my day 🙂
And I can’t wait to experience those mornings you have with your kiddos, that will be the icing on the cake for a good morning for me 🙂
Sleep + coffee are my 2 big ones 🙂 Not b/c I need to the coffee to feel “awake,” I just like the ritual of it in the morning to start my day.
mine would be just what you said, minus the kids of course. Oh and of course, lots of good sunshine! Hope you get that today friend.
xxoo
As long as my morning involves coffee, peanut butter, and a run, it’s a-okay in my book!
That sounds like a perfect morning to me! I have to have my “me” time in the morning – if I don’t, it’s not a good day… at all!
Have fun with the partay today!
I struggle so much with mornings. I think because lately I’ve had a major teething baby that keeps me from getting solid sleep. Also, he gets up early so no morning workout before he’s up. I try to squeeze it in during nap time.
I think I’m in the dumps at the moment because we’re both mega sick with a hardcore cold that is keeping us even more from sleep or anything else!
Great post! I love doing my prayers and devos in the morning too 🙂
Great post! I definitely need to have enough sleep, coffee, a good breakfast, and blog reading! Oh, and now that I have a kitten I always love waking up to her snuggling against me and wanting to be loved on!
My perfect morning includes pretty much the same things as yours (minus the kids since I don’t have any yet, but if I did, they would be part of it for sure)….oh yes, and I am not a “pure” coffee drinker (I drink it mixed into my own cafe mocha/latte/iced coffee creations, but never on its own).
Morning prayer is something I’ve always wanted to start, but I’m in such a routine of waking up and eating right away that I forget 🙁
Maybe I should just make it a routine as soon as I remember in the mornings
If it’s not part of my routine I forget VERY easily. It took a bit to get started but was so worth it to me. I can tell a difference on days I let it slide. Crazy but true. 🙂
my recipe for a good morning is DEFINITELY a good night sleep as well! And I love waking up to coffee and a delicious bowl of oats also!
Completely agree that breakfast is one of the best parts of the morning, especially when coffee is involved! My perfect morning would also involve planning out my day in my filofax, I need to know what I have on my schedule at all times. 🙂
I’m like that too. Love having a schedule. Helps my day go so much smoother. 🙂
My recipe for a good day is 2 parts great workout, 1 part yummy breakfast, 3 parts sunshine 🙂
Have a good weekend!
Not having to go to work – that is where I would start. I don’t really get to enjoy mornings because I have to go to work so early:(
Yea…no work definitely makes a better morning. 😉
I think you’ve said it all: a good night’s sleep, bfast to look forward to, and a morning full of endorphins is the perfect set-up of a morning to me 🙂
I think you’ve hit all the major hitters! Coffee is a MUST.
Coffee makes my morning. Not only for the caffeine but more for the cozy, comforting ritual. I don’t like coffee if I have to down it!
I can’t agree with you more about the need for adequate amount of sleep, coffee, quiet time in prayer, and a great workout sesh! Breakfast is my favorite meal, so that definitely helps my mornings start out great too!
totally agree!! although i MISS my coffee these days 🙂 decaf just isn’t the same!
You’ve reminded me how helpful it is to start the day with prayer and reflection. In college I’d do morning devotionals and noticed the positive impact it had on my outlook . Taking time to acknowledge my blessings before the stresses of the day kicked in helped me manage those stresses much better! I’m going to try setting my alarm a few minutes earlier this week so that I can return to my old routine. 🙂
A perfect morning would look like something like this: devotionals/prayer; strong coffee; light pre-workout breakfast; The Today Show; sweat-inducing workout; hearty post-workout breakfast. All followed by a stroll outside with a good friend.
That definitely sounds like the perfect morning to me too. 🙂
I’d have to agree with most of the above. For me the underlying key element of a good morning is organisation the night before. i have to be out the door by 7am so breakfast and lunch must be made and ready to pack up, alarm set for 5am, clothes laid out…all leaving me time to workout, shower and write a morning blog post! 🙂
You hit the nail on the head Tina! (Minus the kids bit!) Sleep, prayer, sweat and breakfast. What more can a girl ask for!
Coffee, coffee, and more coffee! 🙂 And a little quiet time before the troops awake!