Mornings are magic!

Have you ever stood outside in the early morning and just listened? It’s quiet. The world is still asleep. The birds have begun to sing at the sight of light cracking open the horizon. There are gentle hums of cars in the distance. But generally speaking, it’s quiet. The air is crisp, like somehow it’s fresh and new. There’s a stillness that feels hopeful. Like time has slowed. 

And I love it. 

Like most teenagers, I used to sleep in as late as my body would let me on the weekends. Sometimes that was as late as 11:00am, but I think I generally averaged around 9:30am. Which, I don’t know, maybe to some people that doesn’t feel late. But if you’re waking up at 6:00am five days a week, sleeping in past 8:00am feels late. 

But at some point during college, when I had more control over my bedtime and first morning commitment, I started sleeping in less and less. I started favoring mornings more and more. I started going to bed earlier and waking up earlier. 

And now, if I sleep in past 8:30am, I wake up feeling gross. Like I slept too much of my day away, like it’s too late for a lovely morning routine because I’m closer to lunchtime than breakfast. If I sleep in until 9:00am, it takes some serious effort to convince myself I have lots of day left and time to do what I need to. That morning bliss, I just painted a picture of? It’s gone. And I’m sad I missed it. 

Dramatic? Maybe. But it’s genuinely how I feel. I wake up to an alarm pretty much every day to avoid this mid-morning crisis. And I enjoy my morning routine. On an average weekday, I get up at 5:00am, spend the first hour working out, the second hour eating breakfast while I read my Bible and morning devotion, and the third hour getting myself dressed and ready to leave for work at 8:00am. 

It’s not as militant as it sounds. And shockingly, even with 3 hours of time in the morning, sometimes, I end up leaving 15 minutes late. There’s occasionally a curveball or something that takes longer than intended. My morning routine ebbs and flows, but this is the gist. 

If I’m tired and caught on the hamster wheel of doing the same thing over and over, I forget to enjoy these moments of preparation. I forget that I wake up this early because I want to ✨live✨a little before corporate America owns the rest of my day. 

And how do I get myself out of that rut? 

Sunshine. 

It might not be up right when my alarm goes off, but as soon as it rises, I pause whatever I’m doing to step outside. I find a spot where the sun is peaking through the houses and trees on our street, close my eyes, and let my skin soak in the first rays of the day. 

I don’t stand there for long, but it makes a difference. I’ve been told that there are some scientifically proven benefits of getting your vitamin D from morning sun. I’m not a science girly, so feel free to Google it if you’re curious.  

Here’s my encouragement for you if mornings are a struggle. Get some sunshine. Not through a window, not in your car, outside, in the fresh air, barefoot. Take some deep breaths. Pay attention to how your body is waking up. And before you step inside, think about at least one thing that you’re grateful for. Because that’s another wonderful way to start any day—with gratitude. 

It doesn’t even have to be long. Some mornings, I’m out there for literally less than 60 seconds. Just give it a try. 

There’s magic in the mornings. Magic in stillness. Magic in the small noises of a sleepy world waking up. 

It might take some time to retrain your circadian rhythm, but if I sound completely bonkers to you and you have no idea what could possibly be magical about a time before 8:00am, please, please, please, give it a try.

If you want to be a morning person, become one. Get your booty to bed by 10:00pm and wake up before 6:00am. If you’re a night owl, you’ll have to fight for it. You might have to lie in your bed at night a little longer than you’d like before your mind finally gives in to sleep. You might wake up feeling like you got hit by a truck. But fight it out. Each day, it’ll get a little easier. Do it over and over. And I do believe, not too long after, you’ll experience it. The magic of the mornings. 

And remember the key: get outside. 

If you have time, I’d recommend even going for a walk around the block. It’s been a while since that was part of my morning routine, but I do remember loving it when I did it. So maybe I’ll take some morning walks this week. 

It’s like what we talked about last week–romanticizing the mundane. You might do the same thing every morning, but a small little change can make a difference. Find the joy–that’s the magic!

And remember, you are loved by God, wonderfully made, and beautifully you. Don’t let someone else’s voice speak louder than what’s true.

Until next time…

hugs,

Kylie