I run my entire life, businesses included, from this tiny little corner in my home between the hours of 4:15am and 6am each morning. Saturdays excluded. Each Saturday is my Sabbath day, where I do absolutely nothing related to social media or work – and that is one of my favorite things! I could do a whole post in itself about that. But that’s a story for a different day. Today’s story is all about my new morning routine, and what a game changer it has been for me.
I used to put a lot of pressure on myself to get the kids into bed by a certain time and not let it deviate because I needed to get work done for our personal lives, and my businesses, after the kids were in bed. All that did was make me a more reactive and hurried mother. I didn’t like how bedtimes felt a lot of the time, because I knew I only had that one hour or two after they were in bed before I could barely keep my eyes open anymore. So if anything delayed our routine, I was c r a n k y. And then I’d feel guilty about it. Such a vicious cycle.
Having a full time job, raising two kids, and building businesses as a single mother is…. a lot. By the end of the day I’m absolutely beat, and so the time I was trying to get stuff done wasn’t always fruitful because, well, I was exhausted. It’s really hard to dig deep and get meaningful work done when you’ve got nothing left in you. I decided I would try to flip my schedule, and get up earlier than the kids, and go to bed when they did. For a LONG time, I tried to make this work – but I had a lot of other things working against me physically that I just couldn’t “get it together.” Really, my body was screaming with picket signs “this isn’t the best choice for us, so we aren’t going to do it!” And I didn’t give myself much grace about it.
It wasn’t until this past fall, during daylight saving time, that I was able to finally flip the schedule. I woke up at 4:15am for therapy the morning after daylight saving and realized “hey, I actually feel pretty good + awake. Maybe I can do this again tomorrow.” And I did. For two days in a row, then three, then four. I was able to use the time change to my advantage, and now I can’t imagine going back. My new morning routine feels so so good.
It’s worth noting that this came at a time when all those physical things working against me? They had finally started to resolve, so my body COULD actually come along with me on this new mission with joy and success.
Now, each morning I wake up between 4:15am and 4:30am, have my time in my Bible, and then I get to work until about 6am, when I get myself ready, get the kids up and ready + fed, and we are out the door at 6:50a for school.
At the end of the night, I’m much less reactive. I’m more at peace, because if there’s something I need to do, it’s usually a simple task that doesn’t take much time or energy because I’ve done the bulk of the work in the morning. I don’t internally stress about how much more time I’ll lose by reading one more book, or laying for one more minute with my kids. Doing something like joining a small group feels like less of a loss and more of a gain. I’m not freaking out about to still cram in time that late at night to get work done. I still try to start bedtime with my kids around 6:15p, and once they’re finally in bed with their reading time, I do any remaining “closing” tasks around the house and then get into bed myself with a book. Then I get my own reading time until my glow light turns off. What a gift!
Not to mention, getting up on my own terms (which I’ve been trying to get up at least 20 minutes before my kids for years) really gives me a much better start to my day vs. when I’m woken up by my kids. Now that I’ve been getting up between 4:15 and 4:30a for the last 4ish months, I think I’m going to try to start getting up closer to 4a. It would be awesome to get in a workout in the morning a couple of times a week. I love working out in the evenings with my kids because I believe it’s important for them to see a mom who takes care of her body, but it is fun sometimes to have an uninterrupted workout, haha.
Friends, this change in my life has been SO life giving. I’m not saying it’s for everyone. But I am saying it can be possible if this is something that’s been on your heart or mind to try. Just remember – a better morning routine starts with a better bedtime. You can’t change your morning routine without also making sure your bedtime routine supports it!
Linda is a Portland-based photographer specializing in weddings and creating family legacies from Portland to Boston and across New England. You can see more of her work online at lindabarryphotography.com, on Instagram, or on Facebook. If you want to reach out directly: linda@lindabarryphotography.com.
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