I rise before everyone else in my house to start my day on the right foot, and it’s the best thing I have done for my mental health as a mom.
My alarm goes off at 5, but by then I have usually already woken and pulled on my sweats. I start by making breakfast and setting up my oldest’s backpack and lunch for the school day. Next, I take care of my personal care and get my hair fixed up to a presentable level.
Usually, in posts like these, the next step is to sit down with a cup of hot tea and say some affirmations or read a good book so that mom can start the day feeling refreshed. Well, I’m different.
I clean the house. Morning time is my highest time for productivity, and I use that kick of energy to clean the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room from top to bottom.
I do this every single morning, always in exactly the same sequence.
If you’re thinking I’m insane and you can’t relate, know that you’re not alone. My husband agrees. But let’s talk about why this works so well for me.
Early Mornings Get Me Going
Waking up at or before the crack of dawn feels amazing to me. I get up and get moving immediately. My blood starts pumping, and energy fills my body. I don’t feel drowsy at all; in fact, I feel most alive when I wake up in the clear, quiet morning and move my body.
I Feel Less Overwhelmed
Mom life can be a lot. Over the years, I’ve suffered from the feeling that it’s just too much and I can’t do it all. Getting out of bed and doing the most important tasks of my day makes me feel so much less overwhelmed. The hard stuff is already done! Now I can spend the rest of my day having fun and prioritizing rest!
Less Decision Fatigue
Do you know the feeling where you just cannot decide what to make for dinner? It’s like your brain freezes up, and what should be a simple deliberation becomes an impossible choice. That feeling has a name, and a scientific explanation!
It’s called decision fatigue, and it happens when we’ve made too many choices and we just can’t process any more. You may not realize but we make an estimated 35,000 decisions each day!
Getting my mornings on autopilot has significantly reduced my decision fatigue and helped keep my mental energy high throughout the day. I no longer feel exhausted trying to plan and keep track of the mental load in my family. It turns out automation is the ultimate life hack.
Keeps My Home Feeling Clean
As obvious as it may seem, cleaning the house every day just makes it feel clean. I have learned that taking care of daily tasks makes a huge difference, as long as I do them every day. For example, it only takes five minutes to wipe down my counters or sweep the kitchen, but those small tasks really make the home feel sparkling. I used to feel like it was just too much to clean the whole house every day, but now I have identified the most important tasks, and I knock them all out before I see the sun rise over the Bay Bridge.
It’s a Better Spin on Revenge Bedtime
Why do tired moms stay up so late? Because we have spent the whole day giving our energy to our children and everyone else, and no matter how late it is, that little slice of alone time in the evenings feels like Heaven. Except, “revenge bedtime” also has the downside of making it even harder to wake up the next day and do it all again.
Even if I don’t get a perfect full night’s sleep, waking up early to be alone is a better way to steal some quiet time for myself. It starts the whole day off on the right foot and lets me feel good so I can give my best self to my kids and my family, and most of all, myself.
