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As a mom of 2 (soon 3) I’ve learned: Moms who wake up early for self-care open up a new world of peaceful mornings. That will not only change your life, but it will also save you money. Here are the 10 early morning benefits, some of which will surely surprise you, and how you can become an early riser (even if you’re not a morning person).
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ToggleRing. Ring. The alarm goes off. I have to get up to turn it off. My warm feet are on the cold floor. I listen as a cold breeze touches my cheek. Just the quiet sound of church bells. Everyone else is still sleeping soundly. I always smile when I see my children sleeping so peacefully. Even though I know what awaits me downstairs, I still find it hard not to return to the comfort of my warm bed enveloping me. So I put on my cozy hoodie and off we go. Hours before everyone else gets up.
This early morning routine started when I became a first-time mom over five years ago. I quickly realized, if I want time to myself in an empty home, those early mornings are the only time in the day when I can get that. To this day, I LOVE waking up early in the dark hours of the morning when the whole world is still asleep. Over the years, I have learned how to cultivate the most productive morning routine for moms, which I will tell you about in the next post. The benefits of waking up early have proven to be life-changing for me as a mother, wife and woman in more ways than one.
To all the moms who wake up early, or those who want to be, let’s explore the 10 surprising benefits of waking up early.
It might sound strange that by getting up early you can save more money. But that is true in many ways.
Here’s my story. I used to watch TV longer in the evenings before becoming a mom. Now that I want to get up before the kids, I don’t do that anymore. So, I canceled our TV streaming services as my husband rarely used them too. That was my starting point to reassess other “services” as well. I had a gym membership but barely used it. For years now, I enjoy getting in a quick workout in the morning and canceled my gym membership. And the list goes on.
I’m not trying to convince you that you should do that too. But it’s worth considering. You see, when you are committed to waking up EARLY, you will automatically save more money as one expense or two will drop off your budget list while you enjoy a healthier lifestyle. At least, that’s how it was for me.
Have you ever heard the myth “An hour of sleep before midnight is worth two hours after”? This is not a myth; it’s true. That’s because you’re getting enough sleep “at the right times” for your circadian rhythm which is your 24-hour internal body clock. That means: Our bodies and minds are shaped by the rotation of the earth on its axis. We react to natural changes in light that make us awake or sleepy.
If we ignore these natural changes, our sleep quality will not be optimal. Instead, we should go to bed when it gets dark outside instead of staying awake for hours because artificial light or even blue light (from any screen) is not natural. When you sleep in tune with your body clock, you get the best sleep possible because you’re sleeping “at the right time.” This is one of the best productivity tips for moms you may ever get.
If you want to learn more, I recommend reading the international and New York Times bestseller Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker.
I believe that the right morning routine for moms should help moms feel calmer. Because that can make raising (especially young) children much more enjoyable and actually easier. This is one of the best parenting tips for better mornings with my kids that I have ever received.
Do you remember the morning I told you about at the beginning of this post? I had the perfect 1.5 hours to myself. I quietly enjoyed my morning coffee. Nobody bothered me. I thought about how I feel, about the last day and the day ahead. I stretched my body. I went to the bathroom without anyone else. And I wrote (which I love as much as breathing).
Yes, not every morning is so perfect. If I have a rough night with my kids and barely get four hours of sleep, I might skip my morning routine to get at least another hour of rest. But I can assure you that I will quickly regret this. Because I’m more overwhelmed, less calm, and feel more anxiety during the day.
But when I enjoy one of those peaceful mornings for moms in quite and have that precious time to myself (I missed so much after becoming a first-time mom), my perspective is right. For moms who wake up early, getting that “Me Time” back is worth every effort simply because it can make them better mothers, calmer parents, and more patient individuals.
I used to buy my morning coffee and breakfast at the train station. That’s because I was in a hurry to leave the house. It seemed irrational to me to take the time to prepare breakfast and eat it. Today, I take time in the morning and evening to prepare a nutritious, healthy first meal of the day that I then eat later. This can also save more money, which we have already talked about.
Moms waking up early to take care of themselves will remember to eat a full meal (while drinking more water) instead of just eating a sandwich or a sweet roll, neither of which are filling. This can also help you, as a mom, to avoid short-term hunger pangs. You will also naturally prefer healthier foods, which will quickly have a positive impact on developing healthier eating habits overall.
I had major health problems during the pregnancy with my second daughter and after birth. That’s why I paid special attention to my eating habits and became aware of the impact the foods I eat have on my health. For me, one of the biggest benefits of early rising is developing healthier eating habits.
You know those days when you feel like what you’re doing is invisible or doesn’t make a difference? You find it difficult to find your purpose. As a mom. As a partner. As an ambitious woman. A mother’s personal growth (both at work and at home) is sometimes underestimated or simply not given enough attention.
By simply having time to yourself early in the morning and not being disturbed by others, you can focus on yourself and connect with your inner voice. This will give you the perspective you need to see the importance of your role and the impact you are making. As a mom. As a partner. As an ambitious woman in professional life.
But there are days when I have a hard time focusing on myself, trying to find the right perspective. I’m struggling with a monkey mind that’s making me unsettled and restless these days. My thoughts are jumping around uncontrollably. What helped me the most was mindfulness and meditation.
I loved reading the book Breathe, Mama, Breathe: 5-Minute Mindfulness for Busy Moms. This taught me about morning mindfulness for moms and how to take at least five minutes a day to practice mindfulness. And I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that it has changed my life in many positive ways. I also used the app Headspace and can recommend it to every mom.
Imagine your night wasn’t that great as your kids constantly woke you up. You may barely got 7 hours of sleep somehow. But chances are high, this did not happened that night.
Despite that you still get up before the kids. Even if it’s only for 15 minutes, that’s better than having no time at all to yourself in the morning. If you set the goal for yourself to wake up earlier than your kids – no matter what, even if it’s just for 15 minutes – and you achieve it, that’s a great feeling of accomplishment. And the ball will start to roll.
Also, moms waking up early find that they have at least some control over a short period of the day. Having autonomy over your own decisions, at least for a short time, can even seem like a forbidden pleasure to be enjoyed now. Especially if you have small children at home who can ruin any plan in a matter of seconds. So give yourself this treat. The early morning may be the only time to enjoy it.
My grandfather once told me how important it is to get up early and that the first thing I should do (after some time for personal hygiene) is to go over my daily schedule. Planning the day in my head before it begins is still a habit I try to cultivate. But when I do, I review my to-do list for the day more critically. Sometimes I re-prioritize my daily goals because I have that long-term perspective in the early mornings. This reduces stress because I have more clarity, which then usually increases my productivity that day.
For me, better time management is one of the most important benefits of waking up early. Because it’s the most important thing for the phase I’m in right now, raising 2 (soon to be 3) small kids, working a part-time job, and growing our passion project (aka this blog) on the side – all at the same time.
If you want to learn more about time management for moms, read Laura Vanderkam’s I Know How She Does It: How Successful Women Make the Most of their Time and her previous book 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think. These offer fascinating insights into time management for moms and everyone else.
Our energy levels, mental clarity and concentration progressively decrease throughout the day. They are at its best from the start of your day. You will also notice better performance, attention and even memory. Remember the story I told you about my workday morning when I wrote a speech in an hour instead of several hours? You too can experience your best work at the beginning of your working day. Just try it.
For me, one of the most important benefits of waking up early (along with better time management) is increasing energy levels. I feel like it’s exactly what I need right now and I think more working moms can benefit from it too.
I work in a creative profession. And I’ll never forget the morning I woke up early simply because my night’s sleep was so restful. I didn’t have any children yet. And there was a lot going on at work. So I decided to start my work day earlier. I was able to finish my writing (I was writing a speech) in about an hour. Normally this task would have taken several hours during the day.
Perhaps you have also experienced that your most creative ideas come when you least expect them. Sometimes it’s in the shower or when you’re doing household chores. That’s because you won’t be distracted by anything else. But you don’t have to wait for these moments.
Early mornings are perfect for providing our minds with a quiet space that stimulates ideas. It’s the perfect time to do things that require our creative thinking or problem-solving skills. This is because we have this mental clarity. We have the space to think through situations and find solutions.
Moms waking up early develop healthier sleep habits, such as getting about 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night, which ensures better skin health. Everyone suffering from sleep deprivation shows increased signs of aging. Because when you sleep, blood flows to your skin increases. This provides skin cells with the nutrients and oxygen they need to thrive. But this doesn’t just apply to your skin. Your hair and your body in general also benefit from this. We call this beauty sleep. And it’s not a myth, it’s backed by science.
YES, as long as you get enough (uninterrupted) sleep. Well, as much as that is possible for moms with newborns or toddlers at home. However, if you get an average of at least 7 hours (uninterrupted) sleep per night, it’s actually better and healthier to get up early than later. That’s because of the evening routine you will have to develop to wake up early and we’ll explore why.
A crucial part of any morning routine for moms is the night before. Ideally, you’ll get 7 to 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Research widely agrees that sleeping less than seven hours per night can lead to more health problems, and six hours of sleep is not enough. So, the earliest healthy time to wake up should be no less than 7 to 8 hours after your bedtime.
Calculate your own ideal bed time and wake up time following this easy-to-use Sleep Calculator. Addressing your regular sleep habits and schedule is one of those early morning benefits that can be truly life-changing if you take it seriously.
As a mother of little kids, I rarely enjoy uninterrupted sleep at all. 7 to 8 hours seems to be the land of milk and honey. It’s fascinating how I still manage to function despite being so sleep deprived. For years. That’s why I believe the studies are 100 % right and I can’t wait to get back those 7 to 8 hours of sleep.
Every morning routine for moms starts the night before. Waking up early, every day, asks for a healthy evening routine. These 7 hacks helped me and can help you actually get up early every day and LOVE it (because you can really get down in the evenings):
I am about to give birth to my third child. Here’s what I’ve learned from the past few newborn stages I’ve gone through to help me create a productive morning routine for moms, even with a newborn at home:
How about you? Do you already wake up early? Every day? If not, what’s your biggest challenge? Let me know in the comments below.
When you walk away today with at least one new idea to improve your financial journey, I’d love to show you some more in the next post. If you haven’t already, you can apply to become a part of the community to not miss any new release. For that you can subscribe to our newsletter below in the green footer.
Title image source: Dawid Zawiła on Unsplash
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