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Morning Meditation: a routine to start your day

This post on morning meditation is sponsored by The Good Stuff at Coupons.com. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Not everyone is a morning person, and sometimes even morning people need a little help to get going with their day. These tips for creating a morning meditation routine will help start your day on the right foot.

Some people talk about drinking coffee in the morning, as the only thing that can wake them up. You see memes, jokes, and merchandise with phrases similar to “it’s not morning until I’ve had my coffee.”

That’s never been a part of my life. I don’t drink coffee, tea, or alcohol. While it is a principle my church teaches, it is also a personal choice I have decided to make. Being co-dependent on a substance just doesn’t align with the way I try to live.

So instead, I like to start my days with a bit of morning meditation. As my favorite podcaster (Come Follow Me for Us) does, I love looking up the definition of words to get a clear grasp on their meaning.

What is Meditation?

According to the Oxford Dictionary to meditate means to “think deeply or focus one’s mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation.” or “to think deeply or carefully about (something)” or “plan mentally; consider“.

So in essence, meditation can be look just about however you want it to. Not everyone will meditate or think deeply the same way, or about the same things. I go more in depth on to the why and how of meditation in another post. Here I want to focus on the benefits of meditating in the morning.

Morning Meditation

Starting our day out right, can really be what makes or breaks us. If we get up with a bad attitude, it’s hard to change it as the day progresses. But if we get up with an attitude of success and courage to face whatever comes, we generally have a better day – even if things don’t go as planned.

As the definition of meditate suggests, starting your morning out by carefully planning out and thinking through your day, will give you a jump start to a positive mental state. Then when things don’t go as you planned, you will have prepared mentally for the outcome and can adjust.

30 minutes earlier

The kids are home for the summer, and all you want to do is finally sleep in. Don’t. Set your alarm clock for 30 minutes earlier than when you plan on getting the kids up.

This extra 30 minutes will give you time to breathe. I do some of my best thinking in a still quiet house. Once anyone else gets up though, that time is lost to the noise of having 5 kids vying for my attention.

This 30 minutes of a still home allows the setting to be made for successful meditation

Set the Mood

With a quiet home, you may think you’re ready to meditate. However, if you get up and are trying to stare out a window but there’s dirty dishes filling the sink. Or you are sitting in your comfortable chair, but the room around you is covered in toys, blankets, shoes, clutter. Your mind will not be able to focus.

Every night, gather the family for a quick pick up of the house before bed. After dinner, have the family help clean up all the dishes. This is not just your responsibility, but there’s as well. Together, you can set the mood for the next day. Make it part of your nightly routine. These 10 ways to simplify your morning routine will make morning meditation easier.

Get Outside and Breathe Fresh Air

Clearing the visual clutter is not always successful in a house full of kids. So on really nice days, I try to get out to the porch. Depending on the season I will take a mug of hot cocoa, or cool glass of juice with me. I sit on the steps, and breathe in the fresh air of a world beginning to wake.

Homes make great shelter, but the outside world is full of fresh air our bodies need. Breathing deeply the first morning air. When a night of sleep has allowed the dust and grime of the day to settle down, helps open your mind. Your brain will thrive on this air, and your thinking will feel fresh.

Morning Meditation does not mean you need to go learn some fancy yoga moves, and contort your body into odd shapes. It does not mean you need to find some spiritual center – though I highly recommend reading The Book of Mormon during your morning meditation.

All you really need, is a little bit of quiet time, and a clear mind. Now go enjoy your summer vacation with the kids. Clear your mind, and let the fun roll.

May 31, 2019
How to be More than a Facebook Like to Your Friends

When was the last time you really paid attention to what your friends were posting on social media? Or the last time you reached out to a friend beyond liking their Facebook status?

I’m not very good at it myself. I get wrapped up in my own life, and although I follow my friends on Facebook, I’m often taking the shortcut of clicking that little thumbs up, heart, cry face, wow, or angry face and then moving on with scrolling. Taking not much more thought of what might actually be going on in their life.

Do You Know Your Friends

When people describe me, I have a feeling it’s usually “that busy mom of 5, running her own business.”

However, I’d rather be known as someone who always takes the time to listen, who knows what you are going through, and ready to help out in a moments notice. To be someone you can always count on to be there whether you reached out for help or not.

Photography by Rasheite K Photography

Do you see your friends? Do you know your friends? Do you truly love your friends? And if you say yes to all of those, do your friends know it?

I have had a number of experiences where I know I’ve been blessed with people who I would describe just like that. They saw me, despite the mask I tried to put on. They knew what I needed, and they let me know they loved me. However a few weeks ago may have been one of the sweetest moments.

I spent most of February stuck in a depressive mood. I knew I was depressed, but I couldn’t pull myself out of it – as is the case for most people struggling with mental health.

Related – Home Therapy That Can Help Your Mental Health

Photogrpahy by Rasheite K Photography

Halfway through the month I received an email full of beautiful pictures of my kids. I had forgotten that early in January we spent the day with a fellow blogger as she grew her photography business. We got some beautiful photos of the kids from Rasheite.

These photos were a reminder of how good my life is, and what really matters – ie family. I shared the photos to Facebook, and briefly mentioned in the caption that it was just what I needed after a hard month.

When Friends Reach Out

A member of my congregation saw that post and rather than just liking the pictures she read what I wrote. In love she reached out to say she was sorry the month was hard and hoped I was feeling better. I didn’t have to tell her why it was hard, but because she reached out I took off the mask.

She then went a step further and asked if it would be OK if she prayed for me. I of course said yes. The power of those prayers have been felt daily when that depression starts tugging at the corners of my mind.

She didn’t stop there. A day later she stopped by my house with beautiful potted tulips, and the sweetest fruit salad I’ve ever tasted. We connected on a deeper level because she took the time out of her life to really see me. She got to know me, then showed me love and by example how to love.

Photography by Rasheite K Photography

I now hope to be more like my friend Chelsea. To see you. I’ll try to put those “likes, loves, sad, wow, and angry” faces into more real actionable emotions. I don’t know what that will look like exactly yet, but more love will be shared as a result.

March 15, 2019
Meditation: How to do it and Why it helps

I received a trial run of BrainTap Pro for mobile. All thoughts on meditation are my own.

When I went to a counselor for my post pardum depression, after a few sessions of just talking, we tried some guided meditation. As the counselor walked me through my mind, I came across a “door”. Behind this door I found myself – the girl I used to be before mental illness clouded everything.

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You may also enjoy: Home Therapy that can Help Your Mental Health

Since then I have been searching for some kind of meditation to help keep me grounded when things are going awry. These are a few of the meditation tools I’ve used over the year. We can all benefit from a little deep breathing and mind clearing once in awhile.

Ways to Meditate

Study the Scriptures. As a religious person, I find much comfort in studying the words of the Lord. This year I have been reading from The Book of Mormon and The New Testament. Often finding time to quietly read and ponder how these words can change my life, can be difficult. I’ve found the best way to get this time in, is to get up 30 minutes earlier then my kids. The time is spent focusing on something that helps me grow in knowledge, and focus on something that I feel makes me a better person.

Do Yoga. I’ve always loved the idea of yoga, but spent many days telling myself I couldn’t do it because I had no flexibility. Well, the thing about flexibility is that the more you push against the resistance, the more flexible you can become. Yoga focuses a lot on slow deep breathing. As you do this, you become more aware of your body and mind. You can even get your kids involved with my favorite youtube series – Cosmic Kids Yoga.

Guided Meditation. While I’ve found many helpful ways to meditate through finding time alone to study and then focusing through yoga, the best meditation I have found for me, has been Guided Meditation. Recently I tried out BrainTap Pro for mobile, and can’t get enough of it. BrainTap focuses on balancing your brainwaves for optimal mental health. Every session I’ve used has helped me feel re-energized, or get into a deep sleep. Every session of BrainTap is focused on helping you relax, reboot, and revitalize.
One night my 8 year old was really struggling to fall asleep, so we turned on some deep sleep BrainTap, and before we could blink she and me were both sound asleep. Now I get frequent requests for that “mind sleeping thing”.

Why Meditation?

To meditate means to engage in mental exercise for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness, or to focus on one’s thoughts. So why do we want to meditate? Is focusing on our own thoughts something we really want to do?

I say YES! When we can focus on our own thoughts, we can gain a deeper understanding of what drives us, who we are, and where we would like to go in life.

Life is very much a balancing act. Talk to any mother and you’ll hear them asking each other how they balance their lives. We seem to all be searching for the magic formula. Well, meditation can be that formula.

We can clear out all that noise. Life will still be there, along with everything we do, but with a clear mind we can see better what needs to be done and when. In other words, it’s a lot simpler to prioritize and move through life without feeling burdened if we have opened our minds to better understanding or “heightened spiritual state.”

How do you meditate? What is your favorite tool for clearing your mind.

February 19, 2019
How to Care for Natural Hair

This post is sponsored by The Good Stuff by Coupons.com All thoughts on natural hair care are my own.

Let’s just get the elephant out of the room right now. I am a white woman that doesn’t fully know the struggles of the Natural Hair movement.

Related Content: Hair Care Tips for Winter Ready Natural Hair

So phew, glad we could take care of that right away. When The Good Stuff asked me to write this post, I thought it was completely different. I had honestly never heard the term “natural hair” before. Other than in the respect that I have natural hair – it’s not dyed (currently), it’s not permed, and I don’t spend hours of my day applying product or heat to make it do what I want. I would consider my hair “natural”. Heck, the greys are even coming through and I’m letting them stay!

When I was just a kid, the compliments on my hair were always forthcoming. I often heard people wish they had hair like mine, while I was wishing to have straight thin hair like theirs.

Mine was THICK, unmanageable, and the natural waves weren’t cohesive – rather they had a mind of their own. I would have given anything for my hair to be thin and straight. Easy to brush, and to lay across my head the way I told it to.

These days, my tune has changed. I have come to love my hair, and desire to see other girls learning to love their natural hair too. With three daughters, we strive to teach them to love who they are and the way they look naturally. This includes understanding their different hair personalities and how to care for them.

Love Your Natural Hair

First things first – you must love your hair. If you love your hair, your hair will love you back. It’s much like anything in life. The energy we send out, is the energy we will have returned to us. So if you currently struggle with your hair, try loving one thing about it – whether it’s the natural color, it’s health, shape, etc. Love on that one aspect of your hair, and overtime you’ll start to love it all.

Maybe right now all you can say is that you love that you have hair! If that’s where you have to start, then start there. Many are out there who would love to have hair, no matter the struggles it might bring.

Minimize Washing

Turns out, you don’t need to wash your hair daily. In fact, daily washing really isn’t great for any hair or scalp! I personally stick to more of a weekly wash and conditioning, but this is something you have to learn for yourself.

Depending on what you are doing each day, just pay attention to your hair and you’ll know when it’s time for another wash. If you are more active, and some weeks I am, you may find washing to be a more frequent need.

Keep it Natural

It seems to make sense that if you want to truly care for your natural hair, than you would keep your routine, well….natural. I don’t use products in my hair. At least not very often. I’d love to say this is because my hair doesn’t need them, but truth be told, I wouldn’t know what to do with 90% of hair products set in front of me. On that note though, whenever I go to the salon, I receive compliments on how healthy my hair is. I don’t think this is a coincidence.

By minimizing what chemicals and additives we put in our hair, then our natural hair can really shine. If you have to use product try to keep it as natural based as possible. Then only use it when absolutely necessary.

Let it Air Dry

One of the best things I can do for my hair is to let it air dry. It almost always looks the best, and minimizing heat on our hair helps keep it healthy. We can’t always let it air dry (hello polar vortex), but the more often you can, the healthier your hair will be.

So from one white girl who believes in the natural beauty of all, please, love your hair! Let your natural beauty shine, because you are beautiful. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

January 31, 2019
Everyday Enzymes that Help Digestion

Start getting the most out of your food with the help of Everyday Enzymes.

I had the opportunity last week to talk to Dr. Liz Cruz, the creator of Everyday Enzyme’s. I’m no health nut, and struggle understanding most health-related topics. Being able to talk with Dr. Cruz about the Everyday Enzyme’s was extremely helpful to me, and I hope it will, in turn, help you.

What are Enzymes?

Enzymes are biochemical catalysts. They work to break down our food into molecules so that our body can process more of the nutrition held within.

The following are the questions I asked Dr Cruz, and her answers summarized by me.

Why make Everyday Enzymes?

Dr. Cruz works as a gastroenterologist in Arizona. She had many clients complaining of issues such as feeling bloated, not feeling that their food was digesting, acid reflux, heartburn, low energy, and feeling moody. In her words “it’s much more than just gastrointestinal.” Dr. Cruz went on to explain the phenomenon known as the Enzyme Gap, which is a study that says every 10 years our bodies enzyme production goes down. She says there are 2 ways to combat this gap. #1. Eat Healthy. #2. Eat Enzymes

For awhile she would suggest over-the-counter enzymes but found because of the lack of quality in many pills, they still weren’t helping much. So she decided to make Everyday Enzyme’s as pure and natural as possible.

What would you say is the most important ingredient in Everyday Enzymes?

This was a fun conversation that I found very telling about the product. Dr. Cruz gave it a lot of thought and finally admitted to me that she didn’t believe anyone ingredient was more important than the others. She has worked to create a pill full of different enzymes all equally important to break different nutrients.

What makes Everyday Enzymes better than eating Activia Yogurt?

This is where I learned quite a bit. Activia and other good yogurts are full of probiotics. Probiotics and Enzymes are not the same things. The probiotics add good bacteria that help keep our guts healthy, while Enzyme’s actually helped break down the food.

How will I know if Everyday Enzymes is working for me?

Everyone is different, so it depends on the individual and why they are taking it. For her clients, it should help get rid of the feeling of bloating, or undigested food. In her own words “I take them, not because I have issues, but I’m 52, and in the long run I know they’ll help me.”

So whether you’re taking them as something to benefit you, or to specifically help with gastrointestinal problems, how they show their effectiveness will be different. Dr. Cruz suggests taking them for at least 30 days, but preferably 90 days to start seeing any difference in health.

Are Everyday Enzymes FDA approved?

Since this is not a drug, but a health supplement, the FDA does not treat it the same. However, because getting quality enzymes into these pills is important to Dr. Cruz, all of the ingredients are FDA certified.

I’m Having a Cholecystectomy, how will Everyday Enzyme’s benefit me?

This was a more personal question, as I was getting ready to have my gallbladder removed, and wanted to know if there were any specific benefits I could find taking Everyday Enzymes. Dr. Cruz told me whenever one of her patients has a cholecystectomy she encourages them to take enzymes. The function of our gallbladder is basically a back-up to help with our digestion. By taking away that back-up, I can use all the extra help in the digestion tract available.

If you’d like to learn more about Dr. Cruz and the Everyday Enzyme’s visit www.drlizcruz.com/

September 7, 2018
How Daily Exercise Can Help You Burn Fat

I am sure you already know by now that exercise burns fat, but do you know how it happens? The process of weight loss is not as complicated as many fat burning products companies would want us to believe, but you need to know the inner-workings of the system to burn fat properly.

Image credit Pixabay

I battled fat for years before I learned all the nooks and crannies of the process, which is why I think you should be well-informed before starting your own journey. So, if you want to know how working out will get you slimmer, have a look at the tips below. I’ll also let you in on some of the most effective exercises for stubborn fat.

Physical Activity Creates New Muscles

Even though men are the most interested in muscle growth, the current standard of beauty has women interested in weight lifting as well. Nowadays, it’s a lot sexier to be toned and have nicely contoured muscles than being skinny, so there is no wonder more women go to the gym.

But how do we grow muscles? Well, first it’s important to know that I am talking about skeletal muscles (the ones we use to move). These are made of muscle fibers, which when put under pressure from physical exercises tears down. This is why you have that burning sensation when you work out right.

Furthermore, muscle growth doesn’t happen if you don’t allow the body to rest and rebuild. During the pause period (usually two or three days), new muscle fibers are being created, to repair the damage. As a result, the muscle becomes thicker and bigger, which is why you start to look toned.

Now, muscles burn calories even when you’re idle (sitting on the couch, for instance). This means that, as you grow more muscles, you’ll get leaner at a faster pace.

Aerobic Exercises Are Amazing Fat Burners

It is scientifically proven that aerobic exercise has a powerful impact on our brain by improving memory and making us sharper. But it is also a great way to burn fat and get leaner if you do it right.

Aerobic exercises like biking or jogging require a lot of energy and need to be done at a certain intensity and for a specific amount of time to provide results. So, if you feel you can’t get your heart racing fast enough, maybe you should consider some fat burners.

I had a chat with the guys at bestfatburners.co, and they told me that fat burners (the high-quality ones) are designed to give you a boost of energy and increase endurance for better exercise performance. So, if you feel drained before a workout, you may want to try some of these products.

Intensity Matters the Most

Scientists looking to decipher the connection between exercise and weight loss discovered that it’s not about how much you exercise; it’s how vigorously you do it. It turns out that if you do high intensity exercises, you don’t need to spend a few hours in the gym every day. Heck, you may not even have to spend one hour!

High intensity training builds muscle and bone mass, which in turn leads to fat burning, better resistance, and a leaner aspect. So, the goal is to exercise to be fit, not to lose weight. The latter part will come as a delightful bonus.

Food is Still Important

Now, if you think you can exercise and eat as many donuts as you want, you’re wrong! You still need to be disciplined when it comes to food, but if you exercise right and use the necessary products, you won’t have to starve yourself.

Food is transformed into energy, which is why you have to keep it as clean and healthy as possible (with the occasional slip).

August 30, 2018
Banishing the Stigma of Mental Health
Mental Health Awareness month begins soon–May 1st, to be exact. Of course, the goal of such a campaign is to make more of a dialogue around the subject, and I think that this one is especially important because it’s a dialogue that we just don’t have often enough. For some reason, despite the great strides that have been made in mental health awareness, it’s still something that we tend to hush up around, suddenly get awkward about, or experience shame and isolation when we’re handling it ourselves.

Related Content: 5 Ways to Battle Depression While Pregnant

I know that I’m not going to change that with just one article, but I’d like to point out a different way of thinking about mental health. I think that we have a tendency to divide ourselves into categories: those dealing with it, and those who are looking from the outside, just trying to be more sympathetic.

Most People Experience Mental Illness at Some Point

The truth is that you’re almost definitely going to have to deal with a mental health issue at some point in your life. During one specific study and survey of mental health, it was found that 40% of people are dealing with mental illness within a five year period, and another 40% have had to deal with a major mental health challenge in the past. I think that it’s safe to say that if you include future challenges down the line for all those studied, 100% will have to deal with mental health challenges at some point. Sure, these challenges might never accelerate into the kind of thing that requires professional treatment, but they can still be incredibly debilitating. Worst of all, they can be incredibly isolating, when you believe you’re the only one feeling that way.

Think of Mental Health Like Physical Health

Comparing mental and physical health can help us get a more helpful perspective on mental health. For example…
1. 1. Everyone gets sick now and then.
1. 1. When you’re severely sick, you seek out a professional’s help.
1. 1. Sometimes you can cure the problem with medication, sometimes with lifestyle changes.
1. Other times, you simply need to learn to manage the illness, since it will affect how you manage the rest of your life.
Everyone Can Improve Their Mental Health

Just as all of us could do more to support better physical health, I believe that we could all do more to care for our own mental health. After all, every year we make resolutions to eat better, and exercise more. What’s the mental health equivalent of that?
- - Connection: Did you know that maintaining relationships and meeting new people actually keeps your brain young? The number of meaningful relationships we have also has a close correlation with mental health.
- - Physical health: Mental health and physical health are closely related. Exercising and maintaining a good diet can greatly affect issues like anxiety and depression.
- Stress management: Stress is an inevitable part of life, and it’s not always a bad thing. Some of the most stressful events in life are also the best (marriage, having a child, getting a new job, etc.) For this reason, everyone needs to have coping mechanisms that they can utilize in order to healthily manage stress.
It’s also very important for people to learn to maintain their mental health when they’re young. Children and teens are dealing with anxiety and depression at a staggering rate right now. Some of this might be due to the changing demands of modern life. However, some may also be due to the fact that few children and teens are equipped with tools to handle these things in a healthy way. It’s important to recognize signs of depression and anxiety in your children and proactively teach them how to take care of their own mental health.

Most Common Mental Health Challenges

Some mental illnesses are hereditary, and usually manifest themselves in young adulthood. However, mental health challenges can also be triggered by periods of extreme stress in our life. For example, many women experience upsets in mental health during or after pregnancy. Trauma is also something that can trigger severe mental illness, and although childhood trauma usually has the most complex and long-lasting effects, trauma can happen at any period in our lives.

That being said, the majority of people will have to deal with one or more of the following problems:
- - Depression: Depression is actually the #1 cause of disability in the world, and that number is ever-growing.
- - Anxiety: Anxiety disorders come in many forms (including depression) and can include symptoms like social anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, etc. Anxiety is also something that commonly co-occurs with other disorders, like addiction or OCD.
- Addiction: Yes, addiction is a mental illness. Many people think that it’s just bad behavior, but addiction is professionally acknowledged and treated as a brain disease. Because of the confusion with blame and shame inherent in addiction, it can be especially difficult to maintain positive relationships. This link has a good guide for supporting someone struggling with addiction.
When a problem is really severe (whether it’s one of those above, or something else entirely,) it’s essential that we seek out professional help. Sometimes, that step relies on the care and concern of others. Especially in the case of depression, it’s hard for someone in the middle of it to have any hope of things getting better. Each of us needs to be aware of, and able to identify warning signs of life-threatening dangers; things like suicide, or elevated risk-taking behavior (which might manifest as high-risk sex, substance abuse,) and major changes in lifestyle and relationships.

Many resources are available to help raise awareness and make help available for individuals currently struggling with mental health issues. You can learn more about this month’s campaign here.
April 25, 2018
Hygge: Learning to Relax and Enjoy the Simple Things

Hygge: pronounced hoo-guh.

The Danish word means feeling cozy contentment while enjoying the simple things that life has to offer.

When I first heard of hygge, I pictured myself curled up on our couch, a fire blazing in our non-existent fireplace, a good book in my lap, and a cup of hot cocoa in my hand.

Hygge will look different for everyone. Some people may enjoy hygge while out walking. Others may enjoy it while surrounded by their friends and family with the noise of conversation and laughter.

I find hygge more in the silent moments. Moments of reflection. Sometimes while watching my children play from a distance, though most often I find it in the simple accomplishments of my day to day activities.

Many of you may recall when I first began writing I would show you before and afters of my very messy and disorganized home. Those posts brought me a feeling of contentment. As I took the time to organize our home into the cozy space I desired, I could enjoy the little moments of my life more.

So in honor of finding hygge, I’m going to share another before and after.

I love this desk. We acquired it for free when some friends moved across the country and didn’t want to take it with them. It sits under the east-facing window in my bedroom and gets a beautiful morning glow across it.

It is also easy to cover it with ‘to do’ and ‘take care of later’ items. Basically rendering it completely useless for anything I’d like to use it for. Last week on my kids’ chore list, I had them clean off their desks. They were atrocious and unusable. I wonder where they got that from….

Obviously, I couldn’t be a hypocrite of a mother, so I went to work cleaning off my desk as well.

Now that the space is cleaned off, I can enjoy more intentional moments of hygge. Whether it’s reading a book, coloring in my Hygge Happy coloring book, or planning my spring garden – I’ve now got the space to do that. Just looking at this cleaned up area brings a little of that cozy contented feeling into my life.

Hygge Happy: Coloring Pages for a Cozy Life

The coloring book featured in this post is full of beautiful artwork that you get to color! Each page is inspired by something that could be a source of contentment in someone’s life – maybe yours. On the back of each coloring page is an idea on how you can add a little bit of that hygge feeling to your daily life.

Check out the artists at Robin Pickens Blog and April Heather Art. Then purchase a copy of Hygge Happy on Amazon today.

March 30, 2018
The Importance of Journal Writing and Ideas to Get Started

Have you ever had just an amazing day that you never wanted to forget? Or you met someone, and wanted to remember the day, time, place, and initial feelings? Journal writing is a great way to put feelings and experiences in a more permanent place.

I received my first journal at the age of 8. I wrote in it with a marker and my spelling wasn’t terribly awesome.

Many Sundays were spent with my Mom calling a timeout to write in our journals. She didn’t care what we wrote, or how long, just that we wrote something down. I loved it but really didn’t understand why I needed to write down my life.

Surely no one would want to know what my 8-year-old self thought. The truth is, though, journal writing is important and has many benefits. Most aren’t apparent right away though.

Why is Journal Writing Important?

History. The biggest reason to write a journal is for your posterity. One of my favorite things to do is read journals written by my ancestors. It gives insight into how they lived, and connects me to my past. Beyond personal reasons though, without people writing down their story, we would have no history to study and learn from. Without history, we could not grow and progress. Your journal could be the key to progression in the future.

Reminders. Let’s face it, our memories just aren’t that great as we age. There is only so much we can remember as the years’ progress. I’ve recently come to the realization that I’ve forgotten most of my childhood, except very specific memories. Going back to my journals has recently helped me realize that my preteen is actually quite normal – in fact, she may be more emotionally adept than I was!

Therapy. In a world focusing more on mental health, may I suggest that journal writing can be a form of therapy. As women, I feel we hold a lot of our emotions inside. I came across one journal entry where I said “I was very hyper. Actually, I was just trying to mask my real feelings – deep down inside I was hurting. I was sad and depressed.” Being able to write those feelings down, instead of continuing to bury them I know helped me through whatever was going on.

How To Write a Journal

Pen and Paper. Of course, the oldest way to write your story is putting it down with pen and paper. There are millions of options out there for old-fashioned journal writing. If you need ideas to get your writing, there are journals with prompts on each page. You can also use these prompts in a jar. One thing I want to try is writing a dual journal. This is where you take turns writing with someone else. It could be a marriage journal for spouses, or a mother/child journal.

Blog. If pen and paper isn’t your thing, that’s OK! With the age of technology, blogs are a fantastic way to write your story. If you’re not ready to share that story with the world, you can even create a private blog. Blogging for me really started as a way to continue journaling when I found myself in the depths of motherhood. Sharing it with other mothers was inspiring and kept me connected to the world, while still keeping a hold of memories I otherwise may have forgotten.

Life Planner. This one is completely new to me, but I got a Mormon Mom Planner for Christmas, and it’s so much more than just a planner! It’s basically a journal of my life this year. With areas to write quotes, a place to keep track of my kids wants and needs, and my favorite Sunday inspiration section, it has a space for everything I use to write in a traditional journal. Many planners these days have these same options. So if journal writing or blogging just isn’t for you – consider a Life Planner that is more than just a calendar and to do list.

March 1, 2018
Good Mornings for Night Owls by Christine Hill

This post on good mornings for night owls was contributed by Christine Hill.

Related: Steps to have a Productive Morning

There are few things I like better than reading a book late into the night. Or it might be a late-night conversation with a loved one that keeps me up. Sometimes, it’s staying out with friends. In any case, those hours after dark are when I really wake up. To be honest, it’s even when I’m the most productive and creative, or so it feels to me.

However, all that night-owl activity comes at a price, and that price is mornings. Bleary, achy, tired mornings. My whole life long, I’ve been bad at mornings. But I’m getting better because I’ve learned a thing or two. Now, I’m not saying that any of the tips below are magic hacks that will make it easy to suddenly recover from a late night with no effort on your part. However, they will help you have a better morning… without even drinking any coffee!

Exercise

No really, exercise! Good exercise energizes your body naturally, and it doesn’t have to be a major strain to get results. Something as simple as taking a brisk walk around the block in the morning, getting in some stretches, or jumping on the trampoline, can all increase your heart rate and blood flow, working out the stiffness of the night’s sleep and making you feel awake and alert.

What’s tricky is time. You don’t want to sacrifice sleep to wake up easier. That just feels counter-intuitive. So if you’re not a morning workout person, just do 10 minutes of stretches and aerobics.

Plan Your Mornings Early

I work all day, and usually head straight out to errands, classes, or activities from work. This means that in the morning I need to remember a whole list of important things, like lunch, a change of clothes, an item I was going to drop off at the post office, etc. Before you even begin your evening activity, when you’re feeling energized and ready to spread your night-owl wings, think about the next morning. What can you do now to make it go easier? Sometimes to me, it’s as simple as putting certain things in my car and parking it somewhere that will allow me to avoid a busy left turn in the morning. Other days, it might consist of taking care of breakfast prep ahead of time, or picking out my outfit.

Stressful things can feel even more stressful to your delicate morning self. So note morning stressors like noise level and take care of those noisy tasks the evening before instead. You can find more ideas here.

Sometimes Quality Sleep Has to Compensate for Quantity

Wouldn’t it be great if we all had the luxury of 8.5 hours of sleep each night? Yeah, dream on, right? While setting a sleep routine and sticking to it is one of the best ways to beat insomnia, there are times when you’re going to have to just focus on the quality of sleep over how much you actually get. Make sure you have a good bedroom environment for relaxation, and eliminate disruptions that will rob you of those few precious hours. This might mean light-blocking curtains, or leaving your cell phone on the kitchen counter and buying a real alarm clock instead. Sometimes I trick myself by making bedtime feel really luxurious, with freshly laundered sheets and a really fluffy duvet. This post has more great ideas for having good sleep at night.

Have Something to Look Forward To

This one was a game-changer for me. The truth is that most things I really enjoy are best with long unstructured time. I like to get lost in them, like garden work or a bubble bath. They’re great tasks to look forward to at the end of a work day, but they just don’t work in the morning, when I’m sluggish and 30 minutes easily turns into an hour.

However, there are other things that I’m able to look forward to in the mornings. For example, there’s one podcast, 30 minutes long, that I just love. It’s the perfect thing to listen to as I get ready for the day. Since new episodes only come out once a week, I need to have other things to look forward to, as well. Sometimes it’s a new mascara or clothing combo that I’m looking forward to trying out. Other days, it’s a healthy breakfast treat, like a really creamy smoothie. Not every morning has something special, but when a morning comes around that I know I’ll really need it, I know what to do.

The False Start

Now, listen closely on this one, because it can easily go awry. I think that one of the best feelings in the world is waking up in the morning, and then remembering that you don’t have to be awake yet! And you can fall back asleep in your comfortable bed. For this reason, I sometimes set two alarms. One for half an hour early, and then another (with a different alarm sound) for the actual time that I have to get up. It tricks my mind into thinking that I slept in. However, it’s very important that you avoid the snooze trap. Pressing the snooze button can sometimes go on indefinitely, and you might just shoot yourself in the foot if you thought you only pressed it once, but you actually pressed it 5 times and slept clear through the morning. Set two different alarms instead and make sure that the second is one you can’t postpone.

Christine is a professional writer and an avid reader who’s passionate about storytelling in any form. At any given moment, she’s in the middle of at least three books on anything from psychology to ninjas. Although she’s a marathon swimmer and enjoys camping in the mountains, she believes there’s nothing better than a carton of ice cream and a Dawson’s Creek marathon. She blogs about marketing here. Follow more of her writing on Twitter @readwritechill.

How do you ensure good mornings? Share it below!

December 2, 2017